ECN Forum Forums Photo Discussion Forums Photos for General Discussion Outlet install video screenshot

my eyes are just that good

If we have three hots and three neutrals to this receptacle (with the insulation stripped too far back...?) where are the three grounds? Wrapped together in the back of the box and only one brought out to the receptacle?

Mike (mamills)

I imagine they are all twisted up with one stinger sticking out.

Oh wow... In that case, who is the idiot that made this video??

~Matt

It's the Internet... Anyone can post anything, and the majority of people aren't wise enough to tell the difference between legitimate and junk.

http://www.howcast.com/videos/155395-How-To-Replace-an-Electrical-Outlet
there is the link fr the video, but i just re watched the video, and its just horrible!

A digital camera? Try it. You will find it absolutely useless through lack of detail, lack of terminal identity and lack of orientation. Is it,was it, upside-down? Especially useless if most of the wires are white, as at the end of the clip, when an entire new bunch of wires appear out of nowhere! A tester, however, why, that's just optional! A pencil and the back of an old envelope is sufficient, but, what if the outlet was wired incorrectly to start with?

And let's hope Mrs Doyourselfin doesn't switch the power back on to before he's done.

"Strip off the excess insulation with wire cutters". No, and don't use them to form the wire ends either.
I didn't see any groundwire insulation, BTW, did you?

Electricity travels at the speed of light.
http://www.jimloy.com/physics/electric.htm

True, but about as pertinent as stating the exact length of the River Ganges.

As I don't have a camera phone it looks like I'm not eligible to do the work.
I wonder how many outlets in the U.S are wired with wrong polarity by non technical DIY types. The prevalence of non polarised plugs would also add to the assumption that the black and white wires could go either way round.
Just going on my small collection of U.S electrical fittings, it seems one is required to understand the meaning of the different terminal colours which are not the same as the wiring colours.

Years ago, I worked in cost analysis for a major manufacturer. At one point, the question came up: did we really need the plating colors on the terminal screws, inasmuch as the base of the device had molded-in directions (HOT-->, etc.). We never got a clear answer on that. I had the strong impression that nobody wanted to be the first to go there.

haha, the Comcast guy that came out yesterday actually did EXACTLY that!