I just put a didicated line in myself for my stereo. The stereo works fine but if I plug an air conditioner into it the fan in the ac unit wont come on but the lights and refridgeration unit do. The fan works in the ac unit when pluged into a different line.
Did I wire it wrong? Is the ac unit getting some power but not enough to run the fan?
Good advise from Albert... It sounds like you may the ground(green)/neutral(white) reversed or perhaps the feed(black)/neutral(white)reversed. The former condition would not be good. The outlets are "polarized" and the A/C unit could care very much about the polarity. I'd go to home depot and buy a curcuit checker (about $10). You plug it in and it confirms yo have the green/white/b;ack all hooked up correctly/
Just as a reference. The Black wire goes to the gold screw, White wire to the silver screw, and Green to the green screw. You would be quite surprised how many do not know this. I have had to correct many unsafe (incorrectly wired) receptacles. If you think thats bad you should see people try to figure out three and fourway switches.
Viridian, I'd call a electrician. It's not that expensive. $400-$1000 +/- bucks depending on your room, distance etc. Call a electrician...I'm sure you can get a free estimate. I did...
At least in this jurisdiction, this work has to be done by a master electrician. Leaving aside the legalities, as pointed out by Mr. Albertporter, the main concern is one of safety, to which I can add potential insurance woes. A lot of do-it-yourselfers everywhere fiddle with electrical equipment in their home. From experience (I will spare you the details), the electrician (or other tradesperson for that matter) would rather do the job right in the first place than go in after you to set things right. You would be surprised how much they add to their bill for p&s when having to undo the prior amateur work in order to proceed with the more (one would hope) professional work. The same can be said with fiddling with your audio equipment: only the competent should disregard the "do not open no serviceable parts inside" stickers. Better call someone like Sean and get things done properly. Regards.
Pbb, i'm not an electrician and i don't play one on tv either : ) Thanks for the kind words though.
Quite honestly, i had an electrician that i know come over and install what i needed. Not only was he a friend and customer of mine, we shared common ideologies i.e. "overkill". He has since relocated ( due to a divorce ) and i don't know how to contact him. As Pbb stated, NOBODY likes following behind someone else and having to clean up their mess. It eats up time and can be very frustrating to say the least.
Perfectimage, i would do the basics i.e. check for proper plug polarity, voltage, etc... I don't mean to condemn you, but if you don't have the proper tools and know-how to do that, you shouldn't be messing with AC in the first place. As was mentioned, this can get VERY expensive and even deadly if you don't do things right. Sean >
Sean, what the hell do you do for a living? I thought you were a technician in the electronics/audio field. On that basis, my comment was that over and above not messing with the house wiring, untrained people should not mess with the innards of elctronic components. Well, whatever you do, you appear very knowledgeable to me. While I don't agree with every last word you post, I have to concede that you give rather sane, accurate and useful advice. Sorely needed in these parts. Regards.
PI: Have you been able to do a polarility and voltage check. Your AC not working properly may be do to a low voltage condition. What is the recepticle voltage with nothing connected to it versus when the AC unit is connected? The 20 amp line that runs to my 8000 btu window AC drops about 1.5 volts in high speed (and about 3 volts with a 1500 watt space heater running). If you are getting higher voltage drops it may mean that the voltage is dropping because of some sort of dangerous problem with the installation.
Problem areas:
Clamping a connection on insulation instead of bare wire.
Wire insulation compromised so wires are touching.
Wrong breaker used for your panel box. Each box will accept only certain breakers.
Manufacturing problem with the installed breaker.
Manufacturing problem with the installed recepticle (AC plug may be warm/hot to touch).
Numerous others but the above seem most likely.
Veridan: Were you planning on using an existing orifice or creating a new one? Either way is equally lethal!
I do work as a tech and design consultant on electronics for a living, primarily in the radio communications field.
Having said that, there is a BIG difference between a technician and an electrician. I'm certain that i could do electrical work with a little studying. Only problem is that i would have to learn local codes and the tricks of the trade. That is why i had someone else do my work over here. They had the tools and know how, so i took advantage of their experience. The fact that i helped the electrician install his antenna tower and set up his personal "radio room" was a "one hand washing the other" type of deal. It worked out for both of us. We shared our skills and knowledge and kept our money ( other than raw parts ) in our pockets. Sean >
A Journey level Electrician may bid a job and be responsable provided the job does not exceed a certain dollar amount. The amount changes by the State, here (Utah) it is $2000. You do not have to have a Master Electrician all you need is a competent Journey level to perform your work. A dedicated line should not exceed the local limits. Check with your local Hometheater installers and ask who they use.
and you need to call one. It is probably something very simple, but the fact is, if you have to ask you should have someone qualified repair your problem.
Viridian, when you ask "How can I put a dedicated line into myself for home theater?" I hope you don't really mean what I think you do! (Although your wife may quite enjoy the entertainment)... just kidding.
I appreciate all your help. Im not an electrician but I have some experience with high voltage. I have wired many things before and I have one of those plugs that tells you if it is wired right and the plug indicates that it is.
I shut off the breaker and I am going to have to get some help.
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