ELECTRICAL ROUGH IN - Ripping Out Switches

After you've roughed-in all of your wires you need to start "ripping-out" all of your devices to get them ready for inspection and device installation (trim-out). Let's see how we rip out single-pole switches.
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#electrician #electrical #electricity
A single pole switch only requires a single hot conductor, a single switch leg conductor, and a single equipment grounding conductor (ground). So if we have 3 pieces of 12/2 romex coming into a box the intention of our rip-out is to reduce the number of conductors to one of each type. Switches don't use neutrals (unless they're electronic or digital) so we just make these up and fold them into the back of the box.
The first thing I do is rip the sheathing off of the 12/2 and get all the paper pulled off so all I have are conductors showing. Then I gather all of the grounds together and twist them together, giving myself around 4-5 inches outside of the box before clipping the excess off. We need to reduce these 3 wires down to one, so you're going to pick your two shortest grounds and cut them off. Then. we stick a green wire nut on the bunch and fold it into the back of the box.
Then we start working with the neutrals. We combine all three of them and fold them into the box to measure how short we need to cut them. Then we pull them back out and strip the ends off of each conductor. Next, we use our lineman's pliers to twist the ends together and put a wire nut on them, then fold them into the back of the box.
Now we address the hots, but rather than just joining them together, we need to add a pigtail so we're reducing two wires down to one. We use a piece of black #12 wire for this by stripping both ends of their insulation. We stick one end with the other two hots and twist them together with our lineman's pliers and put a wire nut on the group. Now we have one hot to work with.
The last thing is to take the single hot, single leg, and single ground that remain and fold them neatly into the box so they can easily be pulled out later and a switch be installed on these wires.
#switches #ripout #roughin #electrical
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[@topherdevoe9500]

Solid advice. My "twist" on things, I usually leave a fake label for my coworker like "John loves men"

[@Bludcharg4214]

Hahahahahhahah

[@marshall7201]

LOL. That is mandatory isn't it?

[@curtisthatcher2577]

@@marshall7201 the label? Or to love men?

[@Audey]

Hey Dustin, just wanted to throw you a quick thank you for making these videos. I'm just starting an apprenticeship, and while I'm really strong on the theoretical/math side of things thanks to some schooling, I feel like I'm really far behind on the installation side. You do a great job of explaining the materials, techniques, relevant code, all that. I especially want to thank you for taking time to explain some of the trade lingo. On a job, experienced guys just toss around slang/jargon and I either have to stop them and have them explain, or just be lost because I didn't understand 1 or 2 key words in what they were telling me. After work I'll come home and watch a video about what I think I'll be doing the next day. I don't feel nearly as lost or useless now that I'm going in with at least a bit of knowledge.

[@handymangrandpa316]

I agree with your thorough and conscience approach. I learn something with each of your videos. I am not licensed, but I have been doing wiring and electrical work for many years.

[@michaelc.3812]

Dustin, great videos, and a question. You mixed conductor sizes here, so is the entire circuit on a 15 amp breaker?

[@truthbetoldgizmo7186]

Exactly the job at the site I'm working at today, all wires ran, and ready to start ripping out the job site. I shared you to my 18 year old helper today, lol! ; patiently waiting for the main panel video.

[@robbiee.6921]

love your channel i'm a stationary engineer apprentice ,and the only course i've taken pertaining to electrical is Introduction To Controls. It was 3 years ago ,and im taking the second course a few months from now and I've forgotten a lot from the first class , and these videos really help .Thank You Sir

[@Bradley-tx6ed]

i am a believer in pre twisting i cant count how many times i get into a box take a wire nut off and the wires just fly apart.

[@zipzop6000]

Heh, I am against pre twisting for the same reason.

[@scottbishop2532]

You need to make more videos. I imagine that you will someday become an instructor somewhere, because you have a natural ability to teach others and you are very skilled at breaking down complex theory and real world experiences into understandable information and presenting it impromptu style to the general public in an easy to follow way. That is a skill which is rare. Personality has something to do with it. Most Instructors in the electrical field are egocentric in nature, and they become complacent by thinking they are already good enough to teach information that has become basic to them. so they don't try to improve their craft much.

[@adventurwithken412]

Thank you for all your wonderful videos. I am learning a lot from you.

[@50srefugee]

Very nice discussion of the basics. It's this kind of detail that makes the job easy and safe. Repeatability does indeed count, even if you can't say exactly why. Thanks! DYI here, so take this for what it might be worth: Speaking of repeatability, I learned from somewhere to always bring the feed cable into a box at top left; if daisy-chaining, feed exits bottom right. This habit rarely matters--but when I do have to rework a box, it's nice to know where the power is coming from. And indeed, when I'm replacing an old switch or outlet wired by That Other Guy who has caused me so much trouble over the years in several different houses, it frustrates me that I can't glance at the tangle, and KNOW where the feed is. I can't tell if that's what you did here. Why is one cable white, and one yellow? Do you typically mix gauges on a job to save cost?

[@ElectricianU]

In this example, the white sheathed romex is 14 guage, and the yellow is 12 guage. Often times to cut back on cost we run LED lighting loads in 14/2 and the rest of the circuit in 12/2.

[@50srefugee]

@@ElectricianU Ah, I hadn't thought of LEDs--that wasn't a consideration the last time I did any wiring.

[@bryanduchane2371]

So enjoyable watching a matter if their trade work!!! Could watch for hours!!!

[@waterbug1135]

Didn't know all 3 of those neutrals could be connected since one was 14 ga. But it makes sense since there's only one circuit, one neutral going to the panel and it's 12 ga. I assume the 14 ga goes to the light which the 14 ga can handle. These are the best videos. I'm DIYer but was trained by my electrician brother who had the same philosophy of neat work. You sound just like him. However, there's no way I'm going to even try cutting back the sheathing back with a knife. That's next level stuff. Maybe I'll practice on some scape wire.

[@blockisle9]

Yea been licensed in Connecticut for 40 years, never heard it called that. Making the splices. I ALWAYS twist splices

[@stevebeight4473]

Clean,clean work.......nice!

[@daplayerdfa461]

Klein tools makes a wire stipper with a romex sheathing cutting on it. Makes twisting up very easy👍🏻 just cut it, stuff it in the box, then pull.

[@johnnykrasnow6869]

When roughing in and making up you should get into the practice of capping your hot, just incase someone does something silly and turns the power on. (Yes loto should of been done but incase it wasnt.) Its best to be cautious.

[@igfoobar]

Nice workmanship.

[@shaneoakley8757]

Good morning. First of all I want to thank you for all of the amazing content. I am a homebuilder and a building inspector and I reference your videos often to help verify things that my electricians have done. I have a question. Why do you prefer the green wire nut on the pigtailed ground wires as opposed to the copper crimp which is what I see in every box I look in. Just curious.

[@Cougdit]

One advantage of a wire nut is it makes it easier if you ever need to add anything to a box (example an apprentice forgot to run a power jumper to something else on the circuit or you're building a custom home and the homeowner wants to add something not in the original plans)

[@shaneoakley8757]

@@Cougdit that makes perfect sense. Thank you.

[@DonkeyLipsDA3rd]

You must not trust your electrician's work..

[@shaneoakley8757]

You assume too much.

[@supportlocalboxers7609]

That looks clean 🧼

[@josephnicolas2158]

Amazing videos as always!

[@christianwellens3530]

Dustin, why do you shove your razor blade in to the back of the box to strip your sheething? It seems like you can very easily nic the insulation on the wire. For the year that I did residential construction we always would strip the sheething before putting it in to the box. I understand people have their ways of doing things but it just seems like it’s a more difficult and less safe way of doing it. Could you or anyone tell me why it’s better to do it this way?

[@dallas5374]

Christian Wellens it’s ten times faster and residential is extremely fast paced. It’s not like your typical union job where you have the luxury of milking out the clock.

[@christianwellens3530]

Dallas like I said I was in residential. And I was non union. And we did work at a very fast pace. Furthermore it was my journeyman with 20+ years of experience that told me that skinning the wire first was a better way of doing it. I wasn’t trying to trigger you. I was just trying to get an explanation as to why this is considered by many very fine electricians to be a better way.

[@christianwellens3530]

Dallas also can you explain how it’s faster. It seems so awkward and clunky to take a sharp razor blade and shove it in to the back of a box and hope you don’t nic a wire. When if you just cut the sheathing before hand it seems like you can do it faster and with more accuracy. Again I’m not trying to come after you brother, I’m just asking why some very smart people prefer the other way.

[@evanmorgan1208]

@@christianwellens3530 Cutting the wire first and putting it through the box openings seems like a hazard because it might get nicked on the only one insulation it has left as you're stuffing it in the box. You also need to have a little bit of the 2nd layer of sheathing in the box by code. You can't run a single insulated wire into a box. We don't strip wire back this way. We make a long cut lengthwise in the center where the ground is and never in all my years have I ever nicked a wire that way with a razor. You just get good at it.

[@christianwellens3530]

@@evanmorgan1208 thank you!! That was a good explanation.

[@thedangler1371]

I think we all would love to see a video of you rushing around with your head cut off screaming “ we gotta move!! Time and goddamn money! I got neither of them! Hurry the F up! What’s taking so long!!!!!” That would be super funny. Going electrical crazy 😜

[@chaibudesh]

Hi! Are you based in the US? I just started my apprenticeship in Canada and am just starting to watch this channel for some study on the side. Just asking about your location in case I need to make note of regional differences...

[@andrewbirkett715]

Great videos! Keep up the good work :)

[@plutoyaldnil4750]

I just have one question ( been a few years since I last did a rough in) I see guys reaching into the box with these razor blade knives....( increased chance of knicking a wire) we ALWAYS stripped our wires before pushing them into boxes...why the change....also as regards twisting before putting a wire nut on think about it this way..... Do I really HAVE to breath???

[@chrisf9607]

nice pig tails man i usualy twist the first few than twist in my tail but i seen you did the tail and the 2 just fine im gona try it your way

[@Gumby1974]

Could you pigtail that neutral for smart switch later on? It's a pain to interrogation neutrals and pigtail them later.

[@jeremycastillo2136]

You should post more vids of you wiring branch circuits

[@Dennis-ys8ho]

Dustin: Glad you’re back to making videos. It looks like you had two 12/2 for the hots and one 14/2 for the switch leg? Is it cool to use a smaller gauge for the switch leg?

[@mrpanda2655]

Dennis Bernstein no it’s not, it’s against code to use 14 on a 20 amp circuit, he most likely just ran out of 14

[@jonclark1288]

It's fine as long as it's on a 15 amp breaker.

[@davcot3675]

I had same observation. Either all on 15 amp breaker Why would u use 12 if did not have to Or not done to code Or did it just for this vid n did not think we would notice :)

[@nicholashartzler2205]

I never understand how an electrician runs out of wire... thats like the number one material they need lol. I cant stand when someone ran two 14/2 to a fan so they can switch fan and light separate lol.

[@danielwolf2192]

Reread your TAP rules

[@mattmurillo331]

Nailed it

[@VideoByPatrick]

In this video, what gauge wire were you using, 12 or 14 ?

[@mikec6014]

I believe it's 12 gauge because the yellow sheething 14/2 would be white I'm pretty sure

[@keithtrusso66]

Hey Dustin, I notice you use 12 ga within your 15 amp circuits. Is this over kill or can you explain ? Thanks for all the info ...

[@ldr4278]

You the Man !

[@skylercosby7641]

Love watching your vids man.

[@Einzee]

YES! The Twister ProFlex! Now Yall know!

[@michelledlyda]

Kick-ass hat man!

[@Pan1703]

Ну наконец то я дождался практических роликов. Привет из России!

[@Gruntled2001]

Сергей Панагушин Электрик ЖКХ Ижевск Translating this for my friend: finally, videos from the field! Greetings from Russia!

[@chadhardwick9214]

Odd to me a few things I have heard u say.... Doing work in the DFW all my life.... We refer to it as "stripping in".... Also we use B.O.Y... for our high v phasing..... Figured we used similar terms being in the great state of TX

[@McmM-ck1op]

I like your videos I hope you don't mind but I'm picking up some of your ideas about wiry I think it's really great....mike.

[@MrTooTechnical]

great vid. you love those grounds to be work hardened. woohoo

[@jeffturner3519]

Love the videos. In my house built in the 50s and updated in the 80s there are basically no pigtails spliced in. They just strip the sheath about 6" down and loop it around the screw and are left with it's own pigtail. Can you comment on if this is an acceptable practice or not and why?

[@skiball83]

Check your local codes, its fine where im at. I have done it to save space in a tight box. One thing if running a multi gang box, leave enough wire length between devices to be able to remove only one device. Easy way to piss off the next guy if you dont.

[@vivesanta3026]

You are amazing!

[@thevideostump46239]

Dude I dig the shtuf you put out, keep up the AWESOME work! PS;I got my fiance say'n "wonky" now LMKO...

[@mikenormandy9250]

When configuring the hots and the 1 SL, shouldn't you label the SL, in the box, so whoever comes next to install the switch knows which is which? What if they come and install when the sheetrock is up and they can't look up to see which is the hots and which is the SL? Just Curious....Thanks!

[@brandonh1188]

No. For a single pole switch it doesn’t matter which terminal the hot or SL lands on. Plus, most of the time you can open a box and see multiple blacks pigtailed which is a indicator that the pigtail from that bundle would be the hot.

[@alvilla701]

Did you mix 14 and 12 awg wires, is that okay with a switch leg?

[@Tj-ct6sj]

Man I’m falling asleep watching you splicing the grounds together

[@evanmorgan1208]

I let the wire nut make the joint so I don't have to carry heavy ass linesmans on my belt.

[@davidcuevas788]

Sick video 💯💯👍👍

[@craig420042]

I was taught put a loop in my switch legs.

[@CC-jv3wm]

As a service electrician I hate working on boxes with grounds like that. We never use greenies

[@sethpeterson578]

I prefer the crimp sleeve

[@theoisaac3564]

Appreciate the content

[@bretthl1]

I thought (and I'm not an expert on this) that stripping sheathing off Romex with a utility knife is not such a good idea. A friend told me once that an electrical inspector told him that if he caught anyone doing that he would fail their inspection. Now I have done it on personal work without issue but could you or someone in the know please comment on that practice?

[@GoodstrAteGy]

Becides the wrecklessness of the razor blade at the beginning I'd say this is good work, I usually identify my hots by makin a "W" in the wire or a loop for switch legs

[@bwood6337]

"Wrecklessness of the razor blade" Is there a risk of damaging the cable when he cuts off the sheath? If so how do you remove yours?

[@GoodstrAteGy]

BWood63 you can buy a romex stripper, but I usually make a small cut on the tip then peal back the rest, last thing I would want is a new guy slashing the wire with a super sharp razor blade at the connector, ur fucked if he shorts the circuit and have to re pull the wire

[@jon4715]

Sorta normal Eric So you're peeling the sheathing from the very end point of the cable? (And that part gets trimmed by the end anyway, so no danger). And do you cut it or tear it where you want it? This is common with a lot of other kinds of cables, often ethernet cables or speaker cables will have a pull string for this. Thanks, that seems like a better practice.

[@evanmorgan1208]

@@jon4715 Don't listen to that fool.

[@kyle8442]

The next Mike Holt

[@mdovideo1414]

I use hybrid pliers!

[@chrisf9607]

same here

[@robertduda4234]

How come you don't use wire twisters? They now come to do both either CCW / CW twists. This tool is universal in military and commercial aircraft maintenance & repair.

[@surferdude642]

It sounds like you're talking about safety wire which is a much thinner wire and it's done for a different purpose.

[@rocketrider1405]

Hi DS .... ripping out switches .... is that slang in your region for install ? LOL .... thanks ! see you on the next one.

[@xtorres8919]

You could also use your linemen as wire strippers with out you having to keep switching tools makes the job a bit faster to do.

[@keithgrimsleeper978]

I'm wondering if you'll do a video of fuses I recommended you to our teacher in class and wondering if you could.

[@connarback]

I’m an electrician in Ohio, and we refer to this process as “tying in” as opposed to “ripping out”

[@aredditor4272]

I say roughing in

[@greglazer12]

we call it splicing.

[@evanmorgan1208]

Making up boxes.

[@gdude2189]

Make up boxes/stripping

[@georgewadejr5474]

Striping in. Lol. Tx Houston

[@funkvibe1]

Question:: why didnt u jus twist the hots same way u did the ground. What was the purpose of twisting the hots differently??

[@afg3233]

It’s not going to work..? Cause you can’t have bare wire out for hot since it’s hazard.

[@jfowler702910]

In NJ we always called new construction wiring "rough wiring" and the act of putting the wires into the boxes and tying them together "cutting in". Looks to me as if he has 12-2 wire feeding in/out of the switch box and 14-2 wire as a switch leg (or load wire). Unless something has changed in the code I believe that would be a violation.

[@nsbconstruction9698]

How is the 14/2 able to be with the 12/2?

[@turtleturtle4909]

What brand of wire nuts did you use in the video?

[@helensaunders1603]

In my bathroom there is a fan control, and 2 switches; one for the vanity light and one for the light in the shower all in the same box. There are actually 5 wires coming into the box. I figure one is power in (home run), and each switch has a wire, but I can’t figure out what the other wire is for. All this is on 1 breaker. I installed a new fan and a new control came with it that I want to install. It has 4 wires, R, G, B, W. All the white wires in the box have been capped off together. All of the grounds have been attached to each screw in the back and cut off. My first question is do I undo the bundle of white wires, take one out to wire to my new control, then re-bundle the whites? My second question is about attaching the ground wire. Do I just attach it to the existing screw where the incoming ground is attached? Any suggestions?

[@afg3233]

Pigtail to neutral unbundle . N ground doesn’t matter just needs to be connected

[@jrdoza1980]

I never pretwist, when the wire nut goes on it may break a conductor from over torqued wire nuts could lead to a short circuit later.

[@beijingbiden5931]

What brand of wirenuts are those?

[@surferdude642]

Ideal pro-flex

[@dougsweldingfabrication953]

0:56 damn... If I tried to remove the sheathing like that, I would cut through the insulation of the wires and have a shit show on my hands. I love the videos, and although I may not attempt a lot of what you do, it's very informative and helps me understand the concepts. Thanks very much

[@EskimoBENNY]

How else can you get the sheeting off?

[@milkhoneybreadwine]

So my company never uses those green wire nuts and one of our journeymen actually yelled at me because he thought I had used one on an job we did, but it was existing. Can someone explain the benefit of them and why my dude hates them so much?

[@seankelly3573]

damian denton probably because they cost more than the copper crimps or stakons

[@DK85]

Great question. My guess is that the green wire nut eats up more space in the box than the alternative - and in a full box it matters a lot.

[@evanmorgan1208]

@@DK85 Yeah they're fucking huge and just in general I don't like braiding the joints too much or too tightly. A few nice long braids is all it needs, and then if you have to get back into the box to rework something the wires aren't all fucking curly and braided the hell out.

[@Bradley-tx6ed]

I make my boxes the same way but i angle the other way right to left. Maybe because i am left handed?

[@WorstElectrician]

what tool is he using at 3:50?Cutting pliers?

[@bruceb3786]

"Lineman's Pliers"

[@vim_usr2753]

I just don't get how people easily twist three 12 AWG together so clean and effortlessly. I twist three 12 AWGs and they just spin in my hand or finger, and the copper ends look all chewed up and not even really twisted. I just really struggle to get a good purchase on the wires. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

[@sammax4245]

Try bigger wire nut

[@thornieves3624]

I don't understand you have a 14-2 in that box and a 12-2 what exactly is the 14-2 for I'm really confused

[@noahmack4947]

One of the 12-2's might be feeding the box while the 14-2 is connected to the light

[@evanmorgan1208]

Generally speaking if you have different guage wires they should be for different circuits. A lighting circuit will commonly be ran in 14-2, that means the switch legs and the hots that power them. Now days people are using more and more electricity with devices and everything so we just run houses in 12 guage as a standard. You don't really want a 14 guage wire (15 amp capacity) getting power from a 20 amp 12 guage circuit.

[@noahholt482]

Looking for A video on powering multiple light switches from 1 power source

[@Derek_Wyld]

Sorry there was something I didn’t follow. What is the leg? I’m sure there’s another video explaining the term I’m literally brand new to learning electrical stuff. I know hot wires have a line hot wire and a load hot wire lol that’s what I’m thinking but leg?

[@surferdude642]

The leg aka switch leg is the wire that carries the current only when the switch is on.

[@JayDubb101]

Big difference between a hot and a feed

[@turboflush]

Is the standard now to pretty much run power to the switch not so much the light?

[@bruceb3786]

Either way, BUT with the requirement of many of today's switches requiring a neutral, the NEC requires that a neutral be present in every switch box anyway, whether it is used or not. So you can either run the 120 volt power to the switch box first, or you could run a 12/3 from the ceiling light outlet to the switch box (switchleg + neutral). If you run a 12/2 switchleg, the white from the ceiling box is "hot" to the top of the switch (I color code that white so those coming behind me will be more aware), and the black is the returned switched leg back up to the light outlet. If you use a 12/3 to run the neutral from the ceiling box to the switch box, then you use the red and black as the "hot" in and the switched "hot" back up to the light outlet, and the white remains the neutral........... I find it easier to run the power to the switch box, particularly if the switch box has 3 or 4 switches in it.

[@evanmorgan1208]

Yes, run home runs or circuit branches into switch boxes and branch out to outlets or other switches from there.

[@lemuelgoldman2633]

How did you know the difference between the hots and leg?

[@TheTantanski]

Probably because there's no drywall up, or it's a fresh install and he remembers. Usually if I'm prepping a box, and someone else is going to finish instead of me, I just leave a label on the switch leg/s and hots with a piece of insulation.

[@dallas5374]

Lemuel Goldman magic

[@skiball83]

If no markings and covered up, the non pig tailed wire. Or use a tester.

[@cathycooke]

Why don't you use a neutral for switches?

[@evanmorgan1208]

The light uses the neutral wire but the switch doesn't need it, because power returns on the neutral. When adding a switch and light into a circuit, the switch is acting as a gateway for power to either send it up the 'switch leg' to the light, or cut it off at the switch (when the light is off). Power enters the switch box, if the switch is ON the switch sends power up the switch leg to the light. The light uses the power and returns the rest of it down the neutral. The neutrals are tied together in a joint inside the switch box, but the switch doesn't need to interact with the neutral, only the powers. Grounds get tied together with one pig tail for each device, because every device in the box gets a ground attached to it for safety. Neutrals get tied together, no pig tails for switches. If they are outlets, you'll make a pigtail for each outlet that will be in the box (bc outlets send and rec power). Hots get tied together with one pig tail for each device in the box (for power, duh).

[@EskimoBENNY]

Why do you have 12 and 14 wire on the same circuit? If it’s on a 20 amp you should use 14 if it’s on a 15 amp you don’t need 12. So why would you do it like that?

[@johnrackiewicz286]

You should address the issue that you are splicing #14 with #12 conductors , normally a no no unless that circuit OPD is for #14....15 amps ...Defeating the use of #12...

[@g-rocks6548]

Why don't you use safety wire pliers to twist wire?

[@dallas5374]

G Rocks because he wants to keep his job.....

[@wizard3z868]

switches the only time we ever backstabed over pigtails

[@dirtygeazer9266]

Ay what wire is the switch leg

[@skiball83]

The one that isnt pig tailed. I always mark mine with a strip of red or yellow tape to clarify.

[@dadtothebone4859]

I use my strippers as a quick measurement of how long my wires are

[@CarlJohnsonandAssociates]

Why would you have 2 hot ?

[@youboontoo]

Electrician of 42+ years here. You do it as I learned to and still do (except I always strip the sheathing before putting it into the box, too easy to nick the wire and not be able to tell because it is so far back in the box.) However, if you "ripped out" a box like this on a "new construction" job site around here, you would last about 1 hour. These 4 - 6 story retail on the first floor cracker box apartments they put up here in the Twin Cities probably don't have a single set of twisted wires or wire nuts in them. Nothing but strip the wire and jam it into a way-to-go Wago, thereby pretty much assuring an electrical fire sometime in the next 30 years. Keep doing it right! Just say NO to Wago.

[@dominikkkkkkkkkkkkk]

wagos are fine, they have proven to be safe. I also like to strip the sheathing before putting it into the box

[@bigdaddya735]

Don't twist so far back in the box!!! Other than that great job 😉

[@rogerhodges7656]

It looks like you have 12 and 14 ga. wire in the box.....Code violation?

[@kotocb]

Still the same but also so much different when electrician in Chicago

[@skiball83]

Lol chi town sparky here. Yup. Our resi code is basically commercial everywhere else.

[@dutchie4451]

Why are you mixing 12 awg and 14 awg

[@zmettin1994]

One is power in, (12) yellow, and the other is to the equipment. (14) white. You can go "down" in size but never up. Putting them together in a "bundle" (wire nuts) is done all over the place. Why he does it that way I don't know. Maybe it was run to the box by him maybe it wasn't. But either way nothing against code there.

[@N-hunter]

@@zmettin1994 actually, it is very much against code to use 14awg conductors on a 20 amp circuit. 14awg can only be used for circuits with overcurrent protection of 15amps or less

[@zmettin1994]

@@N-hunter and maybe it's 12 on a 15? We don't know what's up stream from there. Just what's there. Dustin being a master electrician in TX. I don't think he would deliberately violate the NEC.

[@N-hunter]

@@zmettin1994 It could be. Maybe to reduce voltage drop over a long distance?

[@zmettin1994]

@@N-hunter possibly. I am not an AC power guy myself. Mainly DC power systems/ UPS systems inside data centers and what not. But I dabble. If he is doing a larger gauge of wire run from a panel to that switch box I'd assume it was for a reason. And then everything from there being 14 would make wiring up a long string of switched outlets fairly simple. (future proofing ish as well) if the next owner or sparky comes in and needs to put a new piece of equipment in. (Barring the 15amp breaker isn't topped out.)

[@chuckcardot866]

110.12 that's why

[@ArkamasRoss]

So here's a question: does anyone ever do the stripping and everything after the paint work is done and just bend your cable into the box so paint doesn't get all over your wires?

[@jamesrawlings8493]

Some of the work must be done (in FL) to pass the rough in inspection. For example all grounds must be made up. Doing the stripping at this point is also a good double check for missing or unexpected cables.

[@ArkamasRoss]

Ah, good point I forgot about the inspections. (Prospective apprentice) any methods to prevent paint in the box? Can it be a fire hazard?

[@jamesrawlings8493]

@@ArkamasRoss run a piece of painter's tape over the boxes. Helps to keep some joint compound out of the boxes also.

[@MegaRiffraff]

👍🏻

[@davidalexander1736]

your not aloud to mix 12/14 together without changeing breaker to 15 amp

[@DK85]

Do you mean changing to a 20 amp breaker because you have that one 12-gauge wire in there? I was wondering this as well. Also, the switch would have to be 20A as well. I'm not an electrician - just asking!

[@michaelcraig4235]

Dick Kennedy In this case no, 14 gauge wire is only rated for max 15 amps. Any more and you risk overheating. Think of it in terms of you’re only as strong as your weakest link. So even though most of it was 12 (rated for 20A), mixing 14 automatically requires you to use the 15a breaker.

[@brianwest1501]

“Allowed.” Not aloud. Sorry!

[@danielwolf2192]

You folks need to look in your TAP rules light fixtures are allowed to tap on 20 amp circuits clear down to 18 gauge

[@Onyx408]

Dam I feel like I’m hella slow compared to this guy twisting I’m brand new to all this but holy hell I’ve notice how much faster everyone around me is I’m trying to speed it up lol

[@phi5head]

Is there a reason you don't use the Klein romex strippers?( www.zoro.com/static/cms/product/full/Z_K0Dwfo5oy.JPG ) I can't imagine working with romex without them. So much easier to remove the sheathing with those than with a knife.

[@mrpanda2655]

phi5head it’s faster to use a utility knife

[@Gruntled2001]

Try Klein 11061 - you’ll never go back. Perfect forRimex. Strips the sheath and the conductors

[@phi5head]

@@mrpanda2655 Not for me. I always remove the sheathing with the strippers prior to putting the wires in the box. That way you don't have to reach back in the box.

[@mrpanda2655]

phi5head you strip the wire outside the box then put it in

[@phi5head]

@@mrpanda2655 yes

[@tpgoat]

No reason to twist those grounds together all the way from the back of the box. That makes trouble shooting a nightmare when you need to go back into a box and take it apart again.

[@JF-fx2qv]

"Ripping Out?" Click bait? I never heard "Ripping Out?" It must be a local word? I too like to twist the copper portion of the wire before installing a wire nut, but I do not agree with twisting the entire set of wires (casing) along their length. I think your unique signature style is an OCD fetish, but it works well, so keep doing it.

[@shaneoakley8757]

Ripping out is a term I've heard electricians use to refer to the "ripping" of the sheathing to prepare boxes for the rough-in inspection.

[@JF-fx2qv]

@@shaneoakley8757 I see. Conduit & circuit mostly.

[@twodoselegend9196]

Why are there 2 hots in a single switch?

[@unapologeticapologist5167]

One hot coming in. One sending power to light when switch is on and not when it is off

[@dallas5374]

Twodose Legend don’t ask dumb questions. Hire a profession you DIY.....

[@ryanwilliams4368]

@@dallas5374 still doesn't explain why you have 2 hots? Wouldn't you just need the (line) hot and the switch leg on a single pole? Why do you have 2 hots?

[@dominikkkkkkkkkkkkk]

@@ryanwilliams4368 because there is probably another switch for another light

[@danielkofman4592]

Why are you putting in 12-2 to wire up switches? So unnecessary.. Only 15 amp for switches

[@evanmorgan1208]

Our outfit runs homes in 12 guage as a standard. Never run 14 guage unless we're retrofitting something that had it.