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Message |
    
Smarty Jones
Citizen
Username: Birdstone
Post Number: 642
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 16, 2006 - 7:56 am: | 
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I have a new motion sensing Flood Light that I want to replace my old one with....can this be done easily if I kill the Fuse Box power, and take off the old one, re-wire and replace the new one? I've done this with inside light fixtures, but wasn't sure what I'd encounter outside?
I'd hate to call an electrician in for something so small, but then again, I'd hate to electrocute myself :-) |
Sherri De Rose
Citizen
Username: Honeydo
Post Number: 202
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 16, 2006 - 8:11 am: |
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Yes..Go for it... |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 11521
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 16, 2006 - 8:23 am: |
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It shouldn't be any harder than an interior fixture. The kits come with a gasket to seal out the weather.
With that said, make sure the fixture you buy matches the shape of your box. Most are roundish. Also, be prepared to ground the fixture to the box if the wiring doesn't have a copper ground (BX cable). |
Smarty Jones
Citizen
Username: Birdstone
Post Number: 645
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 16, 2006 - 8:32 am: |
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Bob, can you provide a little more explanation on the determining the shape of the Box? My current flood light has a round base, does that suggest a round box? Also, since these floodlights haven't been touched in 50 years, I'm guessing grounding might not exist (since NONE of my internal outlets were grounded when we opened them up) Can you provide a little more info on how I should ground this if I find it's not?) |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 11522
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 16, 2006 - 9:29 am: |
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Smarty, a round fixture should indicate a round box.
Grounding is pretty complicated. Attaching the ground to the cable or the box probably doesn't meet the NEC. |
Richard Kessler
Citizen
Username: Richiekess
Post Number: 124
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 16, 2006 - 7:30 pm: |
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it's pretty easy...have done the same job... |
Walker
Citizen
Username: Walker
Post Number: 16
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 16, 2006 - 8:33 pm: |
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Smarty as long as the switch for that fixture is off you can not get hurt. To feel more secure just shut off the breaker. |
doulamomma
Citizen
Username: Doulamomma
Post Number: 1417
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 16, 2006 - 8:56 pm: |
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My husband (not really that handy) has replaced a few exterior fixtures (and interior ones) with no problems.
The doorbell, otoh, was a bit of trouble - most are "ding-dong" or some-such - ours just "dings" - he couldn't get the second sound...it's the zen doorbell...perhaps we should have just gone with a free-standing gong instead! |
Travis
Citizen
Username: Travis
Post Number: 425
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 16, 2006 - 9:07 pm: |
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Quote:since these floodlights haven't been touched in 50 years, I'm guessing grounding might not exist...
Just FYI although BX cable doesn't carry a grounding cable, the armor itself can provide a grounding path back to the panel. It's not as good as the modern separate grounding cable (more resistance), but I've seen it work (ground fault when a loose wire touched a box). |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 11534
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 - 7:47 am: |
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Yeah Travis, but it doesn't meet code, If one should do this it is a good idea to check for ground on the box before relying on the ground. |
Spqr
Citizen
Username: Spqr
Post Number: 85
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 - 9:18 am: |
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Walker said "Smarty as long as the switch for that fixture is off you can not get hurt. To feel more secure just shut off the breaker."
Actually, I would be very careful with this...depending on how the wiring was done, there could be hot wires traveling through the same box that the light is on. With wiring that hasn't been updated in 50 years, its a safe bet that this is possible. So even with the light switch off there could still be live wires in that junction box. I have seen this numerous times in several old houses in Maplewood. So I would always turn the breaker off. |
Travis
Citizen
Username: Travis
Post Number: 426
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 - 11:07 am: |
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Bobk, ?
Modern AC cable is essentially the same as BX, and relies on the armor for grounding. I agree you're better off going with MC (alum armor with the ground) but this is the first I've heard that AC is not up to code. |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 11545
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 - 2:34 pm: |
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Travis, I reread the code and it is acceptable, although not recommended. I feel a lot better, since I have done this many times. I don't know where I got the information on this, although I have had trouble getting a good ground on Bx probably because of corrosion and just plain dirt. |
JonSel
Citizen
Username: Jonsel
Post Number: 64
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, May 18, 2006 - 9:29 pm: |
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Smarty, buy yourself one of those non-contact live wire testers. They look kinda like a large yellow pen, and when you activate it near a wire that is live, it'll emit a bunch of beeps. If there's nothing live, it'll stay silent. I've used mine a lot, and I'm still alive, so I offer that as some assurance. |
wolfy
Citizen
Username: Locowolfy
Post Number: 59
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Friday, May 19, 2006 - 11:23 am: |
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NEVER TRUST A SWITCH!!! I had some jackass rewire my house before I bought it and some switches were used to KILL the white wire, not a switch leg! DO the BREAKER!!!
wolfy |
Spqr
Citizen
Username: Spqr
Post Number: 86
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Friday, May 19, 2006 - 2:05 pm: |
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EXACTLY Wolfy! It only takes two minutes to walk downstairs and flip the breaker. If you're not sure of which breaker, turn the main off. For those of you who have never been zapped by household current, I have twice: once because of my jack-••• brother when I was 4 and once because I was working on a piece of equipment and didn't turn the breaker off. The results range from anywhere between extremely painful and fatal. Fortunately for me, extremely painful was the result. I won't gamble a third time. |
Smarty Jones
Citizen
Username: Birdstone
Post Number: 667
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Monday, May 22, 2006 - 9:54 am: |
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CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE CONTINUES.
Ok, I bought the new Flood lights, both attach into a Circular "Box" that the directions on the equipment assume is already there on the house.
I pulled off the old floodlight fixtures, and low and behold, there's no box whatsoever....just wired and drilled into the side of the house.
1. Should I quit now? Or continue my DIY adventure?
2. Time to hire an electrician?
It seems that all the new floodlight fixtures available are of standard size? Is installing a seeminglgy standard operation? Are there various sizes I should be aware of? |
peteglider
Citizen
Username: Peteglider
Post Number: 1961
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Monday, May 22, 2006 - 10:04 am: |
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Smarty -- I've actually seen that a couple of times over the years on outside lights. I have no clue if at one time that was considered ok, but it makes me nervous! Here's what I'd do -- get a round, surface mounted weatherproof box. Run the wire through the hole in the back. Be sure to use a generous bead of caulk before you attach the box to the siding and attach the box well. Then you can finish your DIY project! Pete |
Smarty Jones
Citizen
Username: Birdstone
Post Number: 671
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Monday, May 22, 2006 - 10:37 am: |
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Pete, so no large hole Drilling will be necessary? (by drilling, I mean a whole to recess the box into) |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 11597
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, May 22, 2006 - 11:04 am: |
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Smarty, welcome to the wonderful wacky world of old house repair.
The wires are probably BX cables. Is there enough cable showing to fix into the box and be secured with a BX clamp? If this is the case a surface mount box should do fine. If not you are probably better off calling in an electrican. |
Smarty Jones
Citizen
Username: Birdstone
Post Number: 676
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Monday, May 22, 2006 - 12:06 pm: |
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Yes, there's plenty of cable, but I don't know what you mean by BX and BX clamps? |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 11600
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, May 22, 2006 - 12:08 pm: |
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BX is the corrugated metal conduit that surrounds the wires. Given the age of the work, this is probably what you have. BX connectors screw into one of the holes in the box and the BX cable is secured in the box by tightening a screw. They are available at home centers and hardware stores. |
Smarty Jones
Citizen
Username: Birdstone
Post Number: 677
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Monday, May 22, 2006 - 12:11 pm: |
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Ok. I'll let you know how it goes after I attack this this weekend...if I don't post an update by Monday (or ever again), then you will no it went very very very poorly. |
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