Avoid These 5 DIY Electrical Mistakes

[@_P0tat07_]

I appreciate you being honest enough to admit your mistakes. Thanks man, it really helps to see what possible mistakes can be made.

[@johnkolassa1645]

Humility is very instructive.

[@shubinternet]

People sharing their mistakes that they've learned is one of the things I like best about the channels I follow, and is one of the top reasons why I share those experiences more widely.

[@1someoneelse]

The light fixture box for the light you added is just fine. The responsibility falls on the person that is going to add a fan.

[@richardp3624]

For sure.

[@frankrosemeck9898]

$2 vs $20 for a 12 oz fixture. Hmmm...

[@shabazan]

Respectfully disagree with this. My goal is that my successor is safer (or has an easier task) than my predecessor. Especially since that successor is often me.

[@xXVintersorgXx]

@@shabazan you don't have to make sure everything is future proof. If you're installing a fan you should make sure your electrical box is mounted and capable of carrying the load. Unless it's attached to a stud it will need a special box. Most people are not diy installing ceiling fans. And any electrician or installer will know not to attach a fan to a floating box. You wouldn't mount a can light like a fan. Also if these were not acceptable to use they wouldn't make them

[@frankrosemeck9898]

@@xXVintersorgXx yup. If i did every job planning for what someone may potentially want to change in the future, I'd be broke. "Why do a panel change with only a 200 amp main? They might want to upgrade to a 400 amp in ten years..."

[@UP-th2jk]

Your humility speaks volumes about your professionalism and concern for those you teach. Thank you!

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

You bet!

[@paulcorso5442]

Thank you for your honesty. As an electrician myself, I find that we must always be our best critic. When dealing with the lethality of electricity, there can never be shortcuts that marginalize the job that make it unsafe. Again, great video!

[@jimmikrut007]

I'm a handyman and pretty electrical smart as I worked with an electrician, I still find ur videos very helpful and you turned me on to Wago, I love them , especially when putting wires together to just trace what they power

[@1128lrc]

I think this is a good thing you are doing here. Sharing your mistakes helps us not make those mistakes. Since I have been watching your vids. I have learn a ton. Thanks much and keep it up!

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Appreciate the kind words 👍

[@stephen4763]

Great info. As a DIY working with electricity I always follow the “measure twice cut once concept”. I double check the circuit with my multimeter before touching any wiring. Same with any firearm especially if I have laid it down after checking for a round in the chamber. I recheck the chamber again before cleaning or working on it. That avoids those “I thought the circuit was off” or “I thought it was unloaded” explanations.

[@thecowboyjesse8780]

Brother, the fact that you did this video is just another reason to keep coming back. It takes a lot to admit we make mistakes. Good on you.

[@boheeka77]

Test, check, test. When mixing stranded and solid in a wire nut, I find it's best to insert the stranded first. That way you make sure it doesn't get pushed down the solid by the threads inside the nut. Usually passes the pull test first try.

[@jamesgingrich4368]

That's what the instructions for wire nuts say to do.

[@tony4us10]

I like the tip. Thanks @MATMATIC77 I didn't even know there were instructions for wire nuts.

[@dumbluck6180]

It also helps if you strip the stranded wire so it's a little bit longer than the solid wires. When you pre-twist the wires, the stranded wire is at the tip of the bundle.

[@leskavage]

I make 5 mistakes every time I attempt a new project. If I'm not making mistakes, I'm not trying hard enough! Kudos to you, bro, for going back and righting your "wrongs." I appreciate your videos and have learned a lot. Thank you.

[@JackGetz]

I think you are great and admitting mistakes as the springboard to helping others is called character. Well done. You always knock it out of the park with me.

[@fz0gtg]

Thanks for being a straight up guy, we have all made mistakes and all we can do is learn from them so as not to repeat them! Regarding electrical best practices I can’t stress enough to follow your instructions of testing before, during and after. I was in a hurry as a young machine tool electrician working long hours to prepare equipment for shipping to the UK. After running off the stations we had to remove the 480/120 volt transformers and replace them with the required 480/240 volt transformers. There were 10 stations to do and someone was working ahead of me removing the power drops but missed one and on my 6th R&R I didn’t check to make sure the circuit was deenergized and got bit. Luckily it was a very short exposure but scared the heck out of me and I was furious at my self for not checking!

[@marksneedly7365]

My old farm house was wired more than a few times before I bought it, 12 and 14 g were mixed with reckless abandon. It has a recent, 20 yr old service box to update from nob and tube but they didn't think about gauge. All breakers were 20 amp. I went to all circuits with any 14 g and traded those lines out with 15 amp breakers. That's the best I can do without taking down walls. I hope I don't burn the place down.

[@thomasschwarting5108]

I would say, considering your circumstances, that's a safe thing to do. I'd also say that if you find you're tripping breakers, then consider changing to a heavier wire in that instance. Or find out why a circuit trips.

[@kellyvcraig]

I have one twelve feeding several fourteens. Meanwhile, back at the panel, felt tip and long lasting wraps layout the fact the twelve just gets it there, like a junction box, but the fourteen for the light circuits is the bottleneck, at the end, and a fifteen amp breaker is the max for the circuit. Electronically speaking, it's a good practice. From the "room for error" side, not so much.

[@marksneedly7365]

​@@kellyvcraig There's nothing wrong with a 15a breaker on 12g, which is what I did on my mixed lines. What do you mean by "room for error'?

[@SteveWhiteDallas]

It is dangerous to oversize a breaker, but that is probably not your biggest potential fire hazard. What I would do is start in the attic and look for wire splices. Every splice is a potential loose connection. Loose connections generate heat. 200 degrees F is enough to ignite wood. It is also just over the modern wire's temperature rating (90 degrees C) Many DIYers and even electricians with poor work ethics splice wires without putting them in a box. The box is important and so is the cover. A covered box limits the available oxygen, thereby reducing the chance of a flame. In a covered box, a loose connection is more likely to burn away the connection than a splice outside the box. Also, a metal box with metal clamps on the wires is even better because the heat generated by a loose connection will travel up the copper wire outside the box, where there is more oxygen. A metal box with a cover and metal wire clamps will act as a heat sink, reducing the amount of heat that travels along the wire. One more thing to look for in an old house is a breaker panel made by FPE (Federal Pacific Electric.) If you have one of those get rid of it ASAP. I mean yesterday is not soon enough! FPE breakers are widely known for their failure to trip. A Square D QO breaker will trip in a split second, but you can short a neutral directly to a hot wire long enough to hear a humming sound, then remove it and do it again immediately because the Federal breaker did not trip. (No, I do not recommend trying that.) Improper splices though are as likely as anything, if not most likely, to cause problems. Smoke detectors save lives. Put one in the attic and link it to one in the living space.

[@Toyotajunkie]

2 and 3 are not your fault.... if someone wants to change something later, they should be checking to make sure the situation will work. 1 I agree, just try to keep same/correct gauge wire on the same circuit. And 5 is a good one, but like you said.... best practices. Test it every use. Or get a good one that lights constantly, lol. Thanks for the time and effort to learn the masses though!

[@saticonthree5050]

agree no one seeking to put up a fan should expect that a box holding an existing ceiling light would be supported by the joist. Nice if it is, but I don't think many original installers of the lights would bother to joist support it to benefit for a possible upgrade by someone else later.

[@steveurbach3093]

There are good reasons to over size the main feed wire: Distance. Again, the person upgrading needs to not just blindly bump a 15A breaker size because it had 12ga

[@bp-ob8ic]

Great info, as always!! I work part-time in the electrical section of blue, and only have DIY knowledge. Your explanations help me coach the DIYer that just wants the light to come on, but doesn't know how to make it happen. Keep up the good work. Also, when in doubt, consult a qualified electrician, not the guy in the electrical aisle of your local store.

[@terrygoyan]

One thing to learn is when to walk away from a job. I started doing some electrical repairs for a local business. As I was connecting wires together, the insulation kept cracking further back (from the connection). The circuits had been over loaded for years, heating the conductors and breaking down the insulation. I finished the one box I was working on and told the owner that I couldn't do the rest of the job. That was 25 years ago and thank goodness there has been no problems there. Of course, in any building fires, electric is the first thing inspectors look at!

[@outlet6989]

I'm a DIYer (Third Class) and once had my power box replaced by a licensed electrician. He replaced many of the 15amp breakers with 20amp ones. He told me that he always uses new breakers when he installs a new box. I then asked him why he did this, and he said that his 20amp breakers would give me 'better' protection. Go figure that one out. I have since replaced the breakers with the proper-sized ones. Now my house IS protected.

[@vctrsigma]

@@outlet6989 I'm no electricion, but that sounds just wrong. Using new breakers is one thing, but changing the size blindly can't be good. The breaker is there (in part) to protect the wiring. If the downstream wiring isn't rated for 20A I have to think it would be unsafe to use a 20A breaker with it as you could be overloading it without tripping the breaker.

[@terrygoyan]

@@outlet6989 I so glad you went back to 15amp breakers! Sounds like your licensed electrician didn’t know what he was doing. It’s true that old breakers can be slow to trip, but breakers are rated by wire gauge. 20 amp breakers should only be used with 12 gauge wire, not 14 gauge which is typically used in 15 amp circuits. Putting a 20amp breaker on 14 gauge wire is a potential fire hazard for sure!

[@Qweekdraw]

Great video with some helpful tips. I was working on a circuit once and was testing voltage with a multimeter. I accidentally had the meter set to VDC when testing a 110 VAC circuit. I read 0 Volts and started working on the circuit. My screwdriver accidentally shorted hot wire to junction box and although I didn't get a shock I was very surprised by the sparks and that the circuit was live. Since then I always perform the best practice you mentioned in this video where I confirm a known circuit is live, test my circuit I'm working on, and then confirm a known circuit again. Good stuff! SAFETY FIRST!!!

[@CarlGolden]

I am sorry for step #2 the box was fine for what you used it for. You can not future proof everything. If someone else wants to install a fan it's on them to upgrade the box.

[@pfcrow]

He missed a key point, which is that the 2020 National Electrical Code now requires those ceiling boxes to be strong enough to support a ceiling fan if it's possible to install one there. Someone can clarify the details (I'm not an electrician), but I believe it's something like if the hole is more than two feet from a wall, the box needs to be rated for at least fifty pounds. I watched several videos on the 2020 code changes, and this came up in all of them.

[@snap-off5383]

@@pfcrow The 2020 code is adopted pretty much nowhere that code is enforced.

[@bobe3250]

I always prefer to know the best way and usually pick it vs. let the next guy worry about it. 😉

[@TheForgottenMan270]

@@pfcrow It's not true that a fan box is required in every application where a fan may go. If so then all nail on boxes are illegal. Whatever video you've been watching stating this I recommend you stop watching them. I'm a licensed electrician and know for a fact that fan rated boxes aren't required except for during the necessary application they were intended for. Nowhere in the code does it state fan rated boxes are required for everywhere a fan may be installed. Now, if one prefers to install fan rated boxes to future different rooms, then that's a different story. The remodel box was correct as long as the light installed didn't exceed the box's rating. I've installed those types of boxes many times.

[@Derakkon2]

@@snap-off5383 The 2020 NEC has been adopted in at least 10 states so far.

[@51hankyspanky7]

You're a good man, Charlie Brown. I appreciate your honesty and corrections. This gives you true credibility.

[@light-master]

For the Non-Contact Voltage Tester, I just always use a multimeter so theres no question if there's power. All of my light switches have ground in the box, so easy to test.

[@jake9705]

Great point.

[@outlet6989]

All of my multimeters use a battery too.

[@BlackVibeBallsack]

Na...NCVT is great for a pro

[@joeny1980]

Even if I get a negative reading on a non contact tester, I'll usually short the wires with a long screw driver (which would arch them in they are live) just as a final fail safe before touching them.

[@justme5384]

I read on our national regulations that a multi-meter is not a accepted device to prove dead, you need to use an actual voltage tester like Fluke T5-1000 or similar

[@nickbruesch399]

Much respect for making this video!! It says a lot about an educator’s character when their focus is being CORRECT rather than being “right.”

[@RadioRich100]

Hes not correct.

[@stevethomas5849]

Tug Test we say in the UK. Wagos are very popular using them today installing lights.

[@KameraShy]

My mistakes: 1. Not using commercial grade receptacles. 2. Wiring through shared neutral. Not so much an issue with Romex, but where conduit is used electricians of past routinely shared neutrals. Saved running another wire. And because it is hidden inside conduit, that situation is not evident.

[@SD40Fan_Jason]

Sharing a neutral is completely acceptable as long as it's between two (or three in the case of three-phase) adjacent circuits. If Circuits 22 and 24 are in a pipe, they absolutely may share a neutral. If Circuits 1 and 7 are in a pipe, even though they are opposing legs, they should have isolated neutrals.

[@kellyvcraig]

Be careful about trusting the word "commercial" as meaning better. Look at a lot of the houses wired with stab connectors, for example. The number of houses wired with 15 amp duplex outlets is, seemingly, infinite. I like good quality 20 amp outlets. They tend to be more robust and, well, the idea of having more contact area than the stab outlets provide appeals to me.

[@hankkline7300]

@@kellyvcraig You are not allowed to use 20A receptacles on a 15A circuit,

[@Jeff-xy7fv]

2:50 - If you have attic access above the bedroom ceiling, it is far better to go into the attic and use the type of box with the slider bar that fastens to the joists with screws. Also, I would recommend using 14-3 wire for fans, rather than 14-2, in order to be able to control the fan and light separately from the wall without using pull-chains.

[@KameraShy]

May depend on the fan. New Fancy Fans use remote controls. No chains.

[@ronb6182]

That's right but not all fans are remote controlled. I always used number 12 wire with three conductor with ground. You will not find number 14 in any of my wired homes I done which isn't too many. I wire as a hobby but don't cut corners. My dad never used number 14 either but he did use number 10 on all the outlets and lighting. There were no ceiling fans in our homes and cottages. Didn't even have AC. Those were the days you didn't need them most of the year. The summers were hot and we laid in the yard in the grass on a blanket. We covered with a white sheet. Now the farm house was not too hot in fact we were shivving when we slept in the tent. The quilts were not warm enough but the feather tic was. 73

[@outlet6989]

@@ronb6182 That 10 gauge wire must have been a real bitch to work with.

[@ronb6182]

@@outlet6989 not really but my dad is past on so I cannot ask him. But I did put a grounded outlet in my bedroom but the wire was already bent around the screw I think I used to remove the screws to make it easier to install with no bending. Most electricians don't remove the screws from the outlet. But I was a typical teen that knew it all. I used to brag that I can do house wiring with three tools electrician pliers, a screwdriver and a knife like a utility knife. I guess that's all I needed for electronics and Electrical class. We had made up circuits on these 2 x 4 stands that had a few boxes like a light a switch and an outlet and we had to wire on them stands we even did 3 and 4 way hookup and we had to do a continuity test before we were allowed to plug in our project. 73

[@hankkline7300]

@@ronb6182 I see many examples of DIY electricians who think that wiring a whole house in #12, and #10 makes sure it's "SAFE" Then they try to stuff a GFCI outlet into a 14 cu. in. box with 2 #10 Romex wires 3" long because there's no more room left for wire. No need to use larger wire unless traveling long distances to reduce voltage drop. A proper size breaker will trip an overload or short on #12 or #14. Unless it's a FPE or Zinsco breaker. Think about it. how many fans pull over 2 amps?

[@rustyhenderson3019]

Your correction on connecting a #14 wire to a #12 wire fed from a 20 amp breaker is still incorrect. Look at the NEC and you will find a 10 ft and 25 ft rule that may allow this connection to be made legally. I know that you may think that I'm splitting hairs, but this is legal as long as you follow the rules. I am a retired Master Electrician..

[@outlet6989]

Have you ever thought about moving to FL and buying a house near me? You would make a great neighbor.

[@heidis8713]

*15 amp breaker

[@704ab]

One of the projects I have been putting off is replacing my remaining1940 2-prong sockets with GFCI outlets. The breaker box a previous owner installed when they remodeled the kitchen is not labeled. I did buy a lighted tool that confirms the line is dead before I mess with it.

[@outlet6989]

I've found that a plastic label maker is the best way to label the circuits. They don't fade. I also place a label on the breaker itself with the circuit number. This way, I can see the number at a distance.

[@704ab]

@@outlet6989 thanks for the tip.

[@UniversalEngineer]

Also when using the non-contact volt stick, test BOTH sides of an electrical cord or outlet: neutral and hot. It’s easy to be misled by touching the neutral only and overlook a hot circuit.

[@DominickRuocco]

Learning from your mistakes so you won't make them again is all part of the learning process. Keep up the great work!

[@KameraShy]

I will only use lever nuts when joining solid and stranded. Light fixtures are the most common application. You do need to twist the stranded slightly so it doesn't unravel.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Agreed 👍

[@glasshalffull8625]

May I ask what you do if you encounter a very short wire in a box and cannot get any slack to put on a wire nut? This is a situation where lever nuts excel.

[@outlet6989]

May I suggest that you use solder on the end of the twisted stranded wire? This works great for me.

[@Gunz4President]

First off, anyone who can acknowledge their mistake, publicly at that, and use it as a learning experience for us all, is definitely a person worth listening too. But the real highlight of this video is the shirt. Dope AF. 👏🏾

[@jimholloway1785]

I have wired some receptables wrong in the past when we sold a house. I bought new receptables for the whole house (we were selling the house) and I just wired all just like they were replacing wires one by one. I had a couple not work and my wife then tells me these never worked so they were both wired wrong and a friend came over and helped me out and now after watching others videos and yours I think I won't just blindly replace receptables in the future, I know why what wire goes where and so on.. thanks again. Jim

[@dukeb8864]

I'd rather see this type of reflection video than letting an error stand! This shows that you're learning from your own mistakes and not being arrogant where you don't take constructive criticism! Lead on my friend!!!

[@SD40Fan_Jason]

I wanted to comment on the #2 mistake first. I was living in a rental at the time and the laundry room light had been upgraded at some point from a simple ceiling lamp to a 4x4ft tube fluorescent fixture with two giant ballasts. The only part holding the fixture to the ceiling was a couple of cheap wall hangers like what you would hold up a medium or small picture frame with. And then of course there were two screws holding the fixture to the ceiling box. Well, one evening at 3AM I am coming home from work and when I turned on the light as I came in the door, the hot wire popped! Sparks showered the room and then the remainder of the fixture came crashing to the ground. Apparently while I was gone, the wall hangers had given up, the screws popped off the box in the ceiling and there was nothing but wires holding it in suspension from the ceiling. Once energized that was enough to cut it loose. But the moral of the story is, not all ceiling boxes are going to be a fan if upgraded. Now what could have prevented this issue was if the handyman who installed the giant light fixture had used the correct hangers. What the trade calls Batwings are expansive spring-loaded nuts that pops open once they are through the drywall, and then latch on, offering at least 25 lbs of support. One of those should have been installed at each end of the fixture. Unfortunately the rental company did not want to hear my side of the story and instead charged me $300 to replace the fixture and withheld my $1500 deposit over that whole situation. Now in my day as an electrical helper, I made several mistakes. Two big ones are related and should be something everyone in the DIY world should be conscious and aware of. Luckily I was not injured in either of these situations but in Situation #1, I was on a man-lift replacing a light fixture in a commercial building that failed at test time. I asked the Foreman to kill the power at the breaker panel and he said he did. But when I went to cut off the wire junction, it exploded in my face! 277 volts went from conducting to open right in my hands. There was a little blob of copper embedded into my safety glasses. That could have been my eye! Situation #2, I was removing the old lighting circuit (conduit, light fixtures, switch boxes, etc.) from a back room for remodeling. Now the meter was out and in the temp pole, so that means there's no power, right!? WRONG! Apparently this is not the first time the building was remodeled as the back room was still getting power from the next-door neighbor's building. Prior the the remodel, the two buildings were a single truck loading dock. After the first remodel, the hair dresser had her dryers down the steps and in the little room that used to be the edge of the dock. When I cut wires, it tripped the breaker and shut all her hair dryers off. I was able to fix it in a jiffy and get back to my project. The takeaway from this should be to always check your wires for power and never accept that it's de-energized just because the breaker says it's off or someone says the breaker is off. In both cases, a less experienced person might have been injured!

[@richardcallihan9746]

I will add,! never trust a breaker, Case in point 2 pole breaker to a water well. The breaker was off one leg was still hot. There was a splice in the wire run and I had determined with my NCT I had the power to the splice but not beyond. There was literally 1/2 roll of tape so I turned off the breaker and when cutting out the splice I found out in a flash never trust a breaker.

[@valtsyplenkov4401]

Thanks!

[@axelbrode4673]

Great video because we all make mistakes. I really enjoy your explanations on things, probably the best on KZbin. Here's one for you. If you are working on an outlet or a light controlled by a switch do not rely on the switch to cut the power to the device you are working on. If the switch was wired incorrectly and the neutral was interrupted instead of the hot wire, the device will seemingly function but will still be hot because the hot (Black) wire is still sending power to the device.

[@brad606]

Biggest mistake: Using switch loops with no neutral sent to the switch box in a 2012 remodel. Always lived in older houses so never thought about it. Now future upgrade options are limited in those switch boxes 🤦 Second biggest mistake: Remodeling a room and sticking with "one ceiling box in the middle of the room" style of lighting instead of the much more pleasing multiple recessed lights 🤷

[@workingshlub8861]

they want neutrals ran to every switch box now i think for future work...

[@dimitriberozny3729]

@@workingshlub8861 It is a requirement in the 2020 NEC.

[@michaeljackson62509]

Whenever it comes to electrical work, I suggest you always test the circuit panel/breaker box before touching it, with a non-contact voltage tester or a multimeter. Just in case someone wired it wrong, same with starting any electrical work. Make sure it's off before working on it. I would also recommend a circuit breaker finder so you can detect the exact breaker and turn it off. Be safe.

[@RonV726]

My brother and I work on old homes as DIYers. The mistake we both made, is when you are rewiring anything, and there are only 2 conductors coming into the box, we just rewire using the 2 connectors. We should have been changing the 2 wire conductors to modern 2 wire and a ground, and making sure everything was grounded correctly. As it turns out, my brother's apartment building had knob and tube wiring that was still active. If we were changing that out as we came to it, it would have been much less expensive than a wholesale change. Your explanations are great. Thank you.

[@chrishebert5672]

One mistake I see you making is that when working with electrical and using a screwdriver, you have one hand on the blade of the screwdriver. This is very dangerous if the blade happens to touch something "hot". I was installing the cover plate of an outlet in a building that we were remodeling. I thought the outlet was not powered, but I was being careful. The blade of the screwdriver slipped off the screw head and went into the hot socket. There was a loud pop and the breaker blew. The end of the screwdriver was melted, but I was only holding on to the rubber handle, so I was okay. The insulated handle of a screwdriver is there for a reason. Don't assist by holding the metal shaft of the screwdriver with your free hand. You don't have to be making a complicated electrical repair, you can be seriously injured or killed just screwing on a cover plate.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thanks for the callout Chris, appreciate the focus on safety 👍

[@notme232]

@@EverydayHomeRepairsAlso take note, not all screwdrivers are insulated/rating to protect against high voltage, some even have metal striking ends - defiantly not the conductivity lesson you or your viewers want to learn the hard way. Many people are just using whatever they have, some might be using a "demo" screw driver with the metal end, others might have a wood handle, or a cheap piece of plastic will melt instantly. For DIY, I'd recommend using an electrically rated insulated screw driver/tools on all projects for the extra layer of safety - although remember always, always, always shut off power and triple check every wire is dead. If power needs to remain on for a job, or power is still present after switching off the breakers, call an electrition. (and not all yellow/orange handled drivers are actually rated for electrical use - stick to name brands that specifically say the rating on the package/tool on this one). also while I'm here, It would be great to see a video about breaker lockouts. I'm sure a lot of people don't think about it in residential, but locking out a breaker could save someone's life. Here's a simple scenario; a homeowner is changing an old outlet in their bedroom. A teenager returns home from school and goes to their own room and realizes the outlet for their computer does not work, but the room lights still work. This teenager assumes the breaker has tripped and goes to the panel, finding the breaker is off. This confirms their suspicion and they reset the breaker. This soon followed by a loud pop from upstairs, the homeowner has been shocked or electrocuted. Alternatively, the teenage goes to the panel and finds the breaker lock on the panel and is prevented from truing on the breaker. They go find the homeowner, who is safely working on an outlet.

[@kenbrown2808]

counterpoint: if you'd been guiding the tip, it probably wouldn't have slipped out of the screwhead.

[@ronb6182]

Turn off the power then you need not worry if you touch anything. There are live circuit testers which tell you if something is live. Always assume it's live until you know for sure. I may buy me them insulated screw drivers it's good all the way around. 73

[@dtwistrewind7361]

Best place for your other hand is around a cup of coffee or in your pocket, there's a heart in between those two hands😉

[@ottoroth9377]

I was called on a blinking light circuit and opened a junction box, and found 14 running off 12....but someone had the decency to write on the 12/2 "15 Amp run, breaker #7"....I went and shut off #7....then went back to the box I opened and found a loose wire nut. Problem solved. I was amazed somebody cared enough to let a future troubleshooter know what was done!

[@duckyjp17]

What a great idea for a video. It takes a humble person to highlight their mistakes so that others can learn. Thank you.

[@ainstaink8312]

From electrical stand point if you are mixing awg12 and 14 but feeding it on a 15A circuit you are fine. Awg12 is thicker wire which means less internal resistance on a longer run, but is protected by a 15A circuit braker which is the correct one for thinner AWG14.

[@The2wanderers]

I like that you open with 2 that aren't so much mistakes, as risks of someone else coming along later and making a mistake. Then you get into the stuff that poses greater risks and in some cases isn't allowed at all.

[@kenbrown2808]

first, if someone tried to hang a fan from a cut-in 3.0 that you had installed, that is THEIR mistake, not yours. I'm still not fond of using cut in boxes in sheetrock to support fixtures; but unless you know someone is going to install a fan as soon as your back is turned, it doesn't count as a mistake. if you can get to the top of the ceiling, it's better to put in a new work box, from above, though. next, the worst wire nut mistake a DIYer can make is using cheap and/or undersized wire nuts. this often includes the ones included with light fixtures. and for recent mistakes: I found a two pole breaker that had failed with one pole off and the other pole on.

[@bradhaenitsch1145]

Yea sir I use a pancake box screwed right to a truss or some meat works great

[@KaraokeSC]

Unfortunately this WAS his mistake, and I'm glad he publicized it here. It is a direct violation of the NEC to install that type of box for a CEILING light outlet. Period.

[@kenbrown2808]

@@KaraokeSC 15 pound fixture rating, 2 hour fire rating. Absolutely nothing saying wall mount only. Still not my preferred installation. But cut in boxes are listed for ceilings.

[@KaraokeSC]

​@@kenbrown2808 Sorry, but no. NEC - "314.27(A)(2) Ceiling Outlets. [other text] Boxes shall be required to support a luminaire weighing a minimum of 23 kg (50 lb)." [other text]

[@kenbrown2808]

@@KaraokeSC nice cherry picking. 27A says if it is listed for the purpose and installed according to 23, it is acceptable - and if it is rated for less than 50#, it must be marked.

[@kevinikola8003]

I added some recessed lighting and didn't know that connecting new copper to aluminum wire was a problem. I am glad I had a permit and inspection by the city to learn the proper way.

[@1pcfred]

When you use that aluminum wire you have to make sure you wrap it in oil soaked rags. When the place burns you don't want to leave any evidence of what you've done.

[@sjpropertyservices3987]

Thank you for your candor. Acknowledging our mistakes and learning from them is critical to improving our skills.

[@danielwalcher779]

28 year electrician here. I hate Wagos and will not use them. The springs do not hold up throughout the years. They also pull apart too easy. I prefer wire nuts in all my installations. Also the light box you put up for your light is ok for your use. It is up the the next homeowners to determine their electrical needs. If the fan they installed falls, it’s on them.

[@WesB1972]

Amen brother.

[@Lordjerm78]

I absolutely Love WAGO's Recently started using them, so much time and space saved. More than half my time was spent making sure wire nuts were put in place correctly, that is now a thing of the past!

[@dmitripogosian5084]

For once I wanted to try Wagos while replacing my induction cooktop. Alas, there seems none for 8 gauge. Back to original wire nuts

[@donbrloks3959]

I love that I can change a circuit without cutting out the twisted part.

[@tonypirainorealtor]

Good stuff! We all make mistakes. I appreciate learning from others. I hadn’t seen that old work light box for fan mounting.

[@gingerwithahammer]

I have a 1920s home with knob and tube and metal boxes. I upgraded one outlet to GFCI, and ran a grounding pigtail to the metal box, as explianed here. I still labeled the outlet as "no equipment ground", but didn't know if this grounding to the box was necessary.

[@danm6499]

Good vid, and nice complete explanations. 27 year maintenace electeician. I do need to push back against wagos. They are legal, but not a good idea. The connections provide inadequate contact between wires, and the push style tends to cut into the wire that can lead to breakage. I have pulled many melted wagos out of circuits when chasing down opens. I even have a pic of one that burned right through a ballast cover. Always remove them, twist the wires together, and replace with wires nuts.

[@Mister-Lou]

Scott, you're a stand-up person and I enjoy the vids!

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thanks buddy 👍

[@kevinkukuch4011]

WOW, what an honest person. Thanks for the tips and info about the voltage tester, its definitely a tool I need.

[@ryanmcallister6958]

I love this video. As an electrician, it's great to see diyers receiving criticism as well as you do.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thanks Ryan, nobody has learned more from this channel than I 👍

[@ryanmcallister6958]

@@EverydayHomeRepairs Hey you’ve definitely taught me a lot!

[@1Darkvictory]

Your channel is very informative. I do a lot of diy projects at my house. I don't look at potential buyer may do the house because I do not plan to leave. I look at what I may want to do later on and not have to revisit the same project. Sometimes my mistake is just starting a project and "opening a can of worms".

[@keldon_champion]

Refrigeration tech here, wago connectors are great for a lot of applications however if there is any chance of light moisture such as condensation they can arc off metal outlet boxes from the test port on the front. I recently had to rewire all the lights in 3 walk in coolers because the electrician they hired to do the install used them and the lights were popping the breaker because the warm moist air from the conduit the wires where run through was condensing and shorting where against the box.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Interesting, what did you end up using? Waterproof wire nuts?

[@keldon_champion]

@@EverydayHomeRepairs I used standard wire nuts and taped them to prevent anything from getting into them. They are not water proof but there shouldn't be water pooling in the box there is just condensation from the warm and cold air mixing

[@profcah]

Thanks so much. We learn from our and others mistakes and you have helped me not to make them (again).

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Happy to help and thanks for the support 👍

[@robertkirchner7523]

Whenever I need to wire nut or Wago stranded wire and solid copper wires , I always used rosin core solder to stiffen the stranded wire. This seems best to do when using the older wire nuts. I worked for a electrician as a helper many years ago and he always twisted the two wires first , screwed on the wire nuts really tight, and then wrapped electrical tape around them, so the wire nut could not unscrew by itself. Your videos are great. Thanks Bob K.

[@kennym2977]

Careful! Adding solder to stranded wire starts out great but it compresses easily over time with even the slight vibration of 60Hz through a straight conductor. Even putting tinned wire into a screw terminal will become loose over time. Not because the screw terminal parts are moving but because the soft solder is galling under the high pressure contact with the hard screw terminal. This is why ferrules are so useful in screw terminals accepting stranded wire when the terminal doesn't provide plates to contain the strands. Back to wire nuts, the hard metal insert with nice sharp threads will be even more effective at breaking down the solder. Anyway, if you know of a connection where you did this about 5 years ago, try a pull test.

[@BobsYoureuncle]

Being humble , as you are , is something that says we can trust that you are willing to constantly learn , and therefore be a trusted source of diy info . Good job ! 👍 One side point ..... that was a very responsible point you made about the ceiling fixture box , however you can't go and put one of those braces in everytime you add a ceiling light . I would have to agree with another commenter that the bracing is the responsibility of the individual who is installing a ceiling fixture that would otherwise be too much load for mere drywall / ceiling material . Unless it is code to do so in your area .

[@Bremend]

It takes a good teacher to freely admit their mistakes so everyone can learn from it

[@BEHEMOTH20]

Nice vid and good job learning from past mistakes. Where I'm from best practice for non-contact voltage testers is to snap them in half and throw them in the bin, they've caught out far too many people and are commonly referred to as "Death Sticks", none of the certified sparkies I work with would trust them and will only ever use a multimeter or voltage tester to check something is safe.

[@McmM-cv9sb]

I use both a meter and a non contact tester , the meter to test wiring and non contact to make sure the box is not HOT.

[@GS-qx6cn]

Agree with Jonathan below - #2 is not a mistake. There is no reason to spend 20x the money "just in case" someone tries to do something stupid in the future. When I install a fan or other heavy fixture, I never assume the box will hold the weight. Anyone capable of installing new fans/fixtures can easily detect an old-work box and know they probably need to upgrade.

[@jonbartosch1903]

Especially because removing the "old work" box he used and replacing it with a fan brace in the future would be very easy. If you feel like you might personally install a fan or heavier light there, then sure, future proof it, but don't worry about the next guy or what happens 5 years from now.

[@thomasschwarting5108]

If I was going to use those wago type connectors, those that are reusable make so much more sense then the one use type.

[@Chris.Rhodes]

You mean the push in connectors... They're not one use, just twist the wire like a screw and it'll come out. But I only use them if I have to. I've been using Wago's for over a year now and love them. Yes they're more expensive, but they pay for themselves in the long run.

[@outlet6989]

@@Chris.Rhodes Yes, I totally agree, and they are reusable. They're not made for stranded wire I beleive.

[@Chris.Rhodes]

@@outlet6989 the push in type isn't made for stranded, but Wago's are great for stranded.

[@ricks.9984]

Great job. Your videos are very helpful. One mistake I can share was something that happened when I put a WiFi controlled light switch in a box with two other switches, one on each side. I verified that the circuit I was working on was off but not did not verify that the adjacent switches were on the same circuit and not hot. Turns out they were on another circuit and in the process of stuffing the rather large WiFi switch back onto the junction box I got a big surprise when the ground wire on the switch I was working on hit one of the hot screws on an adjacent switch. Didn’t get hurt or break anything but that sure scared me. So now I check all the wires in any box I’m working on.

[@francoisbouvier7861]

Many years ago doing a sizeable demo job I got a 5 item surprise. Tester was working just fine until it wasn't. Ruined a perfect pair of Klein pliers.

[@CygnusTX]

I looked for the joist bracket in your affiliate links but could not find it. Would you please add it?

[@gilleslaunay6033]

breaking down and repairing mistakes is very instructive. Thank you

[@apfelbasket]

Always check a metal detector against metal to make sure it's working. Always test an electrical tester to live power to make sure it's working!!!!

[@Hoakaloa]

After watching this I checked outlet boxes I had added for plug-in strip lights and YUP, I did not ground the metal boxes. Thank you so much!

[@piyushan_abeynayake]

Good stuff. Man enough to own up to his mistakes on the Internet. Subscribed.

[@ExplorerOffgrid]

heh.. I think all of those myself. Wago tip I myself love them and when I install I try and put the wago labeled lever on the hot/source wire. always test regardless but helps in the confusion of a jbox or elsewhere.

[@BradMyers]

Nice to learn from someone else mistakes. Thanks for sharing.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

You bet!

[@Sparkeycarp]

On the box grounding my favorite way to do this was to wrap the incoming ground around the green ground screw in the box first and then go to the device. That way I saved space in the box with one less wire nut or Wago and connection.This is no longer code and you have to run a separate pigtail as you did to a connector for the grounds. I cannot get a good answer why this would be made a code change.

[@garyjagodzinski9987]

Great video! The only thing I would add is your ground wire to the box has to be the same or bigger gauge as your biggest amperage, #12 for 20 amp.

[@MrWaterbugdesign]

#4 wow, yeah gotta ground metal box. Surprised that got by ya. Many boxes come with a green screw kind of screaming "ground me".

[@RockyHillGuy]

Much respect for your posting of this video. You just made me a safer DIYer... and earned another subscriber.

[@Engineer9736]

2:22 I think that logic is a few iterations over the top... Maybe some day someone wants to land a Boeing 747 on my roof better prepare it for that. I think it's the responsibility of the person who hangs that ceiling fan to check if the box is strong enough.

[@mjc0961]

I was thinking the same. The correct box was used for the light, that's not a mistake. If someone later wants to install a fan, that's on them to make sure they check the installed box and upgrade it if necessary. Using a more robust box and mount that can accept the fan is a nice thing to do for the next person, but not doing that isn't a mistake.

[@njsongwriter]

I agree...

[@jayphilbin2871]

Agreed. Even new construction, new work light fixture ceiling boxes that are nailed to a joist are not fan (weight) rated.

[@anxiousappliance]

Thanks - made one of those and will go back to correct (ground wire). Using the wagos so easy job.

[@scuba422123]

i think on a 15a circuit a long run with 14ga can be too much resistance they start with 12ga

[@dhillman7522]

Good job, If I use wire nuts I always twist the wires together then trim the ends to make sure they'er even and make sure to use the correct size wire nut which is shown on the packaging. I have seen to many fail witout a twist.

[@outlet6989]

If you are using the old-fashioned wire nuts, may I suggest using electrical tape on the exposed wires and the nuts? WAGOs are easier to use and take up less space in the box.

[@AndrewBrowner]

NCV testers are great, saves alot of time and makes things alot easier, but they certainly lead to false negatives.. i was replacing beams under a customers porch that were rotten and there was a junction box in the wall with 4 wires one headed in each direction, the bottom one ran into a 8x8 beam and disappeared i couldnt find where it came out at, it tested dead but the other three tested live, i assumed this was some wonky ground setup as everything was from the 50s with ancient old wire, or maybe it was a disconnected circuit that ran something under the porch or an outside plug that was removed in a previous reno... cut it with the side cutters to find out nah it was the feed to that junction box and was certainly live, blasted a hole right through my best pair of sidecutters.. tripped the breaker without issue i had tested this wire no less than 4 times with the meter never once getting any indication it was live, but getting live hits on the other wires, none were metal jacketed or anything.. was very odd it chose not to indicate on this one wire cut wires with one hand the other not touching anything and preferably with CSA boots on to give yourself a fighting chance, i cant use the bulky insulated side cutters but theyd also be an extra layer of protection, cutting the wires quickly in one motion connects the neutral to the hot if it were still live, hesitating and chewing at it with a wimpy cut can lead to only touching the hot wire and you being the easiest path to ground

[@carsonjones2877]

Should show installation of lock out tag out. When installation of a jbox in the attic space a access door should be installed next to it.

[@lemmingt6207]

how hard do you pull in a "pull test" ??

[@WilliamNAllen]

Excellent one. Great to be able recognize one’s mistakes.

[@davidberndt6275]

and also, if you are ever installing a ceiling fan, inspect the box first to ensure it can handle the weight, always. Even new work boxes nailed to a joist may not be sufficient to hold a ceiling fan.

[@bigkirbyhj666]

Also anything over 35lbs must be independently supported (50 lbs for light fixtures.)

[@LucasGresham610]

All Nail ups are not rated for ceiling fan use. They must be a bar box.

[@garyevans4099]

A co worker gave me some WAGO connectors and I opened it and snapped it closed it completely broke apart! It did not make me feel confident about these. Thank you for admitting your mistakes and honing my skills.

[@outlet6989]

I've used many of these and never had your problem. You might be using a too large gauge wire.

[@robwloch8733]

I once put a 2 pole ge 30a breaker in the breaker box offset by one slot so that it only got 120v and not 240v because it only grabbed one line. The dryer worked but wasn’t heating lol.

[@donh4750]

I found a problem with the "no contact" voltage tester. I had a circuit that had a weak link in the neutral so the circuit didn't work past that weak spot. But the no contact voltage tester tested good. The only way I found it was with a voltage meter checking hot to ground and hot to neutral. That revealed the problem.

[@tambourvideo]

What leads to mistakes for me is not taking the time to carefully observe and identify what's going on each time I replace a switch or receptacle. Don't assume the person before you knew what they were doing. Check voltages across all wire combinations with a multimeter to insure your incoming line was done correctly. I've seen black wire pigtailed on the neutral, this can lead to a dangerous short if you're not paying attention. If you're changing receptacles, check to see if the hot jumper has been cut, and one side if the duplex is being switched. If you're replacing switches, check to see if it's a 3-way before going to the store. Be sure to get switches and receptacles rated for your wire guage and breaker capacity.

[@Navigator5]

Excellent reflection and correction. I salute you.

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

🤗THANKS SCOTT …for helping all to avoid common mistakes 👍😍😍😍😍

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

You bet and thanks for your continued support this whole time 👍

[@Not_Vladimir_Putin]

I Ihave a question about your mistake #4. I understand that you needed to ground your metal box with pigtail since you use Romex, but is it necessary for me, in NYC, where code requires all cable in my home to be MC? I just attached a 8ga 4 wire MC cable to a 40amp receptacle inside a 4" metal box (for an electric stove). I connected ground wire from MC cable directly to the 40amp receptacle screw and did not connect any wire to the ground screw of the 4" box with a pigtail. I didn't think it was necessary since the MC cable throughout my house creates a mechanical ground running all the way back to the service panel, which is grounded to the incoming water main. Under this circumstance, should I still connect the ground wire from MC cable to a pigtail to ground the 4" box even though the box is grounded via an all metal connection back to service panel?

[@What1zTyme]

Valuable information! Best instructor ever! Thanks

[@JamesOKeefe-US]

I have learned so much from this channel . Thank you !

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thanks James!

[@genemetz1945]

Which Wago should I use in a light fan hookup with those small wires?

[@stevencooper2464]

One thing I learned the hard way is to check those metal Romex clamps for burrs; I had one that had a burr and it cut into the Romex on the Hot side; when I turned on the circuit breaker, BOOM; I had to replace both the clamp and that section of Romex (about three feet).

[@marshpirate2924]

I was wiring my building. It is fed from my house's main outside panel. Earlier my house A/C was serviced and the worker had opened the outside panel to open the A/C circuit. After they finished the A/C work, I returned to wiring the building. I was shocked (literally and figurately) when I started working. The A/C worker had energized the building circuit also. I should have checked before returning to work.

[@stansbruv3169]

Thanks for sharing your mistakes and educating additional DIY-ers.