One viewer asked if they could convert one of the two lamps in a double outdoor light into a socket?If all you want to do is to run Christmas lights that do not have a ground plug, you can simply screw in a two prong outlet into the light socket. If your total wattage does not exceed the wattage...
Pham from Hamilton asked why he sees air returns on the ceiling sometimes and on the floor in other houses, and what effect this placement has on air quality in the house.If you are in the far north, or in the Southern US, the answer is simple. In an air conditioning climate the return duct goes...
David wants the electrical outlet in the bathroom to be on all the time and not just when the light switch is on. How do you wire that, he asks?You may or may not be able to do it with the existing wires.Start by opening up the light electrical box. Turn off the light switch. Measure the volta...
Last year we showed a viewer tip on putting washers behind the electrical box outlet mounting bracket to hold the outlet firmly forward when the electrical box had been mounted too deep in the wall. Dwight sent us another way to do it that is actually easier than playing with a pile of washers.D...
In this TV segment we followed a sound proofing specialist through a home, testing it for problems, and indicating some solutions. Elsewhere in this database you will find more through discussions on soundproofing various parts of your house.The photo shows the use of Z-bars or resilient bars on...
What does it mean when you see a red outlet with a black triangle on the face? That means that the ground wire on the outlet does not connect with the ground wire on the metal box. Rather it has its own grounding system, designed to keep motor generated parasites from affecting delicate electro...
Mrya from Mt. Pearl Newfoundland writes:Which way is the right way for our electrical outlet? This is the reason for asking. I now have an apartment in my sons house which was finished in the last twelve months. The house itself is not a new one. Anyway, I bought one of those plug in light...
Revised November 2, 2004Should electrical outlets be installed with the ground pin up or down?There is a lot of debate and few regulations on this question.The first time I got asked this question, it came from Newfoundland. You can see my answer to that question by searching for ""Outlets"" in...
Mike in Brampton Ontario offers the suggestion that when electrical boxes are too far inside the wall for the electrical outlet or switch to sit firmly on the box, you could add washers to the mounting screws. This will shim the outlet forward and make it possible to screw it down firmly whe...
You should not put any insulation or sealing materials inside the electrical boxes as the air space is needed to keep the wires from overheating.In new construction we set the electrical box inside a "poly-pan" which then seals down to the vapour barrier, giving an air-tight electrical box. ...
