Tag Archives: Electrical

As I went through my budget, it soon became apparent that I would need to put in a considerable amount of sweat equity to get the job done for what I could afford to pay.  We already talked about how I would take care of the concrete ribs and steel studs.

But I always planned on hiring out for most of the more conventional trades (such as the excavation, concrete work, plumbing, HVAC, etc.), but the sum total was just too high for my budget to accept and something had to go.  I chose electrical for a number of reasons.  First, Cost.  The electrical quotes were particularly ridiculous, electricians were doubling or tripling the quote due to FUD.  Second, experience. I have done a little bit of wiring in the past, like adding a circuit and some lights and outlets to my current home.  I was a bit concerned about doing the main panel or grounding system, but a friend assured me it was possible.   Third, tool costs.  Of all the options, the electricians tools box is the cheapest.  It is certainly cheaper to buy my own electrical tools than to purchase a backhoe and bulldozer to do my own excavation.  Bottom line.  I think I can handle electrical better than I could handle HVAC or Plumbing or concrete work.

I am also getting some minor help from some friends with some better experience, and I plan to take it slow and learn as I go.  But in the mean time, I hit my local library and got out a bunch of books on the subject, and that is also the subject of this post…

I skimmed through most of the books over about 3 evenings.  I was really just looking for the books that seemed most applicable and had the best approach to teaching.  I chose to renew the top few, and read those completely over the past couple weeks (including the Easter Holiday).  These were the best ones…

note: with wiring, the code changes from year to year, so you really want to find the books that are up to date enough with the National Electric Code so you can pass inspection.

Wiring Simplified (44th Edition); This book had the fewest pictures, but gave the most specific references to the 2014 National Electrical Code.  The authors of this book (Richter, Schwan and Hartwell) are extremely well respected.  The writing style was a little bit dry, but I liked how, in addition to explaining what the NEC rules were and were to find them in the code, this book also explained the “why” behind each rule.   “Wiring Simplified” really covered everything from the planning stage to how to actually setup the service entrance and wire everything up.  In also included tricks for making the job easier.

Wiring a House (5th Edition); This is one of those books with pictures on every page.  It stood out for me because it was really about wiring a whole house, which is what I needed to do.  Many other books seemed focused only on renovations.  The Author, Rex Cauldwell, also has a great reputation and brings both his experience as a master electrician (and plumber) and his degree in Electronic Engineering to this book.  He tells you how to meet the code, and then common sense ways you should exceed it.  The explanations and images are excellent.  The book is actually a fun read with humor sprinkled throughout and as a result, I was able to read it much more quickly than some of the other books.

You’re about to learn all the top secret information about… wiring that contractors rarely discuss.  You’re putting your ear to the keyhole and listening as we discuss what to buy and what to avoid, what looks good and what really is good, what works and what doesn’t.  ~ Rex Cauldwell, Wiring a House, p 207.

I have one more book to go through, I may come back and put that here later…

I took some of what I learned from the books, YouTube, friends, etc. and put it here under Technotes => Conventional Systems => Electrical.