How to Install a Ground Fault Circuit Breaker 2

April 29, 2013
Uncategorized
Leave a comment

Begin Installing a Ground Fault Circuit Breaker
You are now ready to install the GFI circuit breaker. First, you will want to attach the white pigtail coming from the breaker to the neutral bus bar. You can identify that by the white neutral wires which are connected to the panel. Tighten the screw. Next you will want to attach the load neutral wire coming from your circuit to the load neutral side as indicated on the side of the circuit breaker. Insert the neutral wire into the appropriate slot, tighten it and insert the hot wire into the other slot and tighten as you did with the neutral wire. This notch will insert in this part of the panel and then the circuit breaker will just snap into place, into the bus bar.
Finish Installing a Ground Fault Circuit Breaker
First, you want to turn the circuit breaker off, engage the notched portion of the circuit breaker into the slot and then just press the circuit breaker onto the bus bar. When you have fully inserted it, it should appear like this.You can now restore power to all of the circuit breakers that you turned off. Then, turn on the power to your installed GFI, press the test button and it should trip the breaker, which it does, so you have installed the circuit breaker properly. Put the cover back on and you have completed your project.

How to Install a Ground Fault Circuit Breaker 1

April 29, 2013
Uncategorized
Leave a comment

Today I am going to show you how to install a ground fault circuit breaker.
Prepare for Installing a Ground Fault Circuit Breaker
The first thing you have to do is locate your load center or power panel and determine the brand of circuit breakers that you are using. In this case it is General Electric. The wire gauge on this circuit is #12, so we will use a 20amp breaker. If you have 14-gauge wire you will need a 15amp breaker. This is the GE 20amp GFI circuit breaker that we will be installing. Next, you will want to remove the panel cover. Once inside you should turn off the main breaker. In this case this panel does not have a main circuit breaker. What we can do is switch off all of the individual circuits in order to reduce the load on the panel. Now, because this panel is still “live” you will want to avoid touching the bus bar.

How to Add an Outlet to an Existing Wall 2

April 29, 2013
Uncategorized
Leave a comment

Attach the Box to Add an Outlet to an Existing Wall
This is a box designed for Romax. So, you can slide your Romax through this access here and then you will be able to retrieve it on the other wall by pulling it through the hole you made. You can feed the Romax into this box also designed for Romax wire. Slide the wire inside the box. This particular type of box has tabs that will tighten against the back side of the dry wall so the box does not fall out.Once you have inserted it you tighten the screws that will spin those tabs into place and tighten them against the back of the wall. Next you want to remove the Romax sheathing. This is a tool designed for stripping Romax.
Attach the Wiring to Add an Outlet to an Existing Wall
Here you want to attach the ground wire making a clockwise loop so when you tighten the screw it tightens the wire rather than loosing it. The neutral, the same case, will go onto the silver terminals. And the last wire, the hot wire, will attach to the brass color screw. Putting the receptacle back into the box, tightening it and then we will make our connections on the other side of the wall.Here we connect the neutral wire to the other neutral wires in the box, add your black wire to the black wire bundle and secure it with wire nuts. On the ground wire you can connect it to the existing ground wire.

How to Add an Outlet to an Existing Wall 1

April 29, 2013
Uncategorized
Leave a comment

Turn Power Off to Add an Outlet to an Existing Wall
These are the tools that you’ll need. We want to add an outlet to the ground floor. We have no attic access and we have no access below the house because we have a concrete floor. We want to add an outlet to the pantry behind this wall so we are going to tap into an existing outlet.We need to turn power off so I’m going to use a device that allows me to check the circuit. Switch off the power and then plug in your volt meter to insure there is no power.
Measure the Box to Add an Outlet to an Existing Wall
Next you want to measure the distance from the inside of the box to the wall so you can match this on the other side of the wall. There is not enough depth in this wall to put the two boxes back to back so we will have to make an adjustment.You also want to measure the height of the box so that you can match that.Once inside the pantry we will measure to ensure that we are matching the distance. In this case we are going to subtract four inches to prevent us from placing the box back to back. You want to level your box.
Cut Out the Box to Add an Outlet to an Existing Wall
Next you want to draw an outline so that you can cut around the box. Do not cut around the tab because that will sit flat against the wall as you will see later. Drill a hole for access into the wall. Using a wooden stick I can probe inside the wall just to make sure there is nothing back there.Drill holes in the corners to make cutting easier and then we will take a dry wall saw and cut out the opening. Ensure that your box will fit properly, in this case it does. As you can see those tabs as I mentioned earlier, are sitting flush against the wall.

Stop the Spread of Home Theater Sickness

March 29, 2013
Uncategorized
Leave a comment

“What? — Home Theater Sickness?”, you ask… “My home theater can make me sick?” It indeed can if you get it all hooked up and it does not look or sound the way you thought it would or should. If your new system just doesn’t look anywhere near as good as you expected — you may be a victim of Home Theater Sickness. If you have dumped a lot of dollars into what you think is the latest and greatest Home Theater equipment — and you still end up with a home theater system that leaves you with a great deal of buyer’s remorse and a definite sick feeling deep in the pit of your stomach — that’s indeed a classic case of “Home Theater Sickness“.

Properly researching your components is an essential part of the home theater selection process and is essential preventative medicine in the battle to prevent Home Theater Sickness. Unfortunately, thousands of anxious new home theater enthusiasts jump into the scene each day with little or no advance preparation other than seeing what’s on sale at Best Buy or their local department store. Such a hasty decision will adversely affect your desired home theater experience and help the spread of Home Theater Sickness. However there are some steps that you can take to assure that your results at home are much closer to what you desire. You are about to find out some things about home theater that electronics retailers definitely don’t want the “Home Theater Newbie” to know.

You should first read, read and then read some more on what video displays, digital surround audio systems and playback devices are currently available for the home theater enthusiasts. Fortunately there are many web sites dedicated to home theater audio and video systems where you can find preventative medicine for Home Theater Sickness. Do a Google search for AVS Forums and Audioholics for a wealth of knowledge from people who are experienced in the home theater scene. Another great and very informative web site is right here — Home Theater Systems Advice — one that I am of course partial to as I personally host this site and share my accumulated knowledge for free. Reading a LOT of information will lessen the chances that what you buy is not what you were expecting.

 

How to Get the Most from Your Favorite Video Games

March 29, 2013
Uncategorized
Leave a comment

Home Theater Video Gaming
It has been over a decade since modern Home Theater Systems first brought the cinema experience home — and lately Home Theater Video Gaming has become more popular. Many cutting-edge video gamers are finding that the same big-screen televisions, plasma screens and front video projectors along with multi-channel digital surround sound that re-creates the Movie Theater experience at home is also an awesome way to experience your favorite video games. With the constantly rising popularity, increasing simplicity of operation and increased affordability of the associated technologies, the realism of the Home Cinema experience is also bringing new levels of video gaming thrills to widespread popularity.

It also has been about a decade since hi-tech video gaming captured worldwide attention and increased popularity. The relatively small screen home video gaming entertainment industry of the 90’s has evolved into a much more serious market that now targets a more sophisticated audience. In fact, back in 2004 the video gaming industry surpassed Hollywood’s revenues making it attractive to more investors and with investment capital, developers increased the sophistication of gaming consoles.

Because of the perennial success of video gaming, the “Big 3” major companies — Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo — continue to upgrade the technical aspects of their gaming platforms as heated console battles are waged for market dominance. The situation is much the same in the game software arena – hundreds of titles are developed and released to different platforms each year with increasing audio/visual depth and complexity.

Video gaming historically had been aimed toward younger audiences where the appeal is great. This has been true especially because video gaming became largely popular during the Super Mario glory days, which was mostly played by kids. However, recent studies reveal that the average home theater video gaming fan is 29 years old – making a shift from young to bit more mature audience. Since such audiences want more sophisticated ways to experience games, hardware and software companies collaborate and are eager to develop advanced peripheral devices that further enhance the video gaming experience.

Comparison between Motorola Xoom and Archos 101

March 22, 2013
Uncategorized
Leave a comment

There are many tablets on the market today but which ones are actually worth looking at? Currently there are 2 that spark interest in the Android community, one being the Motorola Xoom and the other being the Archos 101 Internet Tablet. While Both of these tablets run the android OS there are a few differences.
1. Price Point
The Archos 101 wins in this category due to the fact that its starting price is only $299 for the 8gb model and $350 for the 16gb model making it one of if not the most inexpensive tablet on the market.  The Motorola Xoom starts at $600 for the wi-fi only version and $799 for the 3G model.
2. Storage Space
The Motorola Xoom wins here due to its large 32gb on board storage where the Archos only comes with 8gb or 16gb onboard (although there is an expansion slot for up to 32gb more space with a microSD card.
3. Overall Speed
While the Xoom has a much faster dual core 1ghz processor and a bit more memory it tends to be much slower than it should be since its running Honeycomb.  The Archos with the slower 1ghz processor keeps up since its running the more stable Froyo OS.  This category is a tie unless you go through Honeycomb and clean it up for speed.
4. Physical Attributes
The Xoom has a weight of 708 grams for the wifi only version and 730 grams for the 3G version with a height of 249mm, width of 167.8mm and a thickness of 12.9mm.  The Archos 101 has a weight of 480 grams which is almost half that of the Xoom and a height of 270mm width of 150mm and thickness of just 12mm.  This makes the Archos a much lighter & slightly thinner tablet.  Although this ultimately is a preference as the Xoom has more of a standard look and the Archos is Widescreen making this a tie since its only preference.
Ultimately the decision would be preference, the Archos 101 Internet Tablet for those of you interested in price and only need wi-fi connections although if you want 3G access you won’t get this with the Archos and will have to go with the Xoom.

About Buying laptop batteries Online

March 17, 2013
Uncategorized
Leave a comment

Internet their distributors involving laptop batteries will be quickly rising being a one-stop buy mobile computer users, equally industrial plus personalized, seeking huge functionality, greater good quality nevertheless cost-effective plus authentic power packs without having to work for this.
Websites like these make it less difficult for the mobile computer users of choice plus buy their own recommended power right from the particular luxuries health of their home/ place of work. They’ll also examine the particular selling prices by way of viewing many sites after which it make a great prepared plus sensible choice relating to their own buy. Then again, it is passionately suggested that you just may well avoid out of falling while in the trap involving cheap laptop batteries just to save some bucks. YOUR cent ended up saving currently may well turn into a crowd of bucks in case you end up buying a great poor good quality, bad functionality power which could betray whenever you genuinely needed them. In contrast, purchasing a huge functionality power, if you already had to spend some extra bucks, is usually a offer worth every penny.

How to Remove and Install a Circuit Breaker

March 1, 2013
Uncategorized
Leave a comment

1.    Before you can actually tear into the project, you’ll need to find out what brand, type, and size breaker you’ll be replacing. For instance, it may be a Square D®, Homeline, 20 amp breaker that you are replacing. Breakers come in many different shapes and sizes. You should never place a different brand breaker in place of the correct replacement. You may not be able to see a difference, but believe me, there are differences in tension, the way they connect in the holder, and how deeply they mount to the buss.
2.    Once you have the new breaker, remove the screws holding the panel face on. I suggest leaving the middle two screws until last. Loosen the two remaining screws while holding the cover from falling to the ground. Be very careful not to let the cover tip into the panel because the panel is live. If you are at all afraid to work on the panel at this point, either turn off the main breaker or call a professional.
3.    Now that the cover is off, locate the breaker to be replaced. Turn off the breaker and remove the wire from it and carefully bend it away from the inner panel. Now, carefully pull the breaker from the inner part of the panel and pull it towards the outer side of the panel. The breaker should then pull out towards you. Be careful not to touch the buss bar, if the main breaker is still energized.
4.    Take the new breaker and install it, reversing the sequence used to remove the old one. First attach the back of the breaker into the back holder clip and gently push the breaker into place. In some cases, this will require a little more force. Make sure it lines up with the buss bar as you install it.
5.    Reconnect the wire that you removed and tighten securely. Replace the panel cover and its screws before turning on the power. Now turn on the breaker or breakers that you turned off.
6.    Check to see if the circuit is on. Breaker removal and installation isn’t hard if you follow these easy-to-follow steps.

Danger of Overloading Electric Circuits With Portable Electric Heaters

March 1, 2013
Uncategorized
Leave a comment

As the extreme cold snap takes a grip on your area, many times people are tempted to plug in portable electric heaters to add a little extra heat to rooms. Portable electric heaters are a nice addition to heat these rooms as long as you don’t get carried away. The problems start when you connect too many heaters to the same circuit and cause a circuit overload. By overloading the circuit, the electrical wires and connection will heat up and trip the circuit breaker or blow the fuse it is connected to. Obviously there is a problem, but too often, people will just go and reset the breaker or change the fuse. If you reset a breaker too many times, it’s likely that you’ll weaken the breaker and have to change it.
These devices are just doing their job and you’re just setting them up for failure if you don’t find the problem. In fact, you’re likely headed for an electrical fire in your home if you keep resetting the breaker or changing the fuse, especially if you install larger fuses than were in the fuse box to begin with.
As you can see in the pictures, the electrical wire insulation breaks down and burns and that in turn causes the wooded walls to smolder and eventually catch on fire. This family was very fortunate that the home didn’t burn down due to the smoldering wire and wood. Luckily, the fire department came just in the nick of time to save the home, but not without a cost. The home now has to be remodeled and the electrical wiring has to be updated and changed, not that that’s not a good thing. Luckily this happened in the middle of the day while they were all awake and able to see the smoke. If they had been asleep when this had happened…who knows?
And while we are on the subject, have you changed your smoke detector batteries lately? Do you have smoke detectors in and around sleeping areas of your home. Are they hardwired so that if one goes off, they all sound an alarm? If not, this may be the time to get prepared for a fire in your home.
To avoid electrical fires in your home, be sure that all the electrical connections are tight. Make sure that cord are plugged all the way into an outlet and that that connection is secure. Too often, outlets become worn and they loose their tension strength. This causes the cords to fall out or hang half out from the outlet. This in turn is like adding a resistance to the circuit and causes it to heat up. And of course, you know the rest of the story. Electrical safety is a 24-hour, seven day a week job. Practice electrical safety everyday and it will become a routine, not a chore!