OK, how would you wire your OWN house?

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Re: OK, how would you wire your OWN house?

Originally posted by lile001:. . . you had finally convinced your "significant other" that spending a little cash on the electrical wiring will pay off better than, say, drapes.
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I mentioned this thread to my wife. She said to forget it; she's getting the drapes. :D
 
Re: OK, how would you wire your OWN house?

OK all. Think big, why have designated circuits for the backup Gen? Use a genset with enough power, large fuel supply and an Auto Xfer switch so you don't even care if the power's been out for a week, as it so frequently is in SE Oklahoma.
 
Re: OK, how would you wire your OWN house?

I like that Charlie!
My wish list is simple at this point: All recpts 12-2, around 6-8 feet apart, and separate from lighting. All lighting loaded on the light and conservative side. I like the under-eave recpts, I'll take that. Recpts divied up in a way that there are 2 per room. A complete smart panel for CAT5 and cable, and no 4 gang switch boxes. I still mix up the over sink light, and disposal switch at my house. Four switches would make me nuts.

BTW: The remodeler I work for, has adopted the practice of separate circuits for lighting and recpts. We've done it for so long, he thought it was a code requirement!

[ November 27, 2005, 02:30 AM: Message edited by: AC-DC ]
 
Re: OK, how would you wire your OWN house?

Originally posted by AC-DC:We've done it for so long, he thought it was a code requirement!
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That is how myths are born! ;)
 
Re: OK, how would you wire your OWN house?

I'll be wiring my brother's house soon. The service (already in) is a 320A 120/240 UG, with 1-200A 40 space panel, 1 200A service rated ATS and a 40 space MLO panel, with UFER ground.

We'll have lotsa recessed cans, fluorescents in the closets, and garage. Many outdoor recepts, CAT5e to the soffits for cams, same to doors. Kitchen will probably have around 20 circuits.

I liked the earlier idea of a subpanel for kitchen but I think in this case it would be over kill. Maybe not, we'll see. 6-8 circuits in garage. All recepts will be #12, lights #14,
Keep up the great ideas. I'm stealing, I mean borrowing!
 
Re: OK, how would you wire your OWN house?

Originally posted by peter d:
I would wire my own house to minimum code standards. Anything above that is a complete waste and will never be apperciated or utilized.

I come from the school of thought that if a single 15 amp circuit is good for a 3 bedroom apartment (as is the case in many old buildings in my area), then I don't really need to go above minimum code standards, which are allready very conservative.

As far as the "luxuries" go, I would add lots of recessed lighting, ceiling fans, and probably a generator transfer switch.
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I just got the CO for a room addition that we did to our house. The new room was wired just like this and yes I did use the stab-loc on the devices.
 
Re: OK, how would you wire your OWN house?

I'm glad there's at least one person out there that agrees with me. :D

People can talk to me all day long and they will never convince me that going above the code is a worthwhile endeavor, at least for residential. :p
 
Re: OK, how would you wire your OWN house?

Originally posted by iwire:
Then again I have a piece of 10/8 MC run from my panel up to the attic 'just in case'. :p
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I sure hope the only reason you did that was because you had a big piece of scrap and you had no place else to use it. :eek:
 
Re: OK, how would you wire your OWN house?

Originally posted by peter d:
I'm glad there's at least one person out there that agrees with me. :D
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I agree as well.

Most of the items listed in this thread are a waste and have no facts to show that they are worthwile.
 
Re: OK, how would you wire your OWN house?

Originally posted by electricmanscott:
Originally posted by peter d:
I'm glad there's at least one person out there that agrees with me. :D
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I agree as well.

Most of the items listed in this thread are a waste and have no facts to show that they are worthwile.
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I think some of you missed the spirit of the original post.
To me it was like buying a hot rod when you were a kid. Dual quads were not worthwile for any street legal activity, but they were cool.
 
Re: OK, how would you wire your OWN house?

Lots of 100 Watt keyless lights in the attic!
;)

If the switch doesn't crackle when you turn them on, add more!

It's always great to see your way around up there when you need to. I've appreciated mine many times.

[ November 29, 2005, 11:34 PM: Message edited by: davedottcom ]
 
Re: OK, how would you wire your OWN house?

you want to be a "SUPER HERO"
dont forget this one,,
a t101 timer for,,xmass lites
a receptacle centered under each window.for the candles,you'll be a hero every nite!
the post lite's also on this timer.
a 1/2 pvc ran out to your post lite's,and a receptacle on it,run 3 thhn's out there,1 for constant power and the other for the post lite timer, and the top or bottom of the plug,(break tab)if you dont want your post lites to be on gfi,run another nuetral,
think about were the flower beds are going,1/2 pvc to those locations
1/2 pvc,in the back yard for stuff,,
if your lot allows for a future barn,get a 11/4 pvc out there for a 100 amp sub main,,
pipe is cheap,,
my list is endlist,,
on more thing,a plug were the exmas tree goes,"on the timer"
 
Re: OK, how would you wire your OWN house?

Wind or solar stored in 48v batteries w/ inverter This will power the pump and a hot water heater. Sensors in my bedrom floor that turn the light on dim to brighter when I roll out of bed and bring the room temp from 65F to 72F. Fiber to the home for consolidated voice video & data. All wire beefed up one, 12 ga to 10 ga. A disco ball for my living room.
 
Re: OK, how would you wire your OWN house?

I agree about the "Hot rod" comparison, it may not be too useful, but nice, cool or useless, depending on how you look at it. Lights that dim when a high current device is turned on really annoy me though. So I think separating the lighting from the receptacles would be on the top of the list for me, if I was in a perfect world, and the GC wants me to do that, so I guess I am in that world :) :D 10ga.? 12ga. is a pain already for me!
 
Re: OK, how would you wire your OWN house?

FWIW, I installed a 200A manual transfer switch ahead of my main panel at home a few years ago. We live out in the sticks and my only utilities are power and phone. I have a water cistern with a shallow well pump (120V), a septic pump (120V)(darn county health dept. requirement) and an outdoor wood furnace for heating and hot water. I have found, as a result of several extended power outages, that my little 5KW Homelite 10 HP generator powers my entire home quite adequately. It has an L14-20 outlet and I put a L14-20 Plug on a 10' piece of 12/4 SO Cord that I wired to the generator side of the switch. When we have an outage, I just turn off the 2-pole breakers for the electric dryer, electric back-up heat, electric oven, and spa. Then I fire up the generator, plug the transfer switch into it, throw the switch, and go back into the house. It operates all the lights, computer, TV, refrigerator, freezer, shallow well pump, septic pump, and wood furnace pump/blower with ease!!! (diversity is a wonderful thing I guess)

Now I need to set up a light fixture that is fed from the utility line side of the transfer switch that will signal me when the utility power is available. I have found myself running on generator power for several hours while the utility power was back in service.

Wish I had buried conduit raceways throughout the yard and from the house to the shop!!
 
Re: OK, how would you wire your OWN house?

Originally posted by AC-DC:
I agree about the "Hot rod" comparison, it may not be too useful, but nice, cool or useless, depending on how you look at it.
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I am building my house with a lot of energy efficient design in mind. Someone asked me what the payback on all that is. I said " What is the payback on leather seats in your car? How about power windows or a kick-*** sound system?" An item is a luxury if you want it and it doesn't have a real practical value. Beyond a certain point, energy efficiency isn't "practical", but it really floats my boat.

Eventually I would like to take my house completely off the grid using solar electric. Theres where efficiency pays off, because of the capitol cost of unneccesary watts. A friend of mine has a cabin that is 100% solar electric, on two solar electric panels and one deep cycle battery. He has a computer, TV, plenty of lights, power tools, everything he needs, because all of the loads are maximum efficiency.

Whether any of this is "beyond code" is simply the wrong question, in my humble opinion
 
Re: OK, how would you wire your OWN house?

We're so busy,
I probably wouldn't have time to wire my own house. :(
I'd probably have to sub it out. :D ;)

I'd also probably have to go with the lowest bidder who uses the cheapest materials. :roll:
 
Re: OK, how would you wire your OWN house?

The first house my wife & I built in 1980 had 400A service (electric heat) switched receps in the eaves for Xmas lights, speaker wiring to all rooms, # 12 awg throughout, two 20A circuits to the kitchen serving areas (for all the buffet meal hot plates at parties) and 1-1/2" conduit from crawl space to attic for future unknowns and several UG runs to future flower beds. Got transferred and moved before we could use most of that. Present owner doesn't even know the stuff is there.

Two custom homes later, I really miss the Xmas light receptacles and Smurf tube or EMT chases. I do have a 100A subpanel for Xmas lights but I string 2200' of cord to power the 22,000 lights we put up. (All of GF circuits.)

I'm drooling over some of the ideas! Totally impractical, but fun to have.
 
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