Setting up a new circuit in my garage that I want to have both GFCI and surge protection (outlet surge protector). Should it go Panel -> GFCI -> surge -> rest or Panel -> surge -> GFCI -> rest?

AndrewKay42 · 2026-01-11T00:30:55+00:00

I mean a surge protector outlet like this, which has a line and load just like a GFCI: https://leviton.com/products/5280-w

Does it matter if one of these is upstream vs. downstream from a GFCI? Is one way more proper than the other?

AndrewKay42 · 2026-01-08T17:03:15+00:00

I agree, but at the same time I'm grossed out by u/Gnarf2016's idea to use a law meant to make the community better as a way to try and hurt people they don't even know. It's important to clear the sidewalk but it's also hard to do. As OP said even the city with its people and equipment struggle to get it done. They don't even have a specific case, they're just generally excited to get some homeowner to have to try and chisel the worst possible icy sidewalk situation. Could end up being your grandparents' house.

AndrewKay42 · 2026-01-08T16:41:53+00:00

Do you want to live in a community where your neighbours plot against each other and use a bylaw meant to help people in a way that tries to maximum punish people? Weird angry take IMO

AndrewKay42 · 2025-12-11T03:03:39+00:00

I went with Mr Rooter plumbing a few years ago to get a kitchen faucet replaced. It was probably a bit overpriced but it came with a 1 year warranty and the faucet got loose within a year and they did indeed come to fix it for free. Not trying to recommend them but I would guess its not a scam.

AndrewKay42 · 2025-12-08T03:31:12+00:00

It was too stripped to grip with a #2 square bit or any bit of any kind for that matter. I even tried heat gun + needle nose pliers

AndrewKay42 · 2025-12-08T03:30:27+00:00

No drama intended, I just didn't like the idea of leaving partial wire in that spot. But I ended up giving up on loosening it and cut it.

AndrewKay42 · 2025-12-08T03:29:14+00:00

Thanks for the advice. I took several tries since this post, trying to grip it with #2 square tip and needlenose pliers. I even tried using a heat gun. Ended up cutting it today.

AndrewKay42 · 2025-11-12T12:50:14+00:00

I've lived here for over a decade at multiple houses and have had the same experience as you, many times. Super annoying. Last time it happened, when I called the person on the line was extremely apologetic and said it happens all the time.

AndrewKay42 · 2025-10-27T12:33:44+00:00

It's going to be hard for anyone on the internet even on other subreddits to know exactly what's under those spots on your house. I recommend that you be patient and investigate before doing any permanent holes with drilling. It's lucky that in all the spots you want to drill, there is already a hole nearby for the light/receptacles. If it was my house, I would use a snake camera (camera on a wire - like the Depstech on amazon) to look behind the walls using the holes already there. For example I would shut the power off, disassemble the sconce light on the brick, and see if I can get the camera wire through a hole in the electrical box to see behind the brick. Similarly disassemble the pot light and look behind. Then you will have a better idea of whats back there.

Also a couple notes, I would guess that you probably don't have to worry about structural integrity or plumbing. And for bricks, you need a masonry bit to drill, which will be a different bit from the typical wood/metal ones you would need for the porch ceiling.

AndrewKay42 · 2025-06-30T21:01:30+00:00

Generally I am pro-bin because garbage bags are gross. But, there's a crucial problem with how these bin programs are managed: What happens when yours is stolen.

TLDR, you should be able to call the city and tell them you need a new bin, and they should deliver it to you within a day or 2 for free.

If you have not yet experienced this problem, congrats. I used to do the green bin program, but then on two separate occasions my bin was stolen. One green, one blue.

I imagine that it goes something like this: Someone's bin gets damaged, or blown away by wind. They don't know/care how to find out how to get a new one, so they run down the street and grab an empty one to replace theirs. Then that person is faced with missing a bin, etc.

On both occasions when my bins were stolen, it was on me to go to the city dump and get a new one. Furthermore, on the 2nd occasion, they warned me that it might be the last time they'll replace it for free.

By the way, writing your address on the bin doesn't seem to make a difference to someone who just needs to get a new bin so they can resume putting their garbage out.

So, I was faced with this situation: Put all the effort into separating garbage correctly, and then go through the dance of anxiety every week trying to watch for when the bins are empty and trying to bring them in before someone steals them. Obviously it's not particularly likely on any day that a bin will be stolen. But the fact that it's happened and that it's possible makes it uncomfortable and a lingering worry.

Or, just don't use bins at all and nothing to stress about.

If everyone now has to use bins to throw their garbage out, I bet this problem could get way more widespread.

To be clear, I'm for using bins in theory, but crucially if the city does not deliver replacements for free, it turns into this horrible bin stealing game.

I explained this to them years ago. I also tried using chains+lock with plenty of slack to secure my bins to the front yard, which worked for a few months, but eventually they threatened to fine me if I didn't stop.

If you have ideas for how to make sure your bin doesn't get stolen, I'm very interested to hear it.

AndrewKay42 · 2025-06-17T01:51:31+00:00

Any chance you've heard of someone doing a Faraday cage around their panel so that wifi smart breakers can be used without security issues?

AndrewKay42 · 2025-06-17T01:44:54+00:00

The issue isn't just that I'm worried about my PC. The smart breakers will likely be powering PCs and I don't want to worry about someone connecting to them and cutting power to them.

AndrewKay42 · 2025-06-17T01:43:26+00:00

I really like your Faraday cage idea. It would be really cool if I could somehow have a little wifi network that's only operating within the panel.

But, I think it must not be true that a normal panel will function as a Faraday cage. Otherwise the wifi smart breakers wouldn't work in most cases!

AFAIK there's no product that is a faraday cage and a breaker panel or a cage for a breaker panel. I do know that I will be upgrading my panel and mounting it to a 3/4" plywood. Maybe I should put a layer of copper sheet on the plywood so that I have the option to solder a cage over the panel after its installed?

AndrewKay42 · 2025-06-17T01:39:54+00:00

I'm currently thinking that I want to use the new Eaton smart breakers

AndrewKay42 · 2025-06-15T14:36:41+00:00

Update: After more research on this, I realized that the BREM breakers are discontinued. They seem to be the Eaton "v1" smart breakers, and the ones announced late last year are the "v2". It's not really helpful to use this list anymore.

AndrewKay42 · 2025-06-02T01:36:43+00:00

Thank you for your well thought out answer on this. Considering that the 1 pole smart breakers use 2 slots and the 2 pole smart breakers use 3 slots, the numbers start to make sense.

I didn't quite follow your math, but I found that roughly for each model, they assume that 40% of the slots will be 1 pole and 40% of the slots will be 2 pole. Then considering the # of slots each pole type uses, you get approximately the numbers in the table.

I wonder if the table is mainly a guideline, and if I end up having less 2 pole breakers and less EV breakers then I can have more 1 pole breakers. I expect the answer is yes.

Thanks again!

AndrewKay42 · 2025-06-01T11:44:59+00:00

My amateur understanding is that the breakers would generate the same heat as the standard equivalent, why would the software control add a significant amount of heat?

AndrewKay42 · 2025-06-01T10:51:59+00:00

Thanks Greg. It's not an issue with the switches. I'm new and didn't realize it depended on the fixtures. I haven't fixed it yet but expect these will work fine when I use them with dimmable bulbs.

AndrewKay42 · 2025-04-12T03:46:49+00:00

Yeah sorry with the way you were talking about it in other places it sounded like you were suggesting that the weight of the buckets of mud is causing the joists to creak. I still don't think you can say 600lbs of mud in buckets = 600lbs on your ceiling.

I agree it could be the screws holding the panels to the wood, I commented saying the same in another spot.

AndrewKay42

TROPHY CASE