My Industrial Cabin Build

[EddieWalker]

Eddie I know you've posted this tid bit before, and it still doesn't make any sense to me. Why would you have a whole stack of pointless GFCI outlets right next to the panel? the first outlet in any series circuit can be the GFCI outlet, in it's normal planned location - no reason to put an extra one right next to the panel.... right? Maybe I'm missing some aspect of elec code.

I'm not sure what the Code Book says on this. I know that in every house that I've worked on that's 20 years old or newer, this is what I see in there.

Right next to the panel will be a row of GFCI outlets. Usually they are lined up vertically in two rows, along a stud.

Romex comes out of the Panel from a regular breaker, goes to the GFCI Outlet, and then the Romex goes to the room where the protection is needed, like the bathroom or kitchen. In that room, they have regular outlets since they are all on the line coming from the GFCI Outlet next to the Panel.

My guess for the reason to do it this way is the big savings in what it costs to buy a GFCI Breaker compared to an Outlet. And my guess for putting them all next to the Panel is that they are all in the same place, so you know where to go if a line is dead. Most of the GFCI outlets will be labeled. Either with permanent marker, which looks bad, or with a printed label, which looks better.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

2017 and 2020 NEC changes require nearly everything to be AFCI. And GFCI has been expanded as well. Range only needs gfci if the outlet is within 6 feet of sink. Mine is about 9 and I was gonnanoutnonenin. Since thenplug is aling the floir behind a gas range I was gonna just do the combo breaker. Afci and gfci. All kitchen requires afci. Bathrooms dont but require gfci for outlets and not for lights/fan unless they are above a shower. The gfci receptacles next to breaker is a clever way to go low cost to address the gfci but the Afci breaker is $50 and the afci/gfci is $60 so you arent saving much. Except now when afci/gfci are being resold for $100 each.
I need 18 breakers. 9 are just Afci the other 9 need to be gfci and the only one that doesnt need afci is bathrooms.
Bought 60 feet of ac run for 6g and same for 8g plus 9 afci breakers yesterday. $800

 

[East30]

Sorry to break into this thread, but a question. I'm new to Arc Fault breakers. Our new home has a number of them, and we've had three lengthy power outages in the area in the six months there. A week or so ago this happened. In talking with the electrician who did the install, apparently power flickering on and off, from the power company, can cause this. Hoping it's not an ongoing thing. Will Arc Fault's need to be replaced if this becomes regular from the power company or do they have a long life span should this keep occuring?

 

[WoodChuckDad]

If you had that many breakers pop at one time, it looks like you had some kind of event. Afci gfci breakers breakers are usually good for 15+ years. I know that any breaker can fail if it gets significant enough surge oad on it.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

My powers been out almost 24 hrs now. Got freezer and fridge running on extension cords and my 2000i generator, but decided time for a larger generator. Going to put in 50A generator plug, so I need some 6 ga wire. I already have a sub panel set up with most of my emergency circuits.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

I went shopping this afternoon. First I hit Mayers and bought5 more arc fault breakers and 5 gfci breakers. All the pig tail style because they don’t have the plug on neutral type. I had called around and nobody does but one showed as in stock at a lowes about 30 minutes away. They had two, both were returns that had been opened. I checked to make sure they were the correct product and they look unused so I bought them. I also bought the 10 g wire I needed but had to go to 2 different lowes to get it all. So i should have enough breakers to finish the box this weekend. My air conditioning equipment has been shipped and when it gets here I will buy the breakers for them. It is weird that they have wire recommendations online but the notation about breaker gives a range but isn’t definitive. I am going to look on the sticker on each unit to base it on before buying the breakers.

I am about to start looking on line for some instruction on how to put together the conduit to carry the wire to the ac disconnect. This will be fun.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

My powers been out almost 24 hrs now. Got freezer and fridge running on extension cords and my 2000i generator, but decided time for a larger generator. Going to put in 50A generator plug, so I need some 6 ga wire. I already have a sub panel set up with most of my emergency circuits.

Has that power come back yet? Generator implementation is always on my mind with this house.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Has that power come back yet? Generator implementation is always on my mind with this house.

It came on late afternoon yesterday. Not a hard one for them to fix, but there were hundreds of outages. Apparently our area made the news, but I just heard about the terrible flooding in SW Va. wow.

I ordered a 12.5 kva (9.5kw) generator. Good for up to 50 amp at 240v. Unfortunately my sub panel with my critical circuits does not have a main breaker allowing me to use one of the sliding breaker locks, so I’ll need a transfer switch ahead of it. Or else wire generator to main panel and use a lockout, and turn off all unwanted breakers.
I still couldn’t bring myself to purchase whole house system.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

My list keeps getting longer. It’s making me crazy.

 

[EddieWalker]

I'm on my 3rd Oscillating Tool, and it's a game changer for doing PVC plumbing. First one was a cheap dremel, second was a corded Bosch. The cordless Makita is by far the best that I've come across so far. It cuts PVC Pipe quickly and easily, without any worries of damaging anything else. Works on PEX too!!!! I also use it as a chisel when making lumber just a little smaller, and nothing works better on sheetrock!!! I bought it to cut trim when installing tile, but now I use it for everything.

https://www.amazon.com/Makita-XMT03Z-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Multi-Tool/dp/B00LIV11RG/ref=sr_1_5?crid=6NNLEC3Q8ZGL&keywords=makita+oscillating+tool&qid=1658071564&sprefix=makita+osc%2Caps%2C151&sr=8-5