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Home Electricity Questions

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Total questions: 5066

How do you compute voltage drop and cable size over distance?
Popularity: 260

What might cause GFCI outlet problems?
Popularity: 231

How do you calculate the total amps used in the house when there are 120V and 240V appliances?
Popularity: 210

What would happen if there was no electricity?
Popularity: 198

What is the definition of amperes and watts?
Popularity: 185

Should a 35-year-old house with 100A service be upgraded?
Popularity: 179

What cycles do electric appliances run on in the US and UK?
Popularity: 178

Why was 120V chosen as the standard voltage of homes in the US and not some other voltage?
Popularity: 176

Why does the US run at 120V when some of the world runs at 240V?
Popularity: 176

How can the power factor be calculated without using a power factor meter?
Popularity: 175

If a security light over your garage fails to turn off during the daytime does this mean the photo cell built in the unit needs to be replaced?
Popularity: 175

Should old wiring be replaced?
Popularity: 174

What can you do if have no 240V outlets and a 240V air conditioner to plug in?
Popularity: 174

Why would the electrical voltage in your house fluctuate?
Popularity: 173

What causes lights to dim when the furnace and refrigerator motors come on?
Popularity: 171

What could cause a smell in the electrical panel?
Popularity: 169

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the electrical wiring in an old home?
Popularity: 166

Why might a circuit breaker not stay on?
Popularity: 166

Will electricity travel through the fastest through plastic paper or yarn?
Popularity: 161

Is it cheaper to leave a light burning for several hours than to turn it off and on several times?
Popularity: 159

If a 100A breaker panel has five 15A breakers and four 20A breakers could this overload the panel?
Popularity: 158

How much electricity does an average 2-story 3-bedroom house use per day per month or per year?
Popularity: 158

Can a regular electric cord be connected to an electric box so it works with a wall switch?
Popularity: 158

Why would lights and TV come on without anyone flipping the switch?
Popularity: 157

Why does one bulb in a fixture blow out?
Popularity: 155

Is it possible to overload a panel with too many duplex breakers?
Popularity: 152

Does using a dimmer switch affect the cost of electricity?
Popularity: 151

What is the definition of 'traveler' in relation to residential wiring?
Popularity: 151

How do you connect a number 12 aluminum wire to a number 14 copper wire?
Popularity: 150

Why would there be no power to a switch?
Popularity: 149

Why would the electricity shut off when you plug in another appliance?
Popularity: 149

Why would light bulbs go out after one month of use?
Popularity: 148

What does single pole mean on a light switch?
Popularity: 148

Can a child get a shock from putting a key or screwdriver into a wall outlet?
Popularity: 147

Why would a wall switch be warm to the touch?
Popularity: 146

Should a house with 60A service with gas water heater dryer and furnace be upgraded to 100A or 150A if you want to add an electric range and AC and have a lot of electronics?
Popularity: 146

If you plan to finish the basement of a 50 year old house do you need to upgrade the electricity from 100A service so that you can add 6 new outlets and dedicated circuits for appliances?
Popularity: 146

If you were to use two different gauge sizes of cable per phase of a three phase electricity installation would the smaller gauge cable get hotter?
Popularity: 145

Are exit signs required to have battery backups?
Popularity: 144

Can a 12V 5-6A device be run with an AC-DC converter rated at 12V 12A?
Popularity: 144

Is there a fire hazard in leaving the electric fans on during the day when nobody is home and are ceiling fans or free standing fans more dangerous?
Popularity: 142

Will there be a significant voltage drop if a 60 FT 8-4 extension cord is used to connect appliances to a 7500W generator?
Popularity: 138

What should you do to fix a light which goes out and comes back on by itself all day?
Popularity: 135

What would cause the current to get above 30A and what items would make the current go so high?
Popularity: 134

Why would the main safety go down every evening at exactly the same time?
Popularity: 133

How do you identify existing wiring in an older building?
Popularity: 118

Are there people or organizations who offer to help the elderly fix electrical problems?
Popularity: 117

As a buyer what questions should you ask regarding the electrical wiring of a house over 40 yrs old?
Popularity: 116

Is a breaker broken or blown if it will not stay in the off position?
Popularity: 114

How can you install a pull chain or other on-off switch on a hardwired fixture to replace a wall light fixture that has not wall switch?
Popularity: 108

What might cause a loss of all electricity in your garage but not your house without a storm hitting or sudden increase of electricity usage?
Popularity: 106

What are advantages and disadvantages of static electricity?
Popularity: 105

What are advantages and disadvantages of electricity?
Popularity: 104

What supplies do you need to run 240V for a hot tub?
Popularity: 103

How do you wire a light switch to an existing light that does not have a switch?
Popularity: 102

Can an electric clothes dryer be plugged into a range outlet?
Popularity: 100

What is the formula to figure out how many plugs and lights you can put on a circuit?
Popularity: 100

How can you wire a 3-way switch using only 14-2 wire?
Popularity: 99

Can you replace the 30A cord from a dryer with the 50A cord usually used for a range so it can be plugged into a range receptacle?
Popularity: 98

How can a 240V single-phase split ac work in the US which has a 120V 2-phase system?
Popularity: 93

How can you change a 2-prong outlet to a 3-prong outlet?
Popularity: 93

Can you be a human battery cell while in the swimming pool?
Popularity: 93

How do you connect a generator to your home?
Popularity: 91

Does electricity flow on the surface of a wire or through the inside?
Popularity: 90

Why would your lights flicker when your AC unit comes on and how can it be fixed?
Popularity: 90

What type of electrical heating is most cost effective for the home?
Popularity: 82

How do you wire two 3-way switches before the light with only 14-2 if you are unable to pull another hot wire?
Popularity: 82

How does a watt-hour meter work?
Popularity: 79

What is the correct height to install a new light switch?
Popularity: 75

Why would the electricity shut off when you plug a light bulb in a certain outlet?
Popularity: 74



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