Ground Rods

I've been getting some questions about the importance of ground rods. Here you will see a ground rod and the process of driving the rod eight feet into the ground. It can also be hit with a sledge hammer, but the Hilti T675 is a super sweet power tool. It plugs in and hammers the rod down into the ground. This ground rod was run in Alameda so it went down smoothly, probably hitting sand. Ground rods ground the entire electrical system. A ground wire is attached to the ground rod with an "acorn" and then also bonded to the main water pipe, and then to the main electrical panel. This ensures that in the case of lightning or an electrical short, the over current will take the fastest route to ground. The ground rod and wire are both made of copper, which is the second most conductive metal, following pure gold. This process protects the people in the house from being electrocuted, so it is very important. Please check your house and make sure that there is some sort of grounding system in place.

Surge Protectors

I was sent a question about surge protectors and whether they protect computer components, especially lap top batteries. The most important part of an electrical outlet in terms of computers is the ground. Even a surge protector uses the grounded wire of an outlet to divert spikes or surges in electrical current. Plugging a surge protector into an ungrounded outlet will not fully protect your computer system.

Certified!

I am officially certified as a California Residential electrician. Crammed all night monday night, took the test wednesday morning, and it is done. I passed. Woohoo!

Banana Plugs

I just got a call about soldering banana plugs to speaker wire. I had never even heard of banana plugs, so of course I looked them up on you tube. This video shows how to solder banana plugs to speaker wire.

Painting and Remodel Team Available!

My good friend Naomi and her partner are now available for remodels and general painting gigs.
Naomi has ten years of project management experience and she can help homeowners navigate the design, permitting and construction phases of any project. She can also make 3-d models of additions or new construction. If you are interested please email her at naomikamiya@comcast.net.

Screen Printing

I've been really into screen printing, working on a design for 'wirerunner' and also making shirts for our music collective, 'TripKnight'. Here is the best video that I found on screen printing.

Rain Tight Electrical Wiring

This shed had open inner walls and the roof was not completely enclosed. I used UF cable and all rain tight electrical devices with outdoor covers. The junction box is a replacement of the original indoor box with indoor devices. Luckily the previous electrician had already used UF cable for all of the wiring that existed.