Phild, Tubegroover is on the right path. Bottom line is, if your panel does not have breakers you should call an eletrician. |
Phild Most old wiring from the 20-40's is probably insulated with asbestos and is 16 gauge or 14 if you're real lucky. You are right, typically they were hot and neutral with no ground. You wouldn't happen to have those old glass 15 amp breakers at the service panel? An old trick to keep them from doing their job was to place a penny at the point of contact so the fuse wouldn't blow. I would double check, have seen this often in old homes and is a fire waiting to happen especially if the circuit is overloaded. That wire will get HOT!! I would consider upgrading your electrical service if you own the house. At least for the audio. With the current demands of a high end audio system, running too many components on one circuit is not a good idea. And those old houses didn't have too many circuits, didn't need to back in those days. You also might look at the wire connected to the outlets. They may be worn down and may need to be cut back if the wire is thin at the outlet contact. |
What recommendations do you have for a building built in 1916 with old wiring (20's?40's?50's?) and no ground in any outlets. Is it worth using when of these outlets in place of the standard home outlet? Thanks. |
You guys are right about the wiring. I apologize, it was late last night and I was in a hurry. The most important thing is that the wires go on the new receptacle the same way they came off the old. The hot (black) could be red, blue or some other color. Just match the colors. Thanks, Doug |
I used an industrial version of the Levinton, which worked better than the hubbel in my case ($20). They are rated to start motors with heavy inductive loads. Don't forget to shine up the wires connecting the socket (with the power off). |
Take_five_audio is correct on the wiring. In the US it is the same as Canada and is black=hot, white=neutral, green=ground. |
Doug, I am not sure about the US but here in Canada Black is HOT and White is NEUTRAL. Gene |
I can do them at 20.00 each delivered. |
I bought my Hubbell outlets from The Audipphile Store, which is operated by the group who publish UHF Magazine in Canada. Their prices aren't bad, particularly when you discount for the price in Canadian currency. Go the following Web site for more info:http://www.uhfmag.com/AudiophileStore.html |
Most any electrical supply store will carry them or can order for you. You may not be able to get them at a Home Depot/Menards/Lowes. Look in the Yellow Pages under Electrical Supply. I got mine for about $10 and yes they are the hospital grade. The Hubbell model number is 8300 and it comes in most colors to match your existing outlets. Wiring is easy. Here it is, step-by-step: 1. Turn off the circuit at the breaker box. 2. Remove the screw between the two receptacles and take the cover plate off. 3. Unscrew the screws at the to and bottom of the receptacle. They will not come off the receptacle, so when the receptacle is loose in the box and the screws are loose from the box go to step 4. 4. Pull the receptacle out of the box. BE CAREFUL. If you yank or pull too hard you run the risk of stripping wires and may cause a short when you turn the breaker back on. If this happens you will probably hve to pull new wire to the box. 5. There should be three wires attached to the receptacle. They are; White (or other color), black and color. White is always hot and black is always ground. The white and black are attached near the vertical center of the receptacle. The earth ground (other colored wire) is usually attached at a corner of the receptacle. 6. Loosen the three screws that attach the wires to the receptacle and free the wires from the receptacle. Again BE CAREFUL. If you are overzealous you may break the wires. Then you have to strip insulation. If you do this there is a strip gauge on the receptacle that shows how much insulation to strip. 7. Reattach the three wires to the new receptacle. On the receptacle it tells where each color wire goes. 8. Gently push the receptacle back into the box. Tighten the top and bottom screws and replace the cover plate. 9. Turn the power back on at the circuit breaker box, plug your Hi-Fi back in and enjoy. A couple of notes: After you have tightened the wire screws on the new receptacle it is a very, very good idea to wrap electrical tape around the receptacle over the wire screws. Most all electricians do this, so yours probably is wrapped now and you will see what I mean. Take your time, it's not hard and by all means if you are unsure STOP and get help. Good Luck. Thanks Doug |
I would avoid the "hospital grade" outlets because they have contacts that are plated with nickel for corrosion resistance. Check out the industrial "spec grade" outlets from Pass and Seymour instead... Solid brass triple-wipe contacts that GRIP!!! The Pass and Seymour 20A #5362A really made a difference in my system. You can get them for about 12.50 ea. from bestroute.com. |
Nex- I responded to the other thread of the same title. Anyway, try the FIM A/C duplex instead. Nice sonic improvement over the Hubbell Hospital or Heavy-duty (preferred over the Hospital grade because nickel isn't used as a contact material) duplex when I compared them in my system. They retail for about $50-55 per duplex. Contact Bobby at Sound Trends at 800-726-7293, or for an East Coast dealer eAudioNet. I think Sound Trends offers free shipping in USA over a certain purchase level. Goodluck. |
Try The Parts Connection (a Sonic Frontiers division): 800 769-0747. I think their price will be below $29. |
There is another thread on this "Hospital Grade Wall Outlets" last post 1-10 and good information on where to buy cheap. 29.00 is rather high. I believe one place was selling for 18.95 each. Installation is the same as a regular outlet. Hot, neutral and ground, very simple hook up. Also try a local electrical supplier. I have found hospital grade although not Hubbell, for 14.00 each. I suspect the quality is comparable. |
What is a Hubbell wall socket? Is it hard to install? thanks..... |
Nex_wave I purchased mine from hcm audio. They are always in stereophile or you can go to www.hcmaudio.com. The price is $29 each or 4 for $99. I have had good service from this dealer. If you go to their website, the sockets are under "connectors". They do make a difference. Enjoy! Tim |
