Can I Wire My Own Home? (and save THOUSANDS of dollars?!)

[@AmbitionStrikes]

Things we love about the Jackery 5000+: - Power up to 12 circuits in your home. Duration of use without additional batteries depends on your household energy consumption. - Be integrated with existing solar panels (but not inverters). - Be charged while simultaneously powering devices or circuits. - Support both manual transfer switch integration for home backup and Electric Vehicle (EV) charging (NOTE - The Jackery 5000+ cannot support an oxygen generator.) The brand new Jackery Solar Generator 5000 Plus delivers 5kWh capacity (expandable to 60kWh) and 7200W AC output, offering a quiet alternative to fuel generators: bit.ly/4eIIutn

[@macclark4112]

GRID SHAVING

[@ConnorSmith-ns6re]

I would love to know how to build a house but my brain can’t hold that much information like Riley’s

[@carolewarner101]

Can a fuel generator be plugged in to the Jackery to top it back up in the event of a many days long power outage?

[@gi7892]

I love the idea but if you only run your small loads to the smart panel it doesn't seem like it would help much.​@@macclark4112

[@unijabnx2000]

Why the callout about the oxygen generator? How much power does that need that it cant run it?

[@kj5190]

Over 40 years of doing electrical work here. When you need to run a pull string or rope, tie a plastic bag onto the string, place it in the beginning end and then use a shop vac to suck it to the other end. Big wires, change the string to a rope. 2 people is best for the bigger wires. One pulling and one pushing. The ground rod, I watched an electrician only use a cup of water to push an 8’ ground rod in the ground. No tools at all. Just gloves. Looks like you’re doing just fine. Thanks for your videos.

[@Vytor01]

Yea, and he also missed an opportunity for another Jackery plug by having it run that shop vac.

[@CaptainKseadog1]

Nice job guys! When pushing big wires through conduit, i would suggest using some "pull lube" on the wires. It makes it so much easier. YOU GUYS ROCK!❤

[@wes52101]

I had to sink a new ground rod at my place (Central Illinois) and I attached a garden hose to a length of copper pipe and used the water pressure to drill it out. My old man told me to try it and I thought for sure he was nuts. Turns out it was the perfect solution for my application.

[@thisolesignguy2733]

I was thinking the same thing, but I'm not sure about the cup of water and how that would work. I use an old blue tin coffee cup upside down with some cork inside myself. It's the perfect height when you get to the bottom and the cup hits the ground.

[@davidshumway9639]

​@@thisolesignguy2733how does the cork inside yourself help with the process? Lol

[@kevinm234]

I built my house including all the wiring. When I got my inspection he told me that I could do wiring in his territory any time. He also asked why I had multiple empty boxes in every room with conduit down to the basement. They were for telephone, rf, cat five and independent generator lines for backup. best Idea I ever had.

[@jimothy_park]

Sick brag bro

[@rm9015]

Nobody gives a 💩

[@brainjingo7491]

@kevinm234 i did the same thing in my house in 2007 always a step ahead, I try.

[@-JonnyBoy-]

If there is anything that will be future proof in a house it's conduit...

[@OurBros]

and then everyone clapped

[@kentmccroskey3712]

The most expensive cable is the cable thats too short.

[@ciano5475]

And I have the impression that they are all a little short

[@DashiellParr411]

Grandpa used to say “I cut it twice and it’s still too short!”😂

[@asakayosapro]

measure thrice, pay once, cut once (maybe never... a little slack in the right place is always welcome)

[@JustNo8808]

Or just put an extra outlet somewhere and run your wiring more.​@@asakayosapro

[@ginjaninja6963]

All of them are short with these guys

[@scottmedori1437]

We did our own wiring, but had an electrician do all the hook ups. Saved us a ton. Inspector took about 4 hours on our inspection. Don’t forget a ground on your gas line. He found it. We needed a permit to tie in from the city, and needed an electrician to pull the permit for that. You will never complain that you put too many plug ins after you move in.

[@briannelson4122]

Hats off for your "can do" attitude for everything you guys do, tackling all aspects is commendable. Your inspector is probably following your series and has video proof of how you installed everything as a failsafe.

[@cleanterprises]

@@cod-the-creator be specific if you see actual problems - what are they doing which is dangerous?

[@paulbriggs7126]

tip on the ceiling lights. Use a dot laser and mark where they go on the floor with paint. Install drywall over the light area. Then go back after and use the spot laser again to install the lights later. Easier then cutting them in as you put up the drywall.

[@tommywilliams5135]

@paulbriggs7126 you can do same thing with string and plum bob paint spot on floor

[@Carrs-Firm-Foundations]

but you need wood to secure them, how are you going to do that with the drywall up

[@snowsurfr]

@@Carrs-Firm-Foundations with a ladder and your hand holding the string to the drywall

[@genedegiorgio1617]

I am sure you will receive numerous suggestions on how you should have done this and that. Suffice to say hats off to both of you for taking on another major project. Thanks for sharing.

[@TooLazyToFail]

I love it when inspectors are available and helpful. It's like having a pocket expert. Inspectors can be the best teachers when the right type of person gets the job. Edit: Sounds like all of the findings were easy fixes. Good job!

[@revealingfacts4all]

You might consider also running low voltage internet (CAT6A) to all places you want hardwired network devices... TVs, Computers, acess points, etc...

[@thorzyan]

This 👆

[@Oxblood1987]

I'll 2nd this, also running flexcore and pull strings in case things change and tech upgrades (e.g. phone - cat - fiber)

[@Whippingwillow2001]

not in the same trench as the electrical!

[@leebannister3759]

Yeah, especially from the providers router to computers that game or upload a lot.

[@michalaugustin8122]

what internet is high voltage? :D

[@theburtseoni]

I once wired a 30x40 shop on property we owned in SW Idaho 20 yers ago, and with a little advice and assistance from an electrician friend, I was able to do it for about $2,000 and it passed inspection! The best bid I got from an electrician was $7,000. Good job Riley and Courtney!!

[@SomeUserNameBlahBlah]

You were quoted $5k in labor 20 years ago? How many days would an electrician need to do the job?

[@snorman1911]

About 20 years ago I was quoted close to $1000 just to replace a chandelier. Only reason I called someone is I didn't have a tall enough ladder to do it. Buying a ladder was way cheaper 😂

[@BDCF100]

As an apprentice Marine Electrician many years ago building submarines I worked pulling cables through long conduits. Try 48 rubber coated cables, each a bit thicker than yours, through a tight conduit over 60 foot long. They had to be snug to avoid movement when energized. We used a 5-gallon bucket of Murphy's Lemon Soap.

[@CrapE_DM]

Isn't that tight against code? Does this case have an exception? Or am I just that ignorant about code?

[@onetwothreefour56879]

@@CrapE_DM You know submarine code?

[@robertthomas5906]

They make cable lube. It's not expensive and makes all the difference in the world.

[@markpashia7067]

@@CrapE_DM DC installations are very different than housing with AC voltage. I worked on a moveable cement mixer plant with DC motors and had to study a whole new book to work on that job. And don't use any soap for housing work other than "wire lube" from a supplier. I have seen it all and some are not good for insulation. Murphy's might be fine for true rubber jackets like used for DC but might not be good for plastics. Better safe than sorry. A few bucks for the right thing that is approved for the purpose is not much to a full job price.

[@BDCF100]

@@onetwothreefour56879 Amen

[@michaelmagaruh7767]

If you haven't already started drywalling, may I suggest using blocking in the walls. Everything from cabinets to towel hooks, towel rods, TV mount, etc. And in the shower, if you're going to do glass doors w/ hinges, grab bars and anything else you can think of. It really makes life easier when you start the exciting project of finish work. Looking great so far! You two are really saving loads of money by doing this entire project yourselves!!

[@brianrydzeski6108]

INDEED. So vary nice to have blocking.

[@ElementalITcc]

and take pictures of every wall before you drywall / insulate. knowing where that blocking is and where that wire / pipe in in the cavity is an awesome resource to have.

[@jasoncy31]

Seconded here. We did our own framing and electrical. Very happy with the results (a pro framer was amazed at the quality of our framing, but 2400sf took 11 months). Blocking was really important. I probably put too much, but no regrets. Also: SUPER HELPFUL: Once you're done, cut an 8' long strip of plywood about 1 or 2" wide and mark off measurement every inch in a contrasting sharpie (red for 12" increments, green for every inch in between). Then spend 2 days taking pictures of someone holding this "stick of truth" up next to every. single. stud. Follow up by taking pics of a tape measure measuring left-to-right on every framed wall. Yes, it'll take forever. Yes, it's a pain. But now that we're in the house I can confidently say that this was probably the #1 most helpful thing that we did. Now we can drill a hole anywhere with absolute confidence. And you can point to any point on any wall and I can tell you exactly what is behind it and how many inches of clearance you have. It's been incredibly helpful. Good work!

[@gonzomalan]

as an electrician, i highly appreciate not having to drill through blocking when putting things in after the walls are closed, much less risk of accidentally drilling out of the wall instead of through the blocking.

[@jimbob_here2212]

im no sparky but got a few tickets in the civil industry and one thing your taught about underground services is that they should have tape above the conduit to tell an operator in a digger that they are about to hit said service. just one thing i saw that id highly recomend if adding any other underground services as it is to easy to break them when digging

[@CanadianBusLiving]

For ppl who decide to do this ... glue all the conduit then tie a plastic bag to the pull string and use a shop vac on the opposite end much simpler also pulling lube helps with pulling the wires ... margarine also works in a pinch

[@robertthomas5906]

Butter? No. You'll attract rodents. I would have done it the way he did and not the vacuum trick on this project. No need and the way he did it worked fine. If you have a problem and it's all glued, you're screwed. Not sure why he used conduit. Most places I don't think that's required.

[@mwahlgreen]

Dish soap instead of butter 😮

[@ronblack7870]

don't use margarine . it's an oil . the pulling lube is an alcohol base and will completely evaporate . and it's super slippery.

[@bigdog2024]

Dish soap works too. There are also some special lubes that won’t harm the wire insulation. Every foot or so wrap electrical tape around all the wires so it stays together as a bundle and it makes it easier to pull.

[@jamesbeck5113]

@@robertthomas5906 I beleive that conduit is required between the meter and main panel...which would include the disconnect, since it's in the path.

[@bryank7133]

My father passed back in May, and I will miss him dearly. One of the many, many things he taught me was the easy way to run a pull string. After all your pipe is connected, tie a small piece of cloth to the pull string, and stuff it in one end of the pipe. Hold your shop vac up to the other end of the pipe, turn it on, and it sucks the cloth (and the pull string with it) through the pipe very quickly. Great trick to know if you end up breaking a pull string or having to run a wire in an existing pipe.

[@williamcollins5183]

that is called a jet line,why he was pushing cable not good easy to hurt yourself electrical stuff has a lot of sharp edges

[@siriosstar4789]

i had a training school wire my house . these were young men in training to be electricians with a licensed electrician as the foreman and the school teacher that came every day to inspect the work . the boys were a little slower as they were learning but the end result was perfect .,oh and it was way cheaper .

[@yancyjarquin4683]

I didn’t even know you could do tht , very nice

[@BitCoin-jl4ns]

You should run an outlet behind each toilet in case you ever want to install Toto heated toilet seats. Easy to do now, a PITA after walls are up.

[@RT-qd8yl]

Or a full bidet. After I started using Japanese toilets I'll never go back.

[@Constitution1789]

Kudos to your inspector for being so easy to work with.

[@urbanbeeman5402]

LOL yes it's always good to have an inspector that will let you get away with a poor job...LOL

[@BrianKrahmer]

I live near these guys and have worked with both electrical inspectors, the building dept inspector, the plumbing inspector, the hvac inspector, and the septic inspector, and they are all pretty cool guys. :)

[@Wrenchmonkey1]

@@urbanbeeman5402 Being easy to work with isn't the same thing as passing off improper work. 🤡

[@Valgrind850]

Sure helps to live in a small town, pretty awesome he accepted pictures

[@JustaGuy_Gaming]

@@Valgrind850 Also tend to have a lower work load, so your not waiting weeks for an inspection to turn up. That said they seemed pretty lax compared to what I have seen and experienced before. I think the worst inspectors are in major cities. In a rural area you mess up you burn down your house, in a major city you mess up and you burn down the neighborhood. Plus I always felt the inspectors are influenced heavily by the major contractors to keep Independents out of the business. Not only are they more harsh on your projects, but they seem to let a lot of garbage slide as long as it' done by a major company.

[@ramosel]

A couple of tips for wiring and Non-Metallic (PVC) conduit: A) With non-metallic conduit, there is NO pressure (like water pipe). You don't need a primer. It's ok to use, but not required. B) They do make a gray cement for NM conduit. It dries a bit "softer" - See tip C. C) ONLY put your cement on the MALE end of the connection. Why? You don't want to push the glue up into the FEMALE coupler if you glue the female coupler. It can dry and form sharp spikes (like the "edges" you spoke of regarding bell ends). Time and time again, I've seen those sharp spikes of glue (especially when it's the wrong glue) rip the wire sheathing when doing long pulls. It can leave you with lots of feet of wire that will NOT pass inspection. D) For your floor penetrations, you can use fireproof foam but it is sometimes hard to get it all the way around and through the hole for code. Tape the bottom of the hole off good and use "INTUMESCENT" caulk. It flows in and fills the hole better (fire and cold air) and is much easier to use. It also works on all types of water pipe and any type of conduit. 3M and DAP both make a good product.

[@tray8411]

Thats great advice I could've used when I pulled a bunch of #6 360 ft... Ill do that nxt time

[@jkj2r80fojf23]

The intumescent caulk is specifically designed to ruin pants. I'm sure it does something with fire too, but mostly, it just ruins pants.

[@ramosel]

@ yes, agreed. Lmao, yes.

[@PredxRaptor]

if you ever read the directions on the glue cans...it specifically says to coat both ends btw

[@ObservationofLimits]

If you're burying it you absolutely have to glue it to make it waterproof. Friction joints are not acceptable.

[@bigunone]

FYI For others 1. When putting wire in pipe "Lube is your friend 2. When pulling "Roll it all the way ou"t rather than trying to pull it off the roll

[@jjackflash8907]

Sometimes it is easier to run the wire in the conduit before gluing it together

[@repatch43]

@@jjackflash8907 That's exactly what I was thinking, and what I do, far easier

[@robertgregory2618]

Put a good pull rope in there and lube and have someone pull while you push, that goes nicely that way..

[@richardlug6139]

@@jjackflash8907 Right it is easier to put the conduit bends over the wire than trying to run the wire thru the conduit after it is attached to each other and the ends. Do the conduit in steps from one end to the other.

[@billyoung8118]

Lube is your friend: that's what she said!

[@Darren-ui6zw]

A good idea is putting 2x6 blocking in the bathroom for grab bars, even if you don't install the bars it is nice to have 😊

[@scottlp2323]

Saved $20,000 and earned $1,000,000 in personal satisfaction of a job well learned and well done. 😊👍👏👏👏

[@williamsouthworth5275]

Use Shop Vac to pull the pull string threw, Tie wad of paper to end of string to make suction better on string! It works I used this trick many times, Use Hammer drill to drive in grounding rod...

[@roberthughes2665]

A piece of cloth or plastic grocery bag work great. Just watch holding the string because it will burn cut you seriously

[@owenshiverdecker6999]

Lube helps😊

[@ericpl7227]

@@owenshiverdecker6999 yeah, but what do you use to help pull the wire, hee, hee, hee, lol!

[@Lee_Proffit]

Before you go too far, don't forget to install a conduit for a potential solar panel set up on the roof to feed the jackery and also would it be a good move to tie that metal roof to the house earth rod with a heavy duty copper to deal with a lighting strike ?

[@ardennielsen3761]

only commercial buildings tie the roof to a ground/neutral... every time someone uses an elevator or the AC unit kicks on, get a solid 80 volt off a 300 volt system back feeding into the roof. that's why the birds fly off all together, some don't and freeze in place.

[@Lee_Proffit]

@@ardennielsen3761 Why only commercial buildings ? I'm in the UK, so really struggle with your building / electrical regulations, but I would have thought it prudent to have a big chunk of metal like that roof, grounded

[@lisakingscott7729]

@@ardennielsen3761 Wow, you have some serious electrical faults over there if that happens! However I know that dry climates have major issues finding an earth. A friend's property in central Morrocco has multiple extra long copper rods and pipes buried in the ground and they have to pour salt water around them regularly in dry weather. In southern Germany ALL metal roofs are grounded with multiple very heavy duty copper straps. In the UK it is normal to ground almost everything metal. Domestic water pipes used to be used for ground, because the inlet pipes were metal. However as plastic pipes became increasingly common and many older properties had earth faults, too many water workers were being electrocuted, so it's now banned. In fact the power companies no longer trust households to have a decent earth, so the mains earth is provided by them as the Neutral for all new connections.

[@leverloos]

@@ardennielsen3761 Then your earth is not good enough...

[@marine2tough]

@Lee_Proffit Then your house becomes a giant lightning rod.

[@BrentSmithline]

Never hurts to have a large number of wall outlets. Otherwise a wall outlet is not close enough when yu go to find one. When I watch your projects reminds me of my late father who built our house and did all the work except for the laugh and plaster in the days before drywall, and the plumbing. One of my uncles was a plumber and my dad helped him install the plumbing, So when you do projects like this, it brings back memories of my late bother building our home.

[@carldavis3308]

I can tell you as an electrician superintendent you do better than most of our electricians in our company and our helpers. And the fact that you're an amateur at this blows my mind. Keep up the great work.

[@HeavyHaulKen]

For stripping the sheathing off of romex, I use a carpet blade in my knife. Has a sharp hook, and acts like a seam ripper. House is looking great!

[@BrianKrahmer]

The Romex stripper is well worth the money. No nicked sheathing

[@gerrymcintosh4477]

Considering you’re not a professional contractor electrician or HVAC person, you did an outstanding job. I really enjoyed watching your process and wish you all well. Cheers from Canada. 🇨🇦💝🇺🇸🙏🥰👍

[@Lewehot]

Use the home depot plugs and switches with Wago’s built in. Cuts time to install in half. Allows easy adjustments and fixes. Worth the extra cost.

[@BrettBreeden]

Good call. I picked one up to replace a broken switch in my house and was impressed. I’ll be using them next time I need to replace or add outlets.

[@pellabandgeek]

I've been using those outlets on my remodel. 100% worth the cost. I think they're Leviton Decora Edge or something like that.

[@Smart-Towel-RG-400]

​@@pellabandgeekespecially for dyiers

[@Karen-q3k9t]

One remark, when you make a hole trough the wall, make it tilt (low outside, up inside) so if there a water on the wall it will not go inside your building :) or just use some sealant. Regarding pipe, you should put some plastic sheet (rigid one) on top of it. so when you use again your exavator you don't destroy it.

[@roberthale8407]

A shop vac, grocery bag and pull string works great for pulling that thru conduit.

[@whowhatisthat88]

I agree. Personally, I have done this.

[@ifiwooddesigns]

Love your channel and you guys are the cutest couple. One easy trick to pulling pull string through existing conduit is to attach a nut or something to the string and use a shop vac at other end. I’ve pulled string over a hundred feet with several 45 and 90 degree bends and has never failed me. Just a quick tip I thought many people knew about.

[@MrKnotWright]

Great job Riley. I'm lucky enough to know a Master Electrician that allows me to "phone a friend" which saves me a lot of headaches with the inspector. Only thing I would ad is that your forget to pay yourself for doing the work, when you calculate the total savings, your time is definitely worth money for sure :-D. You also saved a TON of money by not having to use the Ground fault and Arc Fault breakers on your house. Almost all my circuits here require them, and also a whole house surge protector. I would recommend one of those for your houses, saves a LOT of equipment incase of lighting strikes.

[@markpashia7067]

Especially with that metal roof which should have it's own ground system installed. Even if they are isolated from roof and wiring system, lightning jumps all kinds of crazy paths. I have seen it follow a wet wood handrail for thirty feet and go through wood siding before finding a copper wire and wrecking a house. We spent days tick tracing the wiring to find all the broken wires in that A frame house patching each break as needed. Usually pulling new wire into covered walls and ceilings. All because they put a metal sail boat mast as a flag pole from the ground and hooked to the deck railing above for support. Yet they never thought to ground the bottom of that aluminum mast. Wow!!! Needless to say, they paid us to put a ground rod and wire to that mast as part of the job. It would not have run that hand rail if it had an easier path to ground.

[@ewjutube]

Whole house surge protection is now required in many jurisdictions, and GFI and Arc Fault protection should be required - protect humans and home!

[@donmajkol2856]

I thought GFI breakers were REQUIRED for outlets near wet areas. i.e. bathrooms, kitchens, exterior outlets, etc.

[@MagicHawkeye]

Yes, saved a $50 per breaker by not installing AFCI breakers, because who doesn't enjoy a good arc fault fire? Saving $20K on labor, but not installing AFCI is a rookie error.

[@MagicHawkeye]

@@donmajkol2856 - They are. 2023 NEC requires GFCI in: (1) Bathrooms. (2) Garages and accessory buildings. (3) Outdoors. (4) Crawl spaces (at or below grade). (5) Basements. (6) Kitchens (now including range receptacle, refrigerator receptacle, disposal receptacle, and microwave receptacle). (7) Food or beverage preparation or cooking areas. (8) Sinks (receptacles within 6 ft of the top inside edge of the bowl of a dwelling unit sink). (9) Boathouses. (10) Bathtubs or shower stalls (receptacles within 6 ft of the outside edge of a bathtub or shower stall not installed within a bathroom). (11) Laundry areas. (12) Damp and Wet Locations Indoors. And the 2023 NEC requires AFCI breakers as well: All 120-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere branch circuits supplying outlets or devices installed in dwelling unit kitchens, family rooms, dining rooms, living rooms, parlors, libraries, dens, bedrooms, sunrooms, recreation rooms, closets, hallways, laundry areas, or similar rooms or areas.

[@stevenhartley1350]

When you’re nailing into a cramped area you could always use a pair of pliers instead of a pry bar. Because what you do initially is grip the nail shank halfway up and then hit the pliers as close as you can to the nail and then move it up and repeat, then at the head hold the pliers on the head of the nail and hit the pliers until seated (I learned that when I was younger (it also works in reverse too). When running heavy gage wire use a lube like cable lubricant or straight washing up liquid (washing detergent). I also hope you remembered to to use coloured electrical tape eg red, blue, yellow and green? That way you connect red to red, blue to blue etc etc.

[@leonhart2452]

For pulling wire, use a leaf blower to blow a string through the pipe. Use this string to run a rope heavy enough to pull the wire. Tie the rope to the wire. Pull on the rope to pull the wire. Wipe some grease on the wire so it slides through the pipe.

[@monteglover4133]

Or use a vacuum with a plastic bag tied to the string

[@billyweston949]

Or a shop vac with plastic grocery bag

[@dalemarr70]

Not grease. Wire pulling lube or dish soap. Would have made pulling the mains SO much easier.

[@angurisloud]

The sell wire lube for getting these cables through the conduit. Also, while you're doing all this, think about where you might need conduits later. They are super easy to install (and cap) now.

[@RussellNelson]

Not grease -- use pulling compound. Much less messy.

[@grrrrr2936]

I ran over 300 ft of metal clad in my new 26x40 metal building. It was a LOT of work. Especially, the lights and wire 15 ft up. It turned out great, but I now have a new found respect for electrician’s work!

[@dennisd7451]

Easy 3 way thought 😊the black sccrew on one goes to the fixture,, the black screw on the other goes to your power source, then the travelers just go on the other screws in an order.😊😊

[@roberta4989]

Certainly one of the best episodes yet. The newest Jackery unit is beast!

[@reinhardgentz4042]

Still don't get why critical loads only. Just let me connect everything. I know when there is an outage not not use over the limit...

[@petegraham1458]

Good save , I do my own wiring install and have foe many projects, I am a retired engineer and at 72 who knows how much I saved over the many moves renovations and builds through the years , I do admire your pioneering can do attitude. Well done!

[@mrpeterpumpkin48]

Really enjoying this series. Could watch this for hours.

[@HaroldReece]

Great job on your electrical installation. We used to have a farm where we did most of the wiring ourselves. I never wanted to do the main feed from the pole to the service panel, so I always hired an electrician to do that. The backup system for critical loads is a fantastic idea. Thank you for sharing this with us.

[@carldietz9767]

When wiring a multistage wire to a solid wire always extend the multistage wire 1/16th inch past the solid wire to allow the wire nut to grab the multistage first, works every time.

[@Wrenchmonkey1]

Wire nuts suck. Once you try Wagos, you'll never want to go back to wire nuts for anything.

[@wm79198]

@@Wrenchmonkey1except for when your doing anything over 12 gauge. Also, try sticking a handful of 5 port wagos in a box, then try it with red wire nuts. You’ll change your attitude. There’s nothing wrong with wagos, but they’re not the end all be all of wire connections

[@Wrenchmonkey1]

@@wm79198 Sure, there are some situations where you might HAVE to grudgingly use wire nuts, but what I said was once you use them, you'll never WANT to go back. If you find yourself in a situation where you have no other choice, then so be it.

[@wm79198]

@ no, there are situations where YOU might grudgingly use a wire but. I, on the other hand, am happy to use wirenuts in plenty of situations.

[@yolowolfyt]

Please don't give electrical advices

[@leilanihimmelmann9190]

Riley you are a Jack of all trades. Love watching you, Courtney and wee Oliver. See you next week!

[@theheathkitshop2424]

FYI, if you made the cables for your critical loads longer, you could have wired them directly into the critical load center without the splices in the main breaker box.

[@markpashia7067]

Yes, while not required by code, it is good general practice to not have splices in a load center. Waste a little more wire but well worth it later. No connector is perfect so every one is a failure point risk.

[@Carrs-Firm-Foundations]

Where does he make his feed from if he's not splicing it in the breaker box?

[@markpashia7067]

@@Carrs-Firm-Foundations Make the wires long enough to just pass through to the final connection.

[@Carrs-Firm-Foundations]

@@markpashia7067 So basically instead of splicing it into the main breaker box you should run a new feed from the sub panel direct to the outlet / lights wanted in acase of an outage.

[@DashiellParr411]

I do all my own electrical work, don’t trust anyone else. That is a major job you are undertaking and y’all are doing a fantastic job!!

[@leifhietala8074]

Can you wire your own home? ABSOLUTELY. Starting from studs it's actually pretty straightforward and the rules aren't complicated.

[@dalekronk496]

I would think it would depend on your state. I believe here in Oklahoma you have to be a licensed electrician.

[@MarkFlucke]

so many folks think wiring is easy-well there are many rules to be followed and code is only a minimum-I hate following up wiring that a home owner as done -so much non compliance and cheap Charlie work!!!

[@mattivirta]

@@dalekronk496 and after licenced elektrician need inspector come check all and measure all wires and ground and make papers can use this house wiring.

[@BigGuy8059]

I believe you can wire your own home in every state. You might have to get an electrician in to inspect and approve it all before the building inspector and connecting to the grid. Otherwise home improvement stores would not sell any wire , fixtures, conduit, etc. to non-electricians.

[@dalekronk496]

@@BigGuy8059 I'm a dumb ass. Lol. I didn't think about that.

[@danielpullum1907]

Riley, You should check on using the "Wagos". Some states are not accepting them. The amount of current can be more than the "thin" metal connectors can carry without failing. NC has applied some strong restrictions on the use. Our son is part of a restoration business in NC.

[@postersm7141]

You should also wire in an outlet below the toilet, because even if you don’t, eventually, somebody will want to put a bidet or a Toto toilet, which would require electricity. I would also run all of my network wiring for things like stereos TVs and computers. Anything that you can think of in the future now that the walls are open, you wanna run anything you can think of.

[@kennethskirvin469]

Working over a toilet to install a bidet outlet is awful. They usually need a home run too.

[@ybuszone]

Great work. A video of electrical is tough to make entertaining, it was fun to watch.

[@joncoop2873]

Tips & Tricks! 1. A trick to installing ground rods is to pound them in on a steep angle or you can normally get away with it putting it inside of a ditch laying horizontally. It just needs to make contact with so many feet of the ground 2. When running the wire for the bathroom vanity light, do not install a box during rough in. Just leave a couple feet of extra wire where you want the light, then after the vanity is installed you can cut a hole that is dead center on the vanity and install a old work box so your light is perfectly centered. 3. A trick to get a pull string inside of a run of conduit is to First run your conduit and glue all your joints. Then tie a classic shopping bag onto the pull string, and suck it through with a shop vac. Works like a charm! Also That outdoor conduit would not pass in most States. Most states require a freeze coupling where the conduit attaches to a box or to the house... if freeze coupling is a long coupling that is two pieces that slides on itself to expand and contract when the ground freezes and thaws.

[@evil17]

Good tips & interesting.

[@donmajkol2856]

If the conduit is below the frost line, the conduit will not be effected by the freeze/thaw cycle.

[@alskjflaksjdflakjdf]

A good electrical inspector is a pleasure to work with. My inspector had some great practical suggestions of things I had missed on my wiring, and even complimented my work which I hadn't expected. He said he can usually tell in the first 30 seconds if the inspection is going to be a problem based on the homeowners attention to detail. Homeowners typically screw up on things they didn't know about, where problematic ones are issues of corner cutting or laziness. Thanks for posting the video!

[@peter-hr1gl]

Back in BI times (Before Internet) I finished a downstairs basement. Did all the plumbing, and electrical myself, including putting in a sub-panel and wiring 240 for baseboard electric heat. I learned a little from my Dad about basic electrical circuitry, but had to READ up on pretty much every element from putting in a sub-panel in the garage to running wire through the ceiling and down through one wall to get to the basement (with 3 circuits). Learned from the code book how to run wire on studs, where/how to cut studs and put in metal plates to protect them, how to run 3 way switches for overhead lights in a few rooms, etc. It was quite the learning experience. What made me proud at the end was having the inspector ask who did the work and when I said with a bit of trepidation- me. He proceeded to tell me it was some of the cleanest wiring he had seen and everything was run to code. Needless to say I was proud of myself and as you can tell, still am to this day (literally over 30 years later). I have since done many an electrical job myself and consider it a very good learned skill to have. While there are certainly reasons and situations to engage a professional (for example it can be a bit challenging wiring some circuits and doing some breaker box activities), I think it's a very logical and methodical process once you understand the basics of how electricity flows. With today's resources on the internet and video's readily available from experts, I can see it being so much easier to learn.

[@UnknownProductions0]

milwaukee makes a cable stapler thats awesome cable staples are not supposed to be pounded hard into the cable, they are supposed to have just enough room to adjust the cable

[@daveshore8671]

Bought it recently. Makes life easy. Nice tool. And it’s a 12v tool to boot.

[@Smart-Towel-RG-400]

The Milwaukee cable stapler is a life saver especially if your in tight spots or on a ladder

[@erickvond6825]

Riley, you can tell your friend Andy that excavators ARE shovels. Really, REALLY big shovels... About pulling wires through conduit, it's best to use a shop vac to suck the string through. As for the big drop out of the meter, it's best to run the wire through the conduit before you glue it in place. It's much easier to fit the pieces with the wire already in them than it is to pull the cables afterwards. If you want help with plumbing and the rest of it, I'd be more than happy to join you and help out. Having been a general contractor I know a fair bit about building a house.

[@Oxblood1987]

Please stop putting the holes so close to the top or bottoms of the joists. The closer to the 2x4 the more force is in the OSB. Also the closer you are to hitting it with nails, screws, or drills when you make holes. Typically you want to run services inside the middle 1/3 of the joist.

[@tbsbravo6208]

Came here to say this. I gasped when I saw that drill go through.

[@timschnaidt]

If no one has added it yet the only thing I would add is noting in the receptacle box what wire it is/ what breaker it is, so you can easily flip breakers for future work. You can also eventually note this on insides of outlet plates as well with a label maker so you can remove the labels if you move the plates around!

[@MarkoAndjelic]

First US person I see on youtube using wagos, finaly, thank you and god that you dont use wire nuts :D

[@thomasjeffersoncry]

Wire nuts are excellent and give you a better connection and just as fast to use in the hands of a professional!

[@MarkoAndjelic]

@thomasjeffersoncry that was always discusion on internet which one is better, you have a lot of tests here on youtube like amp rating etc for that. I do electricity for my job, and for last 10 years i use only wagos, when you scure it good, you can hang from it with no problem, and there are less mistakes with them, while wire nuts at least in europe rearly people use, and every time i found it on old instalstion, it was loose, due to years of wires heating and cooling.

[@thomasjeffersoncry]

@@MarkoAndjelic I am an Electrician with over 40 years experience, wire nuts have come a long way, with better ones all the time, todays wire nuts are excellent. they never loosen if installed good and tight with the wires twisted properly. I have watched the Wago videos and they cannot handle the loads of a wire nut. Lazy installers is where the problem would be with wire nuts, not the nut itself.

[@animarkzero]

@@thomasjeffersoncry Wire nuts may be good for install but if you have to find a fault nothing beats lever wagos!😉 And twisting copper more than a couple of times work hardens the copper...🙄

[@thomasjeffersoncry]

@@animarkzero Wagos are like most new things, not good products.

[@nunyabidness6179]

Just a few tips so far, That disconnect is usually mounted outside where emergency services can get to it. Locked in the basement doesn’t help a lot. Also you should always put a big loop in the wire at each box. We do that in Florida for when the guy’s drywall router is set too deep and he chews up the wires. As far as I know, both of those are code. Wouldn’t be the first time I was wrong, though.

[@greggv8]

They can remove the meter from its box to ensure power is off, but then the Jackery will still be powering part of the house.

[@RussellNelson]

Code in NY requires a disconnect outside. I can't wait for a burglar to turn off all the power in the house before breaking in.

[@nunyabidness6179]

@ yup, that’s why boxes have locks. Also so electricians can lock out a box or circuit or whole box while working on things. Just remember, locks only keep an honest man honest.

[@KingArtexerxes]

I’m not an electrician, but I would have fed the wires outside the house through the pipes before assembling and gluing together. Also on the inside between the shutoff box and the breaker box, I would have used a metal pipe, to avoid accidentally penetrating the plastic one with a fastener sometime now or in the future during a remodel.

[@htdgwtr1]

I am an electrician and the correct way to feed wires is after the conduit is assembled

[@chrism2042]

if you tried it one time with those feeder conductors, you wouldn't attempt it again.

[@markpashia7067]

@@htdgwtr1 Yes it is. So many fail to recognize that his way has issues. The concept of a conduit is a permanent pathway for replacing wires. And that reaming the inside of any cut and proper gluing so that none enters the pipe is critical to the future. Only apply glue to the male part and push together such that no glue is pushed inside the conduit. Hard to control that with wire in the way.

[@BrianKrahmer]

@@chrism2042I ran 4/0 se through 160’ of conduit piecewise once, and I didn’t think it was that bad.

[@chrism2042]

@@BrianKrahmer - Through straight runs wouldn't be bad but working it through 90's and LB's while glueing the conduit can be a pain.

[@johnwilson8922]

That's fricken awesome, that yall were able to accomplish that on your own. And that you were able to save that much money. Plus you managed to do it quickly. Bravo and a job well done !

[@davidcrofts5246]

Courtney is going to have soooo much taping and mudding and sanding to do when you dry wall this house!

[@mattivirta]

drywall not newer need more than putty at seam and seam paper and sanding and then have all ready to paint, not need mud anywere, totally pre-history old worst system.

[@cennsa140driver]

I wired our 2,000 sqft house in 2020 from the pole 265ft away to house and everything in the house. I had the latest code and passed inspection no problem. I saved a ton of money and got all the switches and outlets where we wanted them. I didn't have to justify or convince an electrician otherwise. My wife wants an outlet at the bottom of the stairs for lights at Christmas. No "that's going cost you another $100" to do it!

[@kaskl5403]

A fishtape and line lube would make running wire so much easier.

[@erlendedvardsen7984]

As a daily "user" of Wago-connectors, I'm especially a fan of your use of Wago connectors, they are the only type we use here in Norway. So much better than wire nuts, which feels unsafe and are pretty outdated.

[@shad9921]

Interesting idea using the plum bob.

[@stan525]

i always do my own work it has saved my family 100s of thousands of dollars over the years no joke. now im old and hire things done still way ahead of the game

[@daveschneberger7489]

In Ohio the quick disconnect has to be accessible outside the house so emergency services can access it. It typically mounts next to the meter.

[@chrisendres9194]

There’s a main breaker in the meter box

[@markstipulkoski1389]

You mean a firefighter won't want to go under a burning house to cut off the electricity?

[@markstipulkoski1389]

@@chrisendres9194 So this disconnect under the house is unnecessary, redundant?

[@chrism2042]

@@markstipulkoski1389 - Yes. That shouldn't be required with a main disconnecting means at the service.

[@SegoMan]

The power company needs to disconnect the power prior to pulling a meter.

[@NeilMaclachlan]

Your doing a fantastic job there Riley...Youve passed the electrical inspection as well...good work....Stay safe and see you soon

[@ac0gv]

My friend and I have a motto. The job is never finished until there is blood!

[@AmbitionStrikes]

That’s the truth! 😂

[@justme-27]

I always leave my dna for future generations

[@Kettengruppe653]

The task always demands a blood sacrifice!

[@mattivirta]

if come blood have totally amateur and worst worker.

[@AIM54A]

We always say that once you bleed for a job it'll be successful.

[@tehammel]

Couple of hints I learned along the way....BUT great work!!!! 1) use pull lube when pulling through conduit. Helps immensely! 2) For unspooling NM, an 8" building tube fits perfectly inside the inner diameter of the coil of wire. This makes unspooling so much easier. (your ladder and rod would have worked)

[@DrywallDanny]

32:13 so does that mean I get to come help?! Baha! Doing great guys!

[@Steven_from_Indiana]

You use a hammer to set the height of your receptical boxes. Place hammer next to stud and set box on top of hammer. Pinch box to stud with one hand and use hammer to fix it to stud.

[@snorman1911]

That's how my dad did it 😊

[@mitchellmagee6048]

Love your channel. Keep it up. Builder from Vancouver/ Auckland here - When you buried the main feed cable, you certainly should have used caution tape above them (to warn someone if they digs there).

[@thormeyer6198]

11:10 - I think you will need longer earth rods. In Denmark where I live, with RCD’s at 30mA, the resistance to earth can’t exceed 1666 ohm over the course of a year. Dry sand give some problems.. 😅😅

[@jackryan8719]

This is America not Denmark.

[@thormeyer6198]

@ - ahhhh… 🙃🙃🙃 Just pointing it out… wild you don’t need to measure it, when it has to do with safety..

[@Stefan_Smith]

​​@@jackryan8719​ are you dumb? It was a comparison of standard he clearly prefaced what he was saying by stating where he was.. unfortunately for Americans like you that make the rest of us look bad to the rest of the world, we are attached to the same planet, and ground works the same all around earth 🤦🏾‍♂️

[@aaronjennings8385]

The aquifer in the area they are in is about 8 feet down most of the year.

[@Smart-Towel-RG-400]

They do ...they need 8 feet where he is he used 8 feet rods ​@@thormeyer6198

[@Matt314159]

I am OBSESSED! I binged this series start to finish on Saturday. Can't wait to follow you though the rest of this journey!

[@KrissBartlett]

that is alot of savings wow good job Riley

[@bluedog6563]

From Australia, amazed that you are allowed to use bare copper in your wiring, I started my electrical apprenticeship in 1983 and bare copper earths were not allowed under our national wiring rules even then. Mind you we use 240/415V for our domestic housing not 110/240. Plus if a copper earths stake went in that easy we would have had to add a copper sulphate solution to the soil improve the connection to ensure the connection to earth was good enough.

[@253fabrication]

240/415V? I’m not an electrician by any means… does that mean you basically run 3 phase to residential buildings? I wish the states would standardize 240v for everything. Less amperage equals a cheaper electric bill. I wish I could get 3 phase in my shop without a phase converter. The fabrication equipment is dirt cheap here!

[@bluedog6563]

@ Where i live the standard supply is 72 amps as 240 Volts, personally I have a 3Phase supply which is 240v per phase or 415 between phases for three phase equipment ( eg Lathes or welding equipment or really large AC units) and now with the wide spread adoption of solar if you export more than 5Kw to the grid you have to upgrade to three phase this is because you can get unbalanced loads across the network at higher levels of export if they aren’t properly managed. Plus all e;electrical work above 50V AC or 120V DC can only be done by a licensed electrician this applies in all Australian states and territories

[@blizzy78]

very happy to see you using WAGO connectors instead of wire nuts

[@MarkFlucke]

wagos are awful-crap way of doing connections

[@mattivirta]

best and safe way connect all wires use WAGO, old crewnut connector have illegal many country because burn many house down.

[@monteglover4133]

@@mattivirtaWhat! Wire nuts when properly installed have a near Zero failure rate. The best usage for lever nuts is connecting power to lighting fixtures. I’m a retired industrial electrical.

[@mattivirta]

@@monteglover4133 im have industial and home elektric engineerin ad automation engineer too and working ower 40 year home and industrial elektric and automation engineer many factory, corporation and country.

[@NorthernRetreat]

Now that's 2 things I want to incorporate into my reno, the Jackery 5000 with Switch and the Mr.Cool DIY furnace/head pump. Great series! 👍

[@dennisd7451]

You need plastic bushings after the lock nuts on your feeder pipes in the boxs

[@robertgregory2618]

Why? It's PVC plastic already..

[@dennisd7451]

@robertgregory2618 it's code

[@donmajkol2856]

That is only for metal conduit. Using plastic bushings on PVC, is like putting on a condom over an another condom.

[@dennisd7451]

@donmajkol2856 it's code in Florida

[@snorman1911]

It's required on the larger conduit sizes.

[@pete9958]

Who needs an electrician Courtney when you have a Riley - Just love the expencive electric power hammer for adjusting the blocking -

[@shad9921]

Dewalt makes a powered stapler for the wire. You can staple two wires at a time.

[@lorenmeyer5290]

Great job Riley and congratulations on passing your inspection!

[@johnshaw4140]

WOW , 20 K saving ? that's one hell of a chunk of change

[@jessicanicolebelmonte6252]

Another benefit of the Wago (yes that is a brand name) lever nuts (that is the function name) is that you can replace any of the leads without having to undo the whole connection. Wago makes the lever nuts for 2, 3 and 5 leads that can be connected together. And there are no exposed wires that can pose a risk of electrocution, as is the case of a wire nut falling off.

[@ElementalITcc]

add conduit for cat6 / fiber / low voltage wiring before you close up the walls. The one thing I wish every new construction did was include a path for future upgrades.

[@developerfabi]

Why cat6 and not cat7?

[@ElementalITcc]

@@developerfabi conduit doesn't care.

[@DashiellParr411]

Nah, “Everything that can be invented has been invented," Charles H. Duell, Commissioner of the U.S. Patent Office , 1899. Good call, too many people never think past today. Conduit is cheap comparatively!

[@RussellNelson]

I did it on my house, and it was a God-send. Smurf tubing for the win!

[@RussellNelson]

@@DashiellParr411 Conduit everywhere when the walls are open is cheaper than running just one wire through a wall.

[@tombor1759]

I admire your desire to do all of the work yourself, and am happy that you passed your inspection for the incoming feed into the home. However, what you should have done prior to burying it is included a red tape ("DANGER" or equivalent) just on top of the first layer of dirt you put on the conduit. This would let others know that there is electrical cable buried in the area. I have had in the past where this was not the case and the individual running the machine that dug up the wire was extremely fortunate that they did not electrocute themselves when they cut through the live wire.

[@k1sfd1974]

Never underestimate the value of “Moral Support”!

[@RussellNelson]

Oh, immoral support is so much more fun, though.

[@BigGuy8059]

Wagos are awesome. I had to change out a kitchen outlet to GFI, and there were 6 wires inside the existing box! The original connections were with wire nuts, and were very sketchy. Changed them all to Wagos, and they were much more secure and easy to get pushed into the box because you can position the wires before connecting them.

[@Sembazuru]

If you have a chance before drywall goes up, run a 50A to the garage for future electric vehicles.

[@Darren-ui6zw]

50 amp for rv hookup

[@billyweston949]

And or welders Ect

[@nauhteeboy]

Screw you EV BS.

[@evil17]

Having an EV charging or even parked under the house may add to or cost even void some house insurance policies. I dont know what your insurances are like over there but in Australia they are getting very expensive and difficult to deal with, some wont insure flats, unit, houses or rentals with an EV because of potential fire risk.

[@corvettefunstudios]

electric cars are not the future

[@jjcross3280]

If you ever do this again just a few observations, -Pipe run in trench should be schedule 80 coming out of ground - should have had some expansion pistons in the pvc pipe risers - should back fill with sand first then the grade dirt you removed - ground rods need to be at least 6 feet apart -putting wire through the pipe, you called it a wire pull, you called it a pull string but you were pushing the wire? The “pull” string in this application would be used to pull a fish tape or “mule” tape into the pipe run, then that gets attached to the conductors and then pulled into the pipe run. Before pulling wire “walk” it out, don’t just pull it from the coil. It gets messy fast and you work 20 times harder. These little adjustments in you wire “pull” would have given you a different experience. One last thing outlet placement. Starting from a door way you need to have an outlet within 6 feet, then witching 12 feet from that. ( that measurement is continuous through corners it does not reset the measurement) finally wall space greater than 2 feet requires an outlet. So say your bedroom door has under two feet of wall to the closet door not outlet needed. If it’s 24” or greater it will need an outlet.

[@igelitv3188]

19:50 WAGO are great, i use this for ages 👍

[@MrBgyfz450]

I just started watching about a month ago and you and your wife have a great channel. I can't believe you took on wiring your house. Great job!

[@DaveHart-G]

You should watch their road building videos. Awesome!

[@radiok2ua]

I created a KZbin playlist for your videos called Vicarious Projects. I enjoy like watching you work in my downtime--your optimism and enthusiasm are great! (Longtime homeowner and amateur in many trades here, who has passed many inspections, both for my own projects and lots of Habitat builds as a crew leader--you are doing fine!)

[@alpintourer]

Drill from both sides and you avoid the "splintering" of the block.

[@SegoMan]

Stay in the open are of the block as well..

[@donmajkol2856]

​@@SegoManthey filled the cores of the blocks with concrete, which is harder to drill through.

[@hunterstark9556]

Been watching your videos lately man & I’ll give you credit where credit is due! Not bad man, not bad at all. Keep on cracking!!!

[@lorenwarren2097]

If its a load bearing wall and you notch for an outlet add more studs for support. Might even add to the truss you notched out. Over all looks good. Make sure to put some nail blocks so you don't run a nail or screw into electric or plumbing.

[@johnbeattie5765]

If you put some kind of lubricant in the pipe , it makes pulling or pushing wire a whole lot easier . Also , wrap a little bit of tape over the ends of the wire so it doesn't get caught on the pipes joints . If you're using a covered wire for the " NEUTRAL " from the Meter to your Main shut off , make sure to mark with a colored tape which one it is . Happy Trails from 🇨🇦 to the 🇺🇸 . ✌ out . L8R

[@interstate5trucker]

For as long as I can remember you’ve used EcoFlow products and you’ve told us they are the best. Now all of a sudden out of the blue we’re using Jackery???