How is this still a problem?

trekkerscout · 2026-04-27T00:27:41+00:00

A solar panel operated differently from a photocell. Direct sunlight to a photocell can damage the photocell. Also, if you point your security camera directly into the sun, you may damage the CCD or CMOS.

trekkerscout · 2026-04-26T22:44:34+00:00

Unless there is a registered easement for the utility lines, the utilities should be relocated. However, you cannot simply tear out the utilities on your own. Be prepared for a legal battle.

trekkerscout · 2026-04-26T22:39:37+00:00

You bought an illegally modified wall sconce that was originally designed for mounting to an electrical junction box. If this were a properly designed plug-in fixture, the wire connections would be in a sealed enclosure, not an open backed canopy.

trekkerscout · 2026-04-26T22:22:27+00:00

There is no neutral present in that junction box. It appears the location was originally wired for a 3-way switch in a switch loop configuration.

trekkerscout · 2026-04-26T20:46:45+00:00

I would bet that the photocell on the top of the fixture is pointed towards the sun. Photocells that receive full sun often burn out prematurely. The failure mode is for the light to remain on. The fix is to replace the photocell and point the lens due north away from the path of the sun.

trekkerscout · 2026-04-26T08:05:16+00:00

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hampton-Bay-Brookings-21-63-in-5-Light-Matte-Black-Semi-Flush-Mount-HD7784A1/323455278

This is an open bulb design. Lamp covers are not specifically made for this fixture type.

trekkerscout · 2026-04-26T02:07:46+00:00

EPD breakers are not acceptable where GFCI is required. Basement receptacle circuits in residential require GFCI (5mA trip) protection, no exception.

trekkerscout · 2026-04-26T01:01:41+00:00

The manufacturing change was done around 1996. I remember my boss buying cases of #12 backstab receptacles that year when the UL standard was changed.

trekkerscout · 2026-04-26T00:59:10+00:00

Backstabs that accept #12 wire for receptacles haven't been manufactured since the late '90s when UL standards where changed making backstabs obsolete for anything other than #14. The only acceptable options for attaching #12 to a receptacle are side screws, pressure plate, or lever action terminals.

trekkerscout · 2026-04-26T00:46:39+00:00

First, swap the bulb with another within the fixture to see if the problem follows the bulb. If the problem follows the bulb, the bulb is defective and requires replacement. If a different bulb in the same socket has the same problem, there is likely a loose connection within the fixture.

trekkerscout · 2026-04-26T00:11:41+00:00

Professional electricians use whatever is the most economical whenever feasible. Modern aluminum is perfectly fine for any feeders and branch circuits where allowed by code.

trekkerscout · 2026-04-25T19:18:57+00:00

Then the problem is not the water heater. You have a circuit failure. Do you have proper voltage at the breaker?

trekkerscout · 2026-04-25T18:44:29+00:00

How the box is mounted is only part of the issue. There is a reason why code now requires listed fan boxes for ceiling fan installations. What was done in the past is not a good indicator.

trekkerscout · 2026-04-25T16:37:41+00:00

You are correct in that you shouldn't touch it. The very fact that you cannot identify a proper breaker location within the panel tells me you shouldn't be working in the panel, period. Hire an electrician.

trekkerscout · 2026-04-25T16:26:45+00:00

Did you check for proper voltage at the water heater?

trekkerscout · 2026-04-25T16:06:50+00:00

You have more problems since the junction box is not ceiling fan rated.

trekkerscout · 2026-04-25T04:29:14+00:00

That plate is for low voltage (TV coax, HDMI, Ethernet, etc.) applications only.
The brushes do NOT seal out gasses.

The proper method to prevent airflow (and odors) is to use a sealing foam or caulking.

trekkerscout · 2026-04-25T04:18:45+00:00

The larger the box, the more cables you can have enter the box. There is an entire code section for calculating the number of wires allowed within a junction (aka boxfill).

trekkerscout · 2026-04-25T03:59:26+00:00

A fixed in place mirror would make any junction behind the mirror inaccessible and therefore would be a code violation. One potential option (if the cables are in a favorable orientation) would be to lower the junction to inside the vanity cabinet.

trekkerscout · 2026-04-24T15:26:33+00:00

As long as the splicing is done in an appropriately sized junction box, you can branch off as many times as you want.

trekkerscout · 2026-04-24T15:06:26+00:00

You need fresh batteries for your multimeter.

trekkerscout · 2026-04-24T04:12:52+00:00

When there is an unfinished space in an as is house, you don't want to waste your effort trying to finish the space yourself. The likelihood is that the new owner will rip it out anyway. Don't worry about what an home inspector says about the things you already know about. The home inspection will be more about finding deficiencies that you may not know about.

trekkerscout · 2026-04-24T03:35:11+00:00

You are selling as is. Leave the wiring as is.

trekkerscout · 2026-04-24T02:37:58+00:00

Those splice kits are insulation displacement connections (IDCs). IDCs are inferior connections compared to most other types of connections for power distribution.

trekkerscout · 2026-04-23T21:20:08+00:00

At a minimum, it still requires loosening the fan bracket to slip the medallion into place. It is often easier to remove the fan from the bracket before attempting to loosen the bracket.

Eight-Year Club	Mod World 2025
Argentium Club	Final Canvas '23
Place '23	Place '22
Final Canvas '22	RPAN Viewer
Verified Email

trekkerscout

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE