Room Index - Just Wondering?

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ElectricianJeff

Senior Member
Location
Southern Illinois
While going through my scrap wire barrel this weekend I got to wondering if anyone ever uses the Room Index found on some 12/2 romex. I always use a black sharpy when pulling homeruns but am always up for anything that will save me some time.

If you do, how and what other notes do you make.

I hate writing abunch of stuff on wire (especially 12/3). I sometimes use roman numerials only on the wire and write everything on a piece of cardboard that I keep behind the seat of my truck until I finish the panel.

Any neat tricks out there that I might be missing?

Jeff
 
I just have my own abbreviations and mark the cable with a sharpie. For instance a dishwasher would be a DW. Dinning Room is DR. Family Room is FR. etc

I will also put more info if necessary. Thus receptacles to the right of the Kitchen sink or left of range, etc may be used. For rec. I use the symbol.
 
I've never used the tags you're referring to. Not specific enough, IMO.

ElectricianJeff said:
I sometimes use roman numerials only on the wire and write everything on a piece of cardboard that I keep behind the seat of my truck until I finish the panel.
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I've done that on bigger houses - leave a clipboard by the panel, write the circuit description on the directory, and just write the number on the sheathing tag. I don't use roman numerals, though. :D

That allows for typing the panel schedule later at home, and losing a number or two on strip-out becomes easier to deduce down the road. You already have a list of suspects ("it's either #26 or #8...").

For small houses, I'd just keep track of the oddballs (2-wire HR for AC, bedrooms where I have to keep the neutral out, temp GFI, furnace) and label the panel on energize with either an assistant or a loud boombox.
 
My guys use a sharpie when pulling home runs then strip the "label" and put it over the hot wire before attaching to the breaker this makes panel labeling a snap .
 
Rewire said:
My guys use a sharpie when pulling home runs then strip the "label" and put it over the hot wire before attaching to the breaker this makes panel labeling a snap .
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I do this, too. It's also a great way to remember which whites land on the breaker instead of the neutral bus. I also write on the home runs just above the panel.

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georgestolz said:
For small houses, I'd just keep track of the oddballs (2-wire HR for AC, bedrooms where I have to keep the neutral out, temp GFI, furnace) and label the panel on energize with either an assistant or a loud boombox.
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That's how I do it on every house.
 
georgestolz said:
For small houses, I'd just keep track of the oddballs (2-wire HR for AC, bedrooms where I have to keep the neutral out, temp GFI, furnace) and label the panel on energize with either an assistant or a loud boombox.
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Why not just write it down when you pull it so your not wasting time running around & looking weird plugging a radio into every room?
 
stickboy1375 said:
Why not just write it down when you pull it so your not wasting time running around & looking weird plugging a radio into every room?
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I find it much quicker to label just the necessary items as George said. After powering everything, it takes about 3 minutes to label a typical panel with one guy running around and a little yelling.:smile: Or else on the cell phone. It takes longer for me to label everything, and keep them labelled as I'm cutting in the panel. But to each their own. Labelling makes more sense to me thought for those that work alone often.
 
j_erickson said:
I find it much quicker to label just the necessary items as George said. After powering everything, it takes about 3 minutes to label a typical panel with one guy running around and a little yelling.:smile: Or else on the cell phone. It takes longer for me to label everything, and keep them labelled as I'm cutting in the panel. But to each their own. Labelling makes more sense to me thought for those that work alone often.
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Are you kidding me? so you think yelling through the house is quicker than already having it done at the rough? My labels are not the length of a novel, so were talking what, 5 secs to write on the homerun before you pull it back to the panel?

Like you said though to each his own, but I cannot help but laugh...
 
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stickboy1375 said:
Are you kidding me? so you think yelling through the house is quicker than already having it done at the rough? My labels are not the length of a novel, so were talking what, 5 secs to write on the homerun before you pull it back to the panel?

Like you said though to each his own, but I cannot help but laugh...
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Keep laughing, but I've probably done a thousand panels my way. We probably cut in our panels differently. Translation I bet I'm quicker not worrying about sliding the labels back on after the cable is stripped and then transposing them to the cover. And I had a guy who did it your way. It always took him longer. But again I am labelling the panel in about 3 minutes (yes with a little yelling). So at worst if the labels didn't slow me down at all ( I feel they do) we are arguing over less time than it took me to type this.
 
Let me add - it is not the 5 seconds writing the label on the wire before pulling the homerun. It is the minute or so keeping each label intact when cutting in around two dozen or so circuits.
 
j_erickson said:
Let me add - it is not the 5 seconds writing the label on the wire before pulling the homerun. It is the minute or so keeping each label intact when cutting in around two dozen or so circuits.
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I understand, but I generally only strip one at a time and just reinsert the labeled romex jacket over the conductors before installing into the connector...

I guess were both set in our ways... :grin:
 
stickboy1375 said:
I understand, but I generally only strip one at a time and just reinsert the labeled romex jacket over the conductors before installing into the connector...
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That's the difference, I first strip all the cables and then put all my plastic romex connectors on the cables before ever taking the cover off.

I guess were both set in our ways... :grin:
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I had a feeling that would be the case, hence my comment of "to each his own" earlier.;)
 
I inspected a panel once for an "electrician" who simply labeled it "plugs", "lites", "stove", "SD", "H2O", "furnace", "kit 1", & "kit 2". :grin:

He went off on me a little bit when I asked him to be a little more specific. :smile:
 
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