Home Repairs/HoneyDo List/Advice & Tips/etc.

[Mac]

Any electricians here?

I bought a couple of new hallway light fixtures to replace the old nasty looking ones. I open the box and I see this:

"Warning: Risk of Fire. Most dwellings built before 1985 have supply wire rated 60 degrees C. Consult a qualified electrician before installing."

Of course my house was built in '78, so I probably have the 60 degrees C wiring, but the new fixtures say they need 90 degree C. I know that is the temp of heat the wire insulation can withhold before the insulation becomes brittle, etc.

So what are my options? I read online it's just a CYA for the manuf. and that if I use the directed or lower wattaged bulbs I wouldn't have a problem. Any help would be great as I don't know much about wiring

 

[Gatorubet]

Any electricians here?

I bought a couple of new hallway light fixtures to replace the old nasty looking ones. I open the box and I see this:

"Warning: Risk of Fire. Most dwellings built before 1985 have supply wire rated 60 degrees C. Consult a qualified electrician before installing."

Of course my house was built in '78, so I probably have the 60 degrees C wiring, but the new fixtures say they need 90 degree C. I know that is the temp of heat the wire insulation can withhold before the insulation becomes brittle, etc.

So what are my options? I read online it's just a CYA for the manuf. and that if I use the directed or lower wattaged bulbs I wouldn't have a problem. Any help would be great as I don't know much about wiring

If your house ever burns down, the insurance won't pay because you used a fixture that was not designed for your wiring and that they warned you not to use. There are other options open to you, and I'd use them instead of using a product in a manner for which it was not designed. And what are you going to tell prospective buyers in the future? "Look - don't use the lights the fixture recommends or you'll catch the place on fire and die.." - or say nothing and go to prison for negligent homicide when they die in a fire caused by using a higher watt bulb than you did?

Edit: I should have said first to verify what you have. If you can find the original exposed wiring easily - like in the attic - if wire lettering says "NM", I am pretty sure you have 60 degree rated wire. If the wire lettering says "NM-B" you should have 90 degree rated wiring. The house we bought right after Katrina when we moved for a year had to be brought up to code when we sold it, as it had some issues they did not catch when it was purchased just one year before - and I'm pretty sure of the degree labeling, as they had some halogen lights installed that were too hot for the existing wiring and it had to be re-done. Fortunately, only in one room.

 

[Mac]

If your house ever burns down, the insurance won't pay because you used a fixture that was not designed for your wiring and that they warned you not to use. There are other options open to you, and I'd use them instead of using a product in a manner for which it was not designed. And what are you going to tell prospective buyers in the future? "Look - don't use the lights the fixture recommends or you'll catch the place on fire and die.." - or say nothing and go to prison for negligent homicide when they die in a fire caused by using a higher watt bulb than you did?

Edit: I should have said first to verify what you have. If you can find the original exposed wiring easily - like in the attic - if wire lettering says "NM", I am pretty sure you have 60 degree rated wire. If the wire lettering says "NM-B" you should have 90 degree rated wiring. The house we bought right after Katrina when we moved for a year had to be brought up to code when we sold it, as it had some issues they did not catch when it was purchased just one year before - and I'm pretty sure of the degree labeling, as they had some halogen lights installed that were too hot for the existing wiring and it had to be re-done. Fortunately, only in one room.

That's what I thought...sounded pretty reckless. Aren't most fixtures now rated 90 degree Celsius?

How expensive is it to re-wire?

 

[Gatorubet]

That's what I thought...sounded pretty reckless. Aren't most fixtures now rated 90 degree Celsius?

How expensive is it to re-wire?

No idea about re-wiring a house. I had only one strip of tract lighting and the guy said he had an easy time pulling new wire for that one spot. The punch list of stuff that needed to be done was a one price bid thing, so I don't even know the breakdown for what small part he did on the rewiring.

 

[buxfan4life]

How expensive is it to re-wire?

Just do it yourself. 220, 221, whatever it takes.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX3kxAA2L4Q"]‪220/221 Votls Whatever it takes?‬‏ - YouTube[/ame]


My younger sister had an old house in the Toledo West End, and the estimate to rewire that place was around $8-10K, if I remember correctly. That job was a conversion from knob & tubing to romex, though.

 

[Mike80]

So....anyone want to help me re-drywall the back of my kitchen since the previous owners fucked it up so badly?

 

[Mac]

So....anyone want to help me re-drywall the back of my kitchen since the previous owners fucked it up so badly?

Did you move? Ahh Drywalling isn't hard!

 

[Best Buckeye]

That's what I thought...sounded pretty reckless. Aren't most fixtures now rated 90 degree Celsius?

How expensive is it to re-wire?

It will be expensive if you use an electrician. If you do it your self make sure you find out all you can before you do it. The guys at places like home depot wil tell you a lot. usually you just use romex wire but you need to check the local codes before you buy it. You also need to know how to pull it into tight areas.
Make sure that the circuit breaker, the wire, and the fixture are all rated for the same amps, this is very important.
Above all be sure you know what you are doing before you rewire.

 

[Best Buckeye]

So....anyone want to help me re-drywall the back of my kitchen since the previous owners [censored]ed it up so badly?

Drywalling is so easy your wife can do it.

 

[Mike80]

Did you move? Ahh Drywalling isn't hard!

Not yet, it's something I was hoping would stay together until we sold the current house, but I just can't put it up without fixing their fuckups.

Drywalling is so easy your wife can do it.

Well I wasn't all the way forthcoming - they plastered (badly I might add) OVER the existing drywall. It's a complete disaster. It's not really the drywall that I'm having an issue with, it's the removing the existing plaster crap that is the killer.

Free beer too. Anyone?!?

 

[Mac]

Yeah that plaster sounds like a sticky situation. Having any problems with damaging drywall behind it? Where are you moving to mike?

 

[Crump's brother]

Not yet, it's something I was hoping would stay together until we sold the current house, but I just can't put it up without fixing their fuckups.



Well I wasn't all the way forthcoming - they plastered (badly I might add) OVER the existing drywall. It's a complete disaster. It's not really the drywall that I'm having an issue with, it's the removing the existing plaster crap that is the killer.

Free beer too. Anyone?!?

I'd be over there, but it takes too long to drive to Wherever. And I don't drink beer.

Seriously though, I was at the hardware store the other day and couldn't take my eyes off of this. I'm buying one for my Sawzall to remove some old flooring.

http://www.toolbarn.com/milwaukee-49-00-5456.html

It may be extreme overkill for drywall, but that's just how I live my life.

 

[MaxBuck]

So....anyone want to help me re-drywall the back of my kitchen since the previous owners [censored]ed it up so badly?

Yeah, you'll want my help on that one.

 

[Deety]

Well I wasn't all the way forthcoming - they plastered (badly I might add) OVER the existing drywall. It's a complete disaster. It's not really the drywall that I'm having an issue with, it's the removing the existing plaster crap that is the killer.

I don't get what the problem is. Are you out of explosives? :p

 

[Mike80]

Yeah that plaster sounds like a sticky situation. Having any problems with damaging drywall behind it? Where are you moving to mike?

Unfortunately, it's all coming off in one piece because they used the cheapest, lowest-quality nails for the drywall and most of them are so rusted they are already gone. I only know there were nails because of the rust marks on the drywall.

We're probably moving to the eastside of Columbus somewhere. The drive has gotten to be too much and both Jackie and I work on the eastside now.