New Home Begins

[tkappeler]

I'm getting ready to do some electrical work similar to yours so I'm really curious about this stuff. What is that connector at the top of your panel that the service goes through. A reducer, an offset, both? I know metal conduit requires a smooth nut or bushing (don't know what it's called) where the cables exit the conduit but is there nothing needed for PVC? I thought I saw a double neutral on the bottom left bar so that is why I was asking.

Thanks again for your time

There is an offset at the top to bring the 90 back in to the same plane as the box, recessed into the wall. As for the nut, I was told that the ordinary nut was fine with PVC. We will see.

Your eyes are good as there WAS a double neutral on the bottom left when the picture was taken but has since been changed.

 

[mjncad]

This is the fitting that comes off the bottom of the meter outside (left side of picture) and the 90 degree bend off that through the rim joist to the panel in the basement.

View attachment 311503

This type of fitting is commonly known as an "LB" (elL Back). There are "LL's" and "LR's" (elL Left and elL Right); but they aren't used as often. These things are available in metal and PVC.

 

[tkappeler]

Well, the electrical rough inspection was today and I have one thing I have to re-do that I was not expecting.

First the good news: The meter, panel, basement, bedrooms, baths, etc were all good. The trip protection near the scuttle was good.

The bad news (and it's not so bad): The dining room circuit was submitted for permits as a 15A circuit and was approved but when he got here, he said that unless they are totally separate rooms (not a big room that is both kitchen and dining room), the dining room is considered to be part of the kitchen and it needs to be a 20A circuit.

It's not so bad. I have the wire and and I can remove the 14-2 from the panel for that one circuit and re-do it with 12-2. A total of 20 ft run from the panel and then 4 outlets and a switch.

He also gave some suggestions on adding three outlets in the basement that are not required now as an unfinished space but would be if we want to finish the basement in the future. If we add them now, we will be good to go in the future and would not need further inspections.

I can have these changes done in an hour or so tomorrow.

 

[Got2BTru]

WOW! First of all, let me say THANK YOU for all of your posts, pictures, details, explanations, etc.!!!! We bought 32 acres in upstate NY last fall & are moving to the area NEXT WEEK. Once we get settled, we will begin building our house. I have bookmarked this & will definitely come back to it & am sure I will have questions, if you don't mind...I too am looking at the RayCore panels, etc.!

 

[dave1949]

That's pretty good news Tom. Glad to see you are progressing.

Looking at your service panel, it's full just like mine, it's amazing how many circuits are needed in a well-wired modern house.

 

[tkappeler]

WOW! First of all, let me say THANK YOU for all of your posts, pictures, details, explanations, etc.!!!! We bought 32 acres in upstate NY last fall & are moving to the area NEXT WEEK. Once we get settled, we will begin building our house. I have bookmarked this & will definitely come back to it & am sure I will have questions, if you don't mind...I too am looking at the RayCore panels, etc.!

Wow, Frisco Tx to Upstate NY. What a culture shock that will be! I thought the mass exodus was FROM NY and anywhere and from anywhere TO TX. Good luck with your build. The people here are strong in their opinions, nice about it, and truly helpful through and through. They have challenged me to look harder at different aspects and I am so grateful for their advice.

 

[955Lincoln]

Congrats on your inspection TK!! The only 20 amp circuits that I know of are the 2 for the counter tops but that's 30 year old code. He wants 20 amp just for the standard wall outlets in the dining room?

 

[dave1949]

I can see the usefulness of 20 amp circuits in a dining room. People sometimes have sideboards or tea carts with coffee makers, warming dishes, crock pots or other kitchen-type elec. appliances. Nothing more annoying than tripping breakers in a kitchen or dining area.

 

[dstig1]

That is called a "Pull elbow" around here, at least that's how I've heard it referred to...

His requirement for the dining room is not code that I have heard of, just his additional requirements. It's not a bad thing to do, but it isn't required by NEC to my knowledge. But his word is what rules... Does he also want it GFI as a "kitchen" circuit? Shouldn't be required unless it is near water, but since he is "making things up" you might want to check. The kitchen code requirement is for 2x 20A circuits feeding the counter top outlets. There are a couple additional points about serving/buffet areas, IIRC, but not generally for a dining table. It may have changed since I last looked, but I don't suspect so...

In all the electrical work I have done, I make ALL outlets 20A circuits, and then run lights off separate 15A circuits. Just a personal preference of mine as electrical use has only increased with time so using 12ga/20A for outlets gives you some headroom.

Nice to get past a major inspection, isn't it? :thumbsup:

 

[mjncad]

WOW! First of all, let me say THANK YOU for all of your posts, pictures, details, explanations, etc.!!!! We bought 32 acres in upstate NY last fall & are moving to the area NEXT WEEK. Once we get settled, we will begin building our house. I have bookmarked this & will definitely come back to it & am sure I will have questions, if you don't mind...I too am looking at the RayCore panels, etc.!

I'm not trying to steal any of Tom's thunder as I'm following his thread and enjoying it immensely; but if you like Tom's thread, I suspect you'll like Pete's thread on the house he's building for his Mom. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/269704-building-stick-frame-house-woods.html

In all the electrical work I have done, I make ALL outlets 20A circuits, and then run lights off separate 15A circuits. Just a personal preference of mine as electrical use has only increased with time so using 12ga/20A for outlets gives you some headroom.

Any 120VAC circuits I put in for receptacles get true 20AMP receptacles. Copper may be pricey; but changing out a wire later is even more pricey and disruptive. I don't know about current code; but at one time code allowed 15AMP receptacles to be used on 20AMP circuits. As I recall, to be legal, one could not power through the receptacle to the next one; but had to use pigtails to connect the receptacles to the wire. Great, just more crap in an already crowded box.

Personally bedrooms that can do double duty as home offices should have two power circuits because as DSTIG1 stated, electrical use has only increased over the decades. Residential lighting has always consumed less power than other electrical loads in a house, and with CFL's and LED's becoming more prominent, the load lighting places should decrease with 15AMP circuits being more than adequate. Now if your main panel is rapidly filling up with power circuits, I suggest you add a sub-panel solely for lighting, and if worse comes to worse and you still need more power circuits, you can tap into the sub-panel's remaining space once the main panel is full.