Bay Arean
Well-known member
Okay, the die is cast. Cabinets ordered, the kitchen shall be re-done.
Feverishly trying to figure what I can and cannot do. Likely to have questions to those masters of the trade.
First and foremost, what possible reason did the housebuilder put the light fixture receptacle an inch and a half above the level of the sheetrock ceiling? It's one of those octagonal boxes, and the fixture and switch lines run through it. It's nailed to a stud but it's placement is bizarre.
They put another removable ring over as a cover but it has a cirlce cut out in it as well. Original owner had mounted flourescent not hanging on it, but why wouldn't someone put the box flush? I found an extender on Amazon that is just right, which MIGHT save me from having to put a whole new box in and have to undo the wiring which I don't understand and then re-do (already was thinking about color tape to mark old lines before I found extender).
I'm trying to move the switch associated with it off a wall that will be demolished over to other side of kitchen. Fished some line and plan on running it in place of old switch. God help me.
Then, they cut a bigger hole anyway, probably so they could get to it. So I get to repair sheetrock and figure out how to get box flush.
Not electrical, but why in god's name did people start blowing in paper insulation? Its on top of the fiberglass foil back. I was up in that nightmare last night crawling through. you cant see any of the romex lines, junction boxes, nothin. Kept the dusk mask on but still wheezin and coughin.. All I could think was (regarding whether to hire and electrician or not, was, "shit, no electrician wants to come up and crawl around this shit. They better be skinny and they better have a great respirator. And they'll probably charge a fortune or figure out some way to work from much easier basement even if it means BX.
We are spendng so much on cabinets I have to do things myself, but I am tempted to hire some bros to vacuum that sucker out.
Part two is this: Gotta add another outlet for new counter area so I bought a double gang for that switch and an outlet. . I guess it's going to be in the middle of a circuit somewhere. I always thought that one black line and one white and a ground can extend to any outlet but I am reading that if its mid circuit, I need to put a hot on the other brass screw side to send it on.
I thought I could just find a junction box up in attic with a known circuit (so I dont' tap into dedicated ones) and run one piece of romex to new box. Am I missing something? I thought any hot could reconnect because its not a switch.
Is that even right, and, if so, besides two-way switches, is that why there is 14-3 and 12-3 sold alongside 14-2 and 12-2? Also, if you have two different circuits on a single outlet, do they use just one white, then break the tab and use the third line to represent the hot of the second circuit, thus not needing two cables to go into receptacle? So confusing because my entire kitchen has outlets that are different circuits top and bottom. I never heard of such a thing.
Thanks. Written from over my head and sinking before I give up and call $90 an hour guy (likely worth every penny).
Feverishly trying to figure what I can and cannot do. Likely to have questions to those masters of the trade.
First and foremost, what possible reason did the housebuilder put the light fixture receptacle an inch and a half above the level of the sheetrock ceiling? It's one of those octagonal boxes, and the fixture and switch lines run through it. It's nailed to a stud but it's placement is bizarre.
They put another removable ring over as a cover but it has a cirlce cut out in it as well. Original owner had mounted flourescent not hanging on it, but why wouldn't someone put the box flush? I found an extender on Amazon that is just right, which MIGHT save me from having to put a whole new box in and have to undo the wiring which I don't understand and then re-do (already was thinking about color tape to mark old lines before I found extender).
I'm trying to move the switch associated with it off a wall that will be demolished over to other side of kitchen. Fished some line and plan on running it in place of old switch. God help me.
Then, they cut a bigger hole anyway, probably so they could get to it. So I get to repair sheetrock and figure out how to get box flush.
Not electrical, but why in god's name did people start blowing in paper insulation? Its on top of the fiberglass foil back. I was up in that nightmare last night crawling through. you cant see any of the romex lines, junction boxes, nothin. Kept the dusk mask on but still wheezin and coughin.. All I could think was (regarding whether to hire and electrician or not, was, "shit, no electrician wants to come up and crawl around this shit. They better be skinny and they better have a great respirator. And they'll probably charge a fortune or figure out some way to work from much easier basement even if it means BX.
We are spendng so much on cabinets I have to do things myself, but I am tempted to hire some bros to vacuum that sucker out.
Part two is this: Gotta add another outlet for new counter area so I bought a double gang for that switch and an outlet. . I guess it's going to be in the middle of a circuit somewhere. I always thought that one black line and one white and a ground can extend to any outlet but I am reading that if its mid circuit, I need to put a hot on the other brass screw side to send it on.
I thought I could just find a junction box up in attic with a known circuit (so I dont' tap into dedicated ones) and run one piece of romex to new box. Am I missing something? I thought any hot could reconnect because its not a switch.
Is that even right, and, if so, besides two-way switches, is that why there is 14-3 and 12-3 sold alongside 14-2 and 12-2? Also, if you have two different circuits on a single outlet, do they use just one white, then break the tab and use the third line to represent the hot of the second circuit, thus not needing two cables to go into receptacle? So confusing because my entire kitchen has outlets that are different circuits top and bottom. I never heard of such a thing.
Thanks. Written from over my head and sinking before I give up and call $90 an hour guy (likely worth every penny).
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