Best products from r/askanelectrician

We found 30 comments on r/askanelectrician discussing the most recommended products. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 217 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the top 20.

4. Honeywell Home RPLS740B1008 Econoswitch 7-Day Programmable Light Switch Timer, White

    Features:
  • CUSTOMIZE YOUR LIGHTS - Add convenience and customization to your home with the Honeywell Home ECONOSwitch 7-Day Solar Programmable Light Switch
  • HELPS SAVE ON YOUR ENERGY BILL - Scheduled programming allows the Econoswitch to turn your home lights and motors on and off automatically, helping you save both time and energy
  • CONTROL MULTIPLE DEVICES - Schedule your motor-operated appliances such as ceiling fans, bathroom fans, pond pumps, and pool pumps in addition to all your home lighting (one switch per home installation). 1800W, ¾ HP on 120v
  • SIMPLE PROGRAMMING - Easily program up to 7 on-and-off schedules per week that can be repeated daily or weekly. 3-button interface makes programming simple
  • VERSATILE LIGHTING - Compatible with LED, CFL, incandescent, halogen and fluorescent lighting for outdoor or indoor operation
  • INSTALLATION - Single-pole installation that requires a neutral wire. This switch cannot be used if there is no neutral wire (white wires joined together) inside the electrical box. Wallplate not included
  • MULTIPLE MODES - Manually control your lighting or let the ECONOswitch run automatically on a programmed schedule
  • CONVENIENT UPDATES - Automatically adjusts to daylight savings to ensure that your programs run correctly and on time. Programs protected during power outages. The Random Setting turns timed light on and off for extra home security while you’re away
  • SLEEK DESIGN - Sleek wall mounts blend in with virtually any home interior and a large backlit screen provides clear viewing at night
  • DIMENSIONS - 6. 7 x 9. 1 x 1. 9 inches
Honeywell Home RPLS740B1008 Econoswitch 7-Day Programmable Light Switch Timer, White
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Top comments mentioning products on r/askanelectrician:

u/ahfoo · 1 pointr/askanelectrician

Depending on how adept you are at dealing with electronics, you might consider popping the power supply open and looking for burnt NTC thermistors. An NTC thermistor is a device that is used as a current inrush limiter. When you plug 120V devices into 230V outlets that is often what goes first. If there is a fuse that may have gone as well.

NTC thermistors are both common and cheap and if you have an old dead
ATX PC power supply you probably have one in there already.

But yeah, the power supply is most likely the problem and a replacement is definitely worth a shot. It's possible you can fix the power supply yourself too though if you want to take a look. In these cases it's often possible to see parts which have literally burnt making it easier to identify the problem.

EDIT: (A disclaimer of sorts)
And please remember to use common safety guidelines when working with AC connected devices. A new power supply is probably the cheap and fast way to go for most people and almost certainly reasonably priced on-line but if you're interested in learning about power supply repair I recommend the topic and the NTC trick is one that has saved me a few times. I learned about stuff like that from resources like DiodiesGoneWild, (Amazing!) ElectroBoom, BigClive, PostApocalyptic Inventor etc. There are so many great electronics resource out there these days and that's more the nature of this question than for an electrician. Good luck and play safe.

Here is a typical-looking one in a photo on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-Thermistor-Resistors-Current-Temperature/dp/B07KZZ8WV8

On an ATX power supply you will often find them near the part where the AC lines are going into the board before the big capacitors.

In this photo you can see a pair of blue NTCs on the bottom left corner right between the fan and the bridge diode.

https://i1.wp.com/makezine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/img_2737.jpg?resize=1024%2C575&ssl=1

u/portaadonai · 1 pointr/askanelectrician
  • Some fluorescent lights are not compatible with electronic switches such as that 7day timer. You could get flickering/strobing, be prepared for issues
  • IF YOU WANT THE SIMPLEST SOLUTION~ Get a smart outlet [Levinton is a trusted brand, also Lutron]. Plug in a floor lamp, or mount a plug in wall sconce -into the smart outlet. Then you can easily control the lamp with your phone, program it to your liking. Read the fine print carefully, see what programming options are available with the device you choose. NO WIRING NEEDED
  • IF YOU WANT A SIMPLE PREMIUM SOLUTION~ Go with Lutron wireless controls. This gives you a wall switch you can use as well as the wireless outlet. You still need a floor lamp, or mount a plug in wall sconce. This also can be programmed 7 days, or geofencing which is it turns on when you get nearby. NO WIRING NEEDED
  • IF YOU ARE READY FOR COMPLICATED WIRING~ Those 7 day timers are a pain to program, I would use a smart switch, which you can much more easily program via your phone. Use Bluetoothto talk directly to your phone, if you have reliable and strong WIFI then go with the WIFI version [do your own research into which smart switches are programmable in the ways you desire]. This method is going to require complex wiring, and will be difficult to install. You will need to cut and modify the smart switch to fit it into the cover plate, no we will not install it in the metal box you have.

    Figure out which option you want to go with, then let me know if you need more help [especially if you want to complicated version]
u/TK421isAFK · 1 pointr/askanelectrician

Don't worry too much about the input (120 volt) input - in terms of input vs output, watts are going to be close to the same for a battery charger. That means a 12 volt, 20 amp charger is going to put out about 300 watts (12 volts x 20 amps is 240 watts, but a lead-acid battery charger is going to put out close to 14.5 volts, which is technically 290 watts - I'm rounding). That means the input at 120 volts is going to be about 1/10 of that, because the voltage is 10 times larger. I say about, because there are always losses due to heat and efficiency, but most modern power supplies should be at least 85-90% efficient, so the input should be less than 360 watts for a 12 volt, 20 amp charger. At 120 volts, 360 watts is 3 amps. Even a tiny 18 awg or 16 awg extension cord will be more than sufficient for that small amount of power.

As to the charger, I'd keep looking. The one you linked would indeed charge at 20 amps (max), but there are newer rules about battery chargers that prevent newer models from charging batteries too quickly. This has much more to do with inexperienced consumers charging cheap car batteries way too fast, the batteries giving off a lot of hydrogen gas, and fires/explosions happening. The charger you linked isn't for continuous or regular use; it's more for occasional use.

I'm retrofitting an older RV, and I'm probably going to go with one of these models. The advantages are automatic charging, mounting ability, and it's a constant-duty unit. It will provide 12 volts DC while charging your batteries, so you can run your house lighting/accessories while plugged in at a camping site.

I'd also look into solar panels. You can easily fit 500 watts of solar panels (about 3 x 6 feet, give or take a bit) on the roof of a van, and 300 watts is 25 amps at 12 volts. That's likely more than you'll draw at any given moment (unless you're running a microwave oven), and it's a one-time purchase that gives you free power almost anywhere for a couple decades. It can get pricey - a 300 watt solar panel and charge controller will cost around $500. I'm looking at something lie this setup, but I might go bigger. I have a 32' Class A, so roof space for solar panels is abundant - if only money was...lol

u/Zugzub · 1 pointr/askanelectrician

LED does not always translate into less heat. The harder you drive an LED the more heat it will make.

I recently purchased these for in my RV to upgrade the 12volt fluorescents. While they only pull around .7 amps they get warm enough that it's uncomfortable to keep your hand on them.

Price seems to be the driving factor in design. I have what is a cheap 60-watt equivalent LED hanging in a suspended light in the kitchen. After 10 minutes of usage, you can burn your hand on the base. There's a more expensive one in the bathroom that barely gets warm.

There's a huge difference in the workings of LED compared to an incandescent bulb. An incandescent is just a filament creating a short circuit that heats up and glows. An Led us to have circuitry to drop the voltage to where it's usable. If it's poorly/cheaply designed you're going to create heat.

I bought some other bulbs to replace the rest of the 12 incandescents in the RV, Off the top of my head I don't remember the Lumen output, but I bought two different levels. There was a 200-lumen difference.

Appearance wise they looked exactly alike. performance wise the brighter ones got noticeably warmer. Testing them I figured out that the brighter ones were running at a slightly higher voltage. Disassembling them I found they used the same LED, but the brighter ones had a lower ohm resistor in the circuit.

My conclusion is, don't buy cheap ones.

u/CptHammer_ · -2 pointsr/askanelectrician

You didn't hear this from me, but you can. If you have the 10-30 I prefer that because it has a lower amperage rating, but lacks a neutral. With a GFI pigtail at 15A you can cut off the male end and expose the black, white, green wires underneath. On your nema 10-30 male plug you land the white on the center blade, the black on one of the side blades and leave the other side blade alone. Safe off the ground.

This is not safe because 30A is available and your device is rated at 15A. If there was anything but a direct short this GFI and anything plugged into it will melt and probably catch fire.

Let's make it a little safer. Connect the white like I said, but put an inline fuse at 15A on the side blade instead of landing the hot directly. Connect the other side of the fuse holder to the black wire from the cord. Put in a 15A fuse. There should be enough room in the big plug housing for it to fit. If not have the fuse itself stick out next to the cord.

It technically still isn't 100%. While the low voltage fuse can handle 15A. If it blows it may not actually break the arc. The thing is it has a chance better than not using it and will hopefully save the gfci part of the cord on an overload.

So what are we going to do to make it safer? This is for one and only one appliance, your bike charger.

To make it safer use this fmn fuse holder with this fuse 15A and even 20A is acceptable here, the package I linked has one of each. The fuse holder will need to be crimped to the bare wire and electrical taped over the crimped ends. This will not fit in the plug housing but otherwise should be used instead of the low voltage holder.

If you have the nena 10-50 connect the white to the center flat blade, the green to the opposite bent peg, and the black to one of the side blades, ignoring the other one. Insert the fuse holders in between the gfi and the nema 10-50 plug like I described above.

All this assumes the building super left the power on those circuits. I'd test them first before you get to deep in this project.

u/ed-flip · 0 pointsr/askanelectrician

It looks like you are planning on joining the union...They should have a tool list for you to follow.

As far as your list. I highly recommend that Veto pro pac backpack, The bag is such a key investment and will outlast any other cheaper.

​

Also recommend this:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004OHHU5I/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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Buy more as you see fit.

​

This is my local IBEW 617 current tool list.

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TOOL LIST:

Section 2.16

Journeyman Wireman shall supply a full set of hand tools. The Inside wireman and

Apprentice tool kit shall consist of a minimum of the following:

Awl

Center Punch

Chalk Line

Chisel –½ inch cold

Chisel –½ inch wood

Flashlight

Hacksaw Adjustable frame

Hammer

Knife

Overalls (Union and American made)

Padlock and Key

Pliers –2 pair Channel Lock

Pliers –Diagonal Pliers

Long Nose Pliers

Side Cutting Pliers

Plumb Bob

Protractor

6 foot Wood Rule

Safety Lockout Device

Screw Driver Phillips

Screw Driver Slotted

Sheet Rock Jab Saw

Spin Tights – up to ½ inch

Tap Wrench to ¼ inch Bolt

Tape – ¾ inch Steel

Tape –50 foot Steel

Tester – 600V

Tester Continuity

Tin Snips

Torpedo Level

Tri –Square

Wire Stripper

Wrench –6 inch Adjustable

Wrench –10 inch Adjustable

Wrench –4 inch Chain

Wrench –10 inch Pipe

Working Agreement

Local Bylaws

I.B.E.W. Constitution

Current Code Book

Tool Box with Locking Device

u/justthetipbro22 · 2 pointsr/askanelectrician

Thanks for the response much appreciated.

I’m trying to connect this PDU to the 14-30r:

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B016A4CKC0/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_3?smid=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&psc=1

To that pdu I’ll be hooking up 3 devices to the c19s which should draw a total of 24amps max.

It doesn’t say anywhere if it’s 50hz or 60hz though. Do you think it’s safe

Edit: the product I’m attaching is this and under frequency it says 47-63hz. Given that, you think it should be ok to just wire a 14-30 plug onto the pdu manually?

https://support.bitmain.com/hc/en-us/articles/360012411694-Introduction-to-APW3-

u/DonkeyKwonGames · 1 pointr/askanelectrician

Just as an update and thanks for all the feedback.

I bought this: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B017743I7S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Hooked up the fireplace switch cables to the ON and the COMMON wire. Plugged it into the smart outlet and then to the wall. Works perfectly and it all fits under the fireplace with the rest of the controls.

u/nikhidas26 · 1 pointr/askanelectrician

Thank you so much Nawb. The solution I went with was that

​

- All the wires are already getting 12V. So I wanted to just re-use this.

- I bought 12V LED puck lights from here https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07998XPS1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

- Connected them and they work great!

u/Im_carnivorous · 1 pointr/askanelectrician

Thank you so much for the response

  1. I want the lights to come on in the morning to help me wake up (and stay up) on time.
  2. The room is in the basement, it's my bedroom, and the lights are fluorescent tube light bulbs.
  3. One of the switches controls the ceiling lights and these are the main light source in my room. The other switch controls a tiny light in the closet and it barely serves a purpose. I've never turned it on deliberately. I wouldn't realize if the switch disappeared and I turned the switch box from a double into a single. I found a switch on amazon that I was interested in, and I think this would fit (link below). I think the switch box is standard size for a single switch box.

    ​

    https://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-Econoswitch-RPLS740B-Programmable-Switch/dp/B004AP92N2/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=V4RK6EJQLE81&keywords=programmable+light+switch&qid=1557905889&s=gateway&sprefix=programma%2Caps%2C175&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1

    ​

    I would prefer that both lights don't come on together. I also don't care for how the switch looks at all, I'm only concerned with function.
u/andyring · 2 pointsr/askanelectrician

Instead of flipping each breaker for an hour, try this. Get a multimeter that tests amperage. Something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NWGZ4XC

You'll have to carefully remove the panel cover from your circuit breaker panel. Set the meter to amps and put the clamp around the black wire coming off each breaker. You'll be able to tell pretty quickly what circuit is using all the power, and you won't have to shut anything off.

u/viners · 1 pointr/askanelectrician

Would this still be an issue if I were only plugging in EVGA computer PSUs? Those come with overcurrent protection I believe and won't pull more than what they're rated at. If not, would any of these work?

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https://www.amazon.ca/Bestten-Outlet-Rack-Mount-Aluminum-Protector/dp/B01DKDI9VU

https://www.amazon.ca/ADJ-Products-PC-100A-8-Channel-Center/dp/B00KFZ98YO/

https://www.amazon.ca/Cyberpower-CPS1215RM-Rackmount-Power-Strip/dp/B00077IG3O

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Or even a cheap thing like this? https://www.amazon.ca/AmazonBasics-6-Outlet-Surge-Protector-Power/dp/B00TP1C1UC

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Thank you!

u/SgtMac02 · 0 pointsr/askanelectrician

What's the difference between T8 and T12? Looks like the currently working one is T12.

This one should work, right? I'm not looking for anything fancy. These were cheap shitty lights that I'm only planning to use for my garage at home. My lighting sucks and I do a lot of DIY work in the garage.

EDIT: LMAO! I'm at -1! Who the fuck downvotes comments asking for help and clarification in a sub dedicated to asking for help and clarification?!?! Reddit kills me sometimes.

u/loki5869 · 1 pointr/askanelectrician

The ones that I took out have two pins, the ones I replaced them with do as well. These are the ones I picked up to replace them.

I was thinking of swapping it out with a T8 and getting new T8 lamps as well, just write off the $7 on the replacements. I did find a T12 ballast online though that I figured would be just as simple a fix and would use the new lamps I just picked up.