Wirerunner

Cutting the Chord

2012-02-19T15:07:00.000-08:00

Chord Safety! Make sure your tool chord is away from the tool. Check out this electric knife cutting its own chord. The sparkette in me gets excited and horrified at the same time! The crazy thing is folks cut through their own electrical chords while working all the time. Watch yourself.... safety is sexy.

Incredible Use of Lighting!

2012-02-01T09:13:00.000-08:00

Check out the video below of the Lichtefestival Gent in Belgium (Festival of Lights Ghent). Using led's and projections they were able to create an intriguing and magical environment. The photograph above shows a hall lit by 55,000 LED's. Amazing!

Lichtfestival Gent 2012 from Lieven Vanoverbeke on Vimeo.

Happy 2012!

2012-01-03T13:05:00.000-08:00

Cheers to all the inventors, innovators, free-thinkers and creators! It is time for all of us to pool together and help each other, the planet and beyond. It is truly amazing what humans have been able to create and destroy. It is a new era, a new time. This video shows some of the incredible electrical inventions of Nikola Tesla, a futuristic inventor who believed that power and electricity belong to all of us AND it can be harnessed in many ways, something we are still working on improving for the planets survival. I am looking forward to the days to come. Hope you enjoy the video!

Useful Tester

2011-12-26T21:23:00.000-08:00

I recently returned from Grand Rapids, MI, via Chicago, visiting good friends and helping them with a new home they recently purchased. I changed out the main panel from a non-tripping, hazardous FPE panel, to a new Cutler-Hammer main panel with a main breaker. I also corrected outlets throughout the house that were reversed polarity. The home inspector provided my friend Kate with a very in depth inspection report, including color photos of the tester shown above plugged into the reverse polarity outlets. This ac outlet ground tester is a quick and easy way to test three-prong outlets for reversed polarity, open ground, open hot, and open neutral. Every outlet in Kate's house is now correctly wired and ready to go!

Motion Sensor Lights

2011-11-08T06:18:00.000-08:00

Motion Sensor Lights are a great way to secure an area of the house that you may not have quick access to. They usually have a photocell sensor, which switches on the light when it becomes dark. They are great because once installed, you can leave them to do their job, even while you sleep. Here are a few photos of a motion sensor light I recently installed.

Thank you!

2011-10-27T15:04:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Splat Space in Durham, NC for opening up the doors to my electrical presentation. There was a great turn out and we all learned a lot about electricity! Splat Space has been a great resource in the Durham area.

Oct. 26th: Introduction to Basic Resdential Electricity

2011-10-19T14:58:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, October 26th from 7-8pm I will be presenting an introduction to basic residential electricity at Splat Space in downtown Durham, North Carolina. The presentation will cover electrical equipment and safety, followed by an explanation and description of how to test outlets and fixtures, change fuses, reset breakers, add circuits, add outlets, and add switches.
I will also answer any questions you may have. Let’s shed some light on the mystery of electricity! The presentation is free.

Splat Space is in the basement of 331 W. Main St. There is a front and back entrance, you can enter through the back door to the right of Beyu Cafe. Please r.s.v.p to me by contacting me through the electrician referral link in the upper right if you plan to attend. Hope to see you there!

More Light Fixtures!

2011-08-01T16:43:00.000-07:00

Here is a light fixture I made for Freestyle Palace at Burning Man. It is made out of a bucket and conduit so it can withstand the wind and elements. The music on this video is yours truly (L. Cooper) and can be downloaded here.

Light Fixtures

2011-05-17T12:05:00.000-07:00

Inspired by my good friends Ashley of Foxy Monster bearhoods and Dida of Dogfork Lamp Arts, I have created some light fixtures that will be traveling with the Foxy Monster bearhood train to festivals over the summer. The process was incredible. I love light, light fixtures, mood lighting, theatrical lighting, and thanks to the inspiration and encouragement of my friends, I am excited to continue creating lights and expanding my Wire Runner business in that direction. Here is a slideshow of the two sconces I have made so far.

Conduit Bending

2011-05-10T16:40:00.000-07:00

Conduit bending is an aspect of electrical work that I have finally become more comfortable with. I found a great site that explains the math of bending really well.

The photo above shows an offset bend. The conduit here must enter the existing hole in the box, which is not flush with the wall. An offset bend is a three part process.

1) Measure the distance between the first plane and the second plane, center of conduit to the center of the whole or space to be entered. In the case of the photo shown above, our distance is 1 1/2".
2) Determine the angle of the bend. For small offsets like the one shown here, a typical angle used is 22.5 degrees.
3) Find the 'cosecant' of the determined angle (yes! We are using geometry, my high school math teacher would be soo proud). In this case, the cosecant of a 22.5 degree angle bend is 2.6. The cosecant is multiplied by the size of the offset (the distance between the two planes found in the first step). If the size of the offset is 1 1/2", then we multiply 1.5 times 2.6= 3.9". This is the distance between our two 22.5 degree bends. For an excellent table and illustration of this process, check out this page.
In my experience, the offset bend is the most common bend used, so it is important to get this process down by heart. The other bend I use all the time is a basic 90 degree bend. This is a two step process:

1) Find the correct 'deduction' for the size conduit you are bending. Most hand benders for 1/2" to 1" conduit come with an arrow mark or 'B' mark built into the bender. This mark is placed at the beginning of the 90 degree bend.
2) Lay out the conduit and mark the beginning of the bend, having deducted the correct number of inches from the center of the 90 degree bend. For example, if you are bending 3/4" conduit and the 90 degree bend needs to be 32" from the end of the conduit, we will find that the deduction for 3/4" conduit is 6". 32-6 = 26". We place the arrow marker on the conduit bender at the 26" mark....and bend! Keep bending until it looks like the conduit is a perfect, or close to perfect right angle. You can place a bubble level on the conduit piece sticking up in the air to make sure that it is level.
Here is a photo of a hand bender:

Now that I understand the basics of bending, I really enjoy the sculpting of conduit. My favorite size of conduit to use is 3/4". Happy bending!

Electrician Referral System

2011-04-24T21:24:00.000-07:00

I have started an electrician referral service on this site. If you are an electrician seeking projects and jobs or if you are looking for an electrician then you can fill out the form here. The link is in the top right corner of my sidebar. Lets get electrically connected and turn on the lights!

Lamp Parts

2011-04-12T12:52:00.001-07:00

I have always LOVED lighting, which is probably why I got into electrical work in the first place. I have recently been inspired by my good friend to pursue more of my own lamp and lighting designs. Most of my experiments have ended up at our camp at Burning Man. Shortly after making this decision I was commissioned to repair a vintage brass chandelier. Each individual light has its own switch and all of the switches were turning until they came out. So I took the lamp apart and began searching for Leviton brand lamp holders with the switch built in, hoping to maintain the vintage look. My online search was not to my satisfaction, so I headed over to Dogfork Lamp Arts in San Francisco and my friend gave me a tour of the INCREDIBLE light fixtures that they carry and fabricate. The experience of seeing shelves and shelves of lamp parts and materials was very exciting, and of course they had the exact Leviton brand lamp holders with switches that I was seeking. I highly recommend checking out Dogfork.

Service 'Shifts' for Solar

2011-02-26T14:15:00.000-08:00

This is the second time that I have installed a new load center from the main panel in order to create room on the busbar for the new 2 pole solar breaker. In this case, There were 2 main 100 Amp breakers, one feeding the subpanel for the entire house, and the other feeding a small panel for the pool and air conditioning. I was able to feed my new load center by removing the house subpanel feed, and then tapping back into it in the attic, this time feeding it from my new load center 100 Amp breaker.

Animal Habitats and Electricity, Whoa!

2010-12-29T17:19:00.000-08:00

I found this old Service Panel on our property in Stanislaus County, CA. As you can see wasps and other insects had take up residency in the disconnect. I was curious so I brought my tester down to this panel by the river, and sure enough, it was live! I guess it used to feed a water pump that we no longer use for the well. To the left of the Service Panel there was a disconnect for the water pump, as you can see a bird had happily made a nest inside the electrical disconnect!

2010-07-10T14:21:00.000-07:00

Here are my latest solar installations in the bay area:

Solar!

2010-03-13T10:54:00.000-08:00

I have been doing solar installations these days, and I'm really excited about it. The industry is on the rise, and its becoming more and more affordable for home owners. Here is a job I worked on with Sun Chariot Solar, based out of San Carlos. This system was installed in St. Helena, California.

Ballasts

2009-12-10T11:42:00.001-08:00

One way to ensure that fluorescent lighting is energy efficient is to change out old magnetic ballasts, like the ones shown (lower left), to electronic ballasts shown (upper right). The newer electronic ballasts convert input electricity to the operating lamp power at a higher frequency, whereas magnetic ballasts lose power in the conversion process. Magnetic ballasts are also heavier and become very hot when in use.

Ground Rods

2009-11-13T12:49:00.000-08:00

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

2009-06-27T17:01:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-06-26T16:40:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-02T10:18:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-05-23T09:36:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-22T13:50:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-01T19:36:00.000-07:00

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.

Outdoor Wiring

2009-04-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a great example of what happens when outdoor wiring is done with indoor devices, boxes, wire etc. Here it is easy to see water damage, as well as lots of corrosion and insects. It is important to use U.F. cable when wiring anything that may be exposed to rain or sun. Liquid tight flexible conduit may also be used, as well as E.M.T. As for the devices, they must be installed within an outdoor cover, and it is a good idea to use GFCI receptacles. The boxes must be liquid tight. There is no doubt that over time anything will corrode and get infested with bugs, but this will quickly if indoor products are used outside.

Great Electrical Store in Durham!

2009-04-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

I went to Lowe's and Home Depot for a fan and vanity light for my mini bathroom remodel, and I left disappointed. The products were too expensive not to be perfect. My friend recommended Pine State Electric & Lighting Center in Durham. The address is 937 Washington St, and their phone number is 919 - 682 - 9258. The store hours are Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.
I walked in and told them what I wanted. They found a fan that was the perfect size for $20 and a vanity light that was simple, nice and the exact length for $50. These prices were half of what I found at the enormous warehouse stores, and the quality was much better. They also have a room full of decorative lighting and great customer service.

Bathroom Fans

2009-04-12T19:31:00.000-07:00

I'm visiting my family in Durham, NC and I am really excited about the mini bathroom remodel I've started. One part of the remodel is replacing the old fan that has not worked in many years. I checked the voltage and the wiring is fine. The fan I am looking at is the Broan 70 CFM ultra silent ventilation fan from Lowe's. It will be quiet which is very important to me. I'll keep you posted.

Headed Back to Durham!

2009-04-05T12:07:00.000-07:00

I leave this tuesday for Durham. I'll be there for three weeks, doing small electrical jobs, yoga at the Y, and hangin out with all my people.

Lamp Parts

2009-03-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

Lots of people have been coming to me with broken lamps, the trick is to find out what part is malfunctioning, usually it is the wiring. Lamp parts can be bought and replaced, and the lampholders and wires are found at any hardware store.

Flood Lights

2009-03-28T18:26:00.000-07:00

Motion Sensor flood lights are excellent for security. They turn on automatically, at night, when ever they sense movement. This will scare off intruders and also give you a heads up if something strange is going on in the yard.

Creative Light Fixtures

2009-03-25T13:17:00.000-07:00

Here's a light fixture using a baking pan for the canopy. Very cool!

Spring Music Rally

2009-03-23T11:32:00.000-07:00

Thank you everyone who came out to our 4th annual spring music rally on friday. It was a party for sure!

Line Voltage/ Low voltage

2009-03-16T15:47:00.000-07:00

Here is an old sub panel conduit run. The low voltage cable that feeds the phone line was run through the air wrapped around the sub feed wires. Here it is actually strapped on the conduit that supplies the panel. It is now common practice to run low voltage wires and line voltage wires at least 6 inches apart to avoid interference.

Labelling wires

2009-03-14T12:16:00.000-07:00

Before I changed out this old federal pacific subpanel I made sure to label all the wires so that none of the phases were crossed, it is very important to do this BEFORE disconnecting the wires from all the breakers because its easy to get them all confused.

Old Service

2009-03-13T15:35:00.000-07:00

Here is an old sub panel service entrance. Lights were dimming inside the house when any circuits were being used. I climbed on the roof to check out the service entrance because the sub panel was new and all of the neutrals wires were tightened in the lugs. A hornet flew out of the weather head when I removed it, and it was full of its nest. The neutral and hot were laying on top of each other because the plastic holder had broken. If the hot and neutral touch, there will be a short. One hot leg, and the neutral that was laying on top of it, had black marks, indicating some shorting. For now, until I replace the weather head altogether, I taped the neutral and hot leg wires extensively. I will also re-splice the neutral because the aluminum wire right near the splice is rusted dramatically.

Federal Pacific Fire Hazard

2009-03-04T20:03:00.000-08:00

Here is a Federal Pacific Electrical panel that is in use. The breakers rarely trip but the circuits are quite often overloaded, causing the wires to heat up. The job of a circuit breaker is to close up the circuit when too much power is being drawn. The Federal Pacific Electrical panel and breakers were recalled because they do not perform properly and have caused many house fires and tragedies. I am installing a Murray brand panel in place of this F.P.E. Murray is a new brand for me to use so I will document my process and keep you posted on the results!

Outdoor Switches

2009-03-03T23:06:00.000-08:00

This old outdoor switch was another part of the deck remodel. The switch itself was exposed to the elements, causing the wiring to deteriorate. I replaced this old style with a new outdoor switch cover and attached it to the deck post. This will keep the wiring safe from rain.

suspended pvc conduit

2009-02-26T20:08:00.000-08:00

After a deck remodel, the conduit that had been attached to the wall was suspended and unattached. I used liquid tight flexible metal conduit to re-pull the circuit that led to a small house in the back. I ran the liquid tight up in the beams of the deck.

Do your switches look like this?

2009-02-22T12:55:00.000-08:00

This is a sign that your house needs some electrical attention, switches are important and people want to feel safe touching them! Just something to think about... :)

Thank You

2009-02-09T15:02:00.000-08:00

I am still so amazed at the support I received in North Carolina. Thank you to everyone who hired me and recommended me. Here is a picture of where I am living in Patterson, California for your pleasure. Hope this finds everyone well!

California

2009-02-05T20:57:00.000-08:00

I am back in California, studying for my electrical certification exam and excited for the big TripKnight Music Rally on March 20th and 21st. Details to come. I am available for small electrical jobs in Patterson, Turlock, and surrounding areas, I also frequent the bay area quite often, so let me know! Thanks :)

Attics

2009-02-01T10:43:00.000-08:00

Attic spaces are a delicate area of the home in terms of wiring. It is very important for wiring to be safe and protected because attics are used as storage spaces, even more often than crawl spaces. The attic shown here is the result of a home being boarded up, so various people roamed the attic, threw things in, and maybe even lived in the space. The wiring was exposed causing a high risk of fire. This situation has been remedied by yours truly, but please make sure that your attic is safe before throwing objects in haphazardly.

Appliances

2009-01-23T13:27:00.000-08:00

Just a little warning, make sure that all components of appliances are turned off before they are plugged in. I walked into one of the houses I am wiring to flip all the breakers on to check everything on my last day. The brand new microwave was sitting on the brand new cooktop and there was smoke billowing out of it! The far left burner had been turned all the way on, while the appliance had no power, now the box was on fire! Luckily, despite the water to the house being disconnected, I had just filled up a water bottle at my friends house and I put out the fire.

Home Upgrades

2008-12-27T14:22:00.000-08:00

Undercabinet lighting was a huge improvement to this 11 year olds room. I centered each light on important areas.

Earth friendly Christmas Lights!

2008-11-08T13:38:00.000-08:00

Not too many people know how incredibly inefficient Christmas lights are. They are very festive and beautiful, but they are often left on 24 hours a day during the holiday season and each light is a small incandescent bulb using tons of electricity. I was lucky to find solar powered Christmas lights. The key is to place the little panel in a sunny place. With these lights most of the outside can be lit without wasting any energy.

I'm back!

2008-11-07T19:15:00.001-08:00

While in the northeast I had the pleasure of helping to assemble a yurt. It came in a big box and it had a front door and a beautiful moon roof. Very exciting!

I am back in North Carolina now and very appreciative of all the emails I received for electrical help. Thanks!

NY weekend!

2008-10-29T19:54:00.000-07:00

Headed to the big apple this weekend for my halloween/ birthday bash. I will be back on the site and back in durham on election day, november 4th eagerly awaiting the outcome. Talk to ya then!

Compact Flourescents

2008-10-27T12:22:00.000-07:00

Bulbs.com is the best source for all varieties of compact fluorescent bulbs (or lamps as they are called in the electrical field). With this resource it is now possible to replace all incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs because they offer candelabra based cfl's with a frosted finish for more ambient lighting. This is a very earth-friendly choice because the cfl's use significantly less power, with a higher light output. The frosted finish tones down the brightness, but the technology for dimming compact fluorescent bulbs is not yet up to par. It is a small price to pay for the amount of energy one's household can save by replacing everything with compact fluorescent light bulbs.

Available for home improvement in Durham!

2008-10-25T14:24:00.000-07:00

I have arrived in Durham and I am available for home improvements in the area. Its very exciting to be back and I was able to bring quite a few tools on the plane! It is amazing the difference new light fixtures can make in a home. To me, lighting is very important. It sets the mood of any room. If you are interested please send me an email at: lcooper@crescentclub.com. Thanks :)

TripKnight Show!

2008-09-30T20:09:00.000-07:00

Come enjoy this street festival with the entire TripKnight crew. We will most certainly be performing, full force, and doing what we do best; getting the party started! This will be the premier of our new song 'Cootie Jump' a song celebrating women, and it will also be my last show with the crew before I head off to beautiful North Carolina for the winter. So come on out and party!

North Carolina!

2008-09-22T14:26:00.000-07:00

I am heading back to my stomping grounds in mid October. It's time to romp around the North Carolina mountians and hit up the Atlantic beach (soo warm). If you are in the Raleigh Durham area and you need some small electrical jobs done, please email me at: lcooper@crescentclub.com. I am definitely packing up my hand tools and bringing them on the plane!

Burning Man!

2008-08-21T20:04:00.000-07:00

Headed off to the glorious playa tomorrow morning to set up our Freestyle Palace. We have all the required power; two generators, one deep cycle boat battery and a couple invertors. Lighting is under control, got the hardy rope lights, stage lights, and a burn barrel with our camp name carved into it. We will be performing every night of the week at 9:00 and Portal, near the 9:00 plaza a few blocks from the esplanade. So come check us out!

Splicing

2008-08-01T14:53:00.001-07:00

My cousin opened up a part of the wall at his house, only to find open splices. Every electrical splice must be enclosed in a junction box. It can be metal or plastic, but it must be accessible (in case the splices need to be checked or reinforced later on). My recommendation for this situation is to re-run sheathed romex to the last receptacle on the circuit. This solves two problems. It brings the splices into the box shown here, and it protects the wiring all the way to the next receptacle. I'm guessing that the last outlet was an afterthought because the rest of the circuit is enclosed in conduit.

Buzzing and Crackling

2008-08-01T13:58:00.000-07:00

Just got a service call from a fellow Burning Man attendee. Her outlets in the living room worked sporadically and then would suddenly lose power. I first checked all of the breakers, nothing had tripped. I explored a mysterious fuse box in the closet, but there was no power at all. The last step was checking to see where the knob n' tube in these outlets were being fed by new wiring. I crawled under the house accompanied by the shoeless homeowner (burners are hard core that way), only to find several junction boxes. The first had no power, the second only had 48 volts (instead of the required 120) and the third was buzzing, sputtering and crackling. I had found the problem. Any movement led to more sparks. The wires had been loosely twisted and taped with non-electrical tape, so even the movement of walking on the floor above shook the wires enough to cause loose connections. I re-spliced with wire nuts and real tape in all three boxes and headed upstairs to find the outlets completely functioning. I love quick solutions!