TIP for activating photocell for testing lamps controlled by photocell.

With power to the fixture turned on, place black electrical tape over the cell to simulate darkness or use a dark hat to cover the cell completely.

If you have more than one stranded wire to be connected, strip the insulation of all wires and wrap the wire strands together. If connecting these with one solid wire, place all the wires parallel making sure that the end of the stranded wires do not fall below the end of the solid wire, i.e., the ends of all the wires should be even. Install wire connector. If connecting the stranded wires with more than one solid wire, first twist the solid wires together, then cut the tip of the solid wires diagonally, then place all the wires parallel. The ends of all the wires should be even. Install wire connector. Some electricians find it better not to twist the solid wires when using “wire nut” or “wing nut” type connectors; my experience has proven different. After installing the connector, with one hand hold the wires, with the other hand try to pull the connector straight off. It should not come off with mild pulling force. Try pulling the stranded wires separately. They too should not come off
with mild pulling force.

If your connection box is full and it is difficult to insert the device (switch or receptacle), find out what kind of wire connectors, if any, are used. There is a type called “wing nuts.” If you have this kind, do the following.

After installing the wire connectors on the wires, cut the wings off the wing nut with diagonal cutters or linesmen pliers. Do this as close to the body of the connector as possible. You may be surprised how much easier it is to position the wires inside the box after the wings are cut off. If you have to remove the wing nut later, you can easily do this by grabbing on to the wing nut using linesmen pliers, then twist off.

TIP: When Switches or Receptacles are recessed too much because of faulty installation of box or plaster ring.

Sometimes in the installation of a device box, a craftsperson may install it too deep in the wall not allowing for the thickness of the drywall or plywood covering. If a metal box is used, they may use a plaster ring too shallow; again not allowing for the thickness of the drywall or plywood covering. As a result of this kind of installation, the device, such as a switch or duplex receptacle may not seat properly when fastened down. In addition, sometimes the tabs on these devices do not seat against the drywall when fastened down because the opening for the device box of the drywall was cut too much.

Correct cutout compared with oversize cutout.

If you find an outlet box that has not been installed properly or the device opening on the wall covering too large, there are at least four things you can do to have the device seat snuggly.

1. You can use an appropriate size metal or plastic spacer over the hold down screw. If you do not have these handy, read on for other methods.

2. This next method is more complex and does not always work given the materials and time to work with. If you have the right type of flat head screw for the device hold-down, this next method might work sufficiently. Unless it has been changed by a maintenance person, the standard size screws are number 6-32. Put the screw in the device hold-down hole or if the screw is already in the device hole, take the paper card that holds the screw off. Take a 6-32 nut and screw it on the number 6 screw that holds down the device. Screw the nut all the way, it should not put pressure on the device itself. If it does you will not be able to screw the screw to the box. For the ideal, there should be some light play or slop so the screw has movement. If this cannot be achieved, move on to the next method. Take another 6-32 nut and screw in on the screw. Adjust the nut on the screw to the proper distance needed so that the device does not sink into the wall when screwing the screw. You may need to do this process with both screws that fasten the device to the box. If the nut turns while screwing in the screw the purpose of the nut will be defeated. You can carefully crimp or cut a groove on the screw diagonally across the threads. This will prevent the nut from moving any further than desired while screwing in the screw. The threads of the screw have to be cut exactly where you want the nut to stop.

3. This next method is less complicated and will work well if you have the parts. With the device 6-32 hold-down screws, use a combination of oversize nuts like 8-32 as wide spacers and small flat washers. You can also use a 6-32 nut to hold them in place. The washers work well to make fine adjustments to length.

4. With this next method you make your own spacer. Take  #12 insulated soft drawn solid copper wire and wrap a length of it around the screw. Soft drawn copper wire is easier to bend and work with. Keep the insulation on the wire. It may be easier to first form the wire, then slip it over the screw without taking the screw off the device. Form the wire longer than needed, install on screw, then cut to proper length with diagonal pliers or cutters.

With all these methods, make sure your device is grounded properly. Some of these methods may compromise a good ground. In this case use a bare or green insulated copper wire attached to the device’s ground screw and proper ground. It just takes some practice to see which method works best for a given situation. Give it a try.

TIP: Make drilling into mild steel metal boxes, cans, and fixtures easier and faster.

I find that using any kind of petroleum based oil applied to the tip of the drill bit or hole saw speeds up the cutting of the hole. For larger size holes reapply the oil when the cutting slows down. Always use a sharp drill bit.

TIP: How to drill your lag screws more smoothly.

Ivory soap can be used for more than cleaning. Soaps can be used as lubrication for screwing sheet metal or lag screws into wood. Take the screw and draw the threads of the screw across the soap to apply the soap. Be liberal with the soap. With lag screw, first drill a pilot hole smaller in diameter than the lag screw. Make sure to apply the soap at the beginning of the threads of the screw.

TIP: How to keep the strands of numbers 10, 12 & 14 stranded wire together.

When normally installing wire on the binding screw of a device (switch, etc.), you simply strip the insulation off, make your hook, then install around the binding screw, then apply firm clockwise rotating pressure of the screw on the wire. No problem when installing solid wire, but with stranded wire you will usually end up with the wire fraying away from the binding screw. This is not the best connection. Here is one way to keep the strands together.

First, strip completely off the wire about 7/8 of an inch to 1 inch of insulation. Next strip about 3/16 of an inch to 1/4 of an inch of insulation, but do not take this piece of insulation off. Slide the piece of insulation all the way to the end of the wire; keep about 1/16 of an inch of wire visible at the end of the wire.

Now make your hook and install wire on the device binding screw.

TIP: How to get a drill bit through carpet without making a carpet run.

Do not drill though carpet. Cut a cross + in the carpet with a utility knife. The middle of the cross is where you will drill. Keep the cuts small. When drilling, this will prevent the bit from grabbing on to a carpet thread and creating a carpet run.