Howdy all,
Regardless of code requirements, what types of “ideal” electrical systems of a house would homeowners typically like to see, as opposed to “minimum-by-code” systems commonly installed? Examples include 12 gauge everywhere, spec-grade outlets, largest panel box I can find, maybe a genset transfer switch, etc. What other things can I do as a homeowner that tend to make life much easier for me and my family? Outlet locations/heights, switches, lighting, types of wire, conduit, etc. We are always griping about our current home (built in 1974) and its’ lack of convenient outlets.
Also, might there be a thread somewhere about “dream house” features that could provide some of these answers? I know one thing that I’ve heard in the past is communications wiring everywhere, but with wireless internet and cordless phones, I’m not buying it anymore. Additionally, this new house will be our home for a long time (decades, maybe) so we need to make us happy and the heck with potential resale.
Replies
I would not bother with spec grade outlets in living rooms and bedrooms. They just are used that much.
But in the kitchen, bathroom, and garge I would use them.
Here are a couple of things. The spacing for receptacles is basically 12 ft (except for counter tops). I would make it 8ft. but you really need to look at each area and see what can go in there.
If you want to use X-10 controls run power to the switches so that they have a neutral and not just a switch leg.
And don't wire the receptacles and lights a room on the same circuit.
Separate wires to the ceiling fans so that switches on the walls can dim the lights and control the fan speed.
One breaker box on each end of the house, one inside and one outside - run power to the inside one from the outside one. lots of empty space for new circuits in both.
door activated light switches for the closets.
A couple of receptacles in each closet.
separate GFI breakers for bathrooms, kitchen, and garage.
In the bedrooms, use double duplex boxes. I never have enough for the light, clock, electric blanket, and err.. toys.
I would think the generator thing would depend on the dependability of electrical service in your area. If it goes out a bunch, put it in. But use an autoswitch and a natural gas generator that tests itself.
Lightning protection would be good too.
Jon,
Random thoughts some of which I have installed in the past.
I have 5 duplexes in my garage all on the same 20A GFCI breaker - spread around, it's not that I need a lot of power at the same time, the need just moves around.
Install zero "standard" ceiling boxes - make every ceiling box a fan rated box - pennies extra -- for that matter I might run 3 conductor wire to all of them also. Feed the power to the switch box so neutral is available everywhere. Mark, cap and coil spare conductors at both boxes.
I hate plastic boxes (I'll probably hear about that), I never opened one yet that felt solid. I never considered installing a ground screw and tag burdensome, a nut driver and cordless make short work of it.
I hate small boxes, bigger is better IMO - the wall cavity is 3-1/2" deep - don't be afraid to use it, especially for ganged switch boxes.
Mark everything - the back side of all of my cover plates tell me which breaker in which panel feeds that box, future generations will love you.
Christmas lighting type? Every year around Christmas I think again how handy it would be to have an outlet below every window all controlled by one switch somewhere for all those window candles. Got any idea how many 7.5 watt candles you can run on a 15A line? 120 x 15 x 0.8 / 7.5 = bunch.
Garage door opener? Consider switching that circuit for an easy security feature; if your control is lost / stolen, flipping one switch renders your garage door inoperable.
Lots of light fixtures in the attics along with several outlets -- light and handy power make those attic jobs a lot nicer. Same in the basement.
Outdoor outlets - at least 1 per side of the house.
Emergency heater shut-off - in addition to the one switch required at the unit, I put an additional switch with red shut off cover plate at the entrance to the basement -- if there is some sort of problem, I don't really want to get that close before removing the power from the unit.
It's good you are thinking about this now - as you know new construction wiring is much easier than retrofit.
Jim
Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
Outdoor outlets - at least 1 per side of the house.
Take that one step further and put an outdoor outlet on each side of the front door. No dragging cords accross the front of the house for xmas lights.
Great list JTC1,
Only one addition. I believe NEC spec's that all outside outlets be GFCI's. That's all fine, except they do fail. Our problem as landscape contractors - we use outside outlets and invariably trip one. But the electrician has wired every outside outlet downstream of an indoor GFCI, with their relative proximity to each other meaning nothing. Trying to reset these is a PITA, especially when nobody's home.
Make my life, and anyone's who uses outside power, including yours, easier by making every outside outlet it's own GFCI, or make it's upstream control logical.
Yes, all outside outlets must be GFCI protected, and our EI requires that they be covered. I assumed that Jon (original post) knew that, if not the EI will let him know.
The only place I mention sharing a GFCI breaker is inside of my garage, if this one trips, the subpanel is readily available and the circuit is labeled.
Jim
Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
Edited 6/15/2005 3:40 pm ET by JTC1
I'd get a copy of Rex Cauldwell's book on wiring. In it he states the minimum code method of wiring a house and then a better and best way.
Also you can't possibly anticipate all the future wiring needs for voice, data , video etc. but you can run some empty chases from basement to attic or other places where future wires may be needed.
Last months' JLC had a good article on the current thinking on structured wiring and how the author plans for future needs.
Lots of good ideas here already. Being that it is impossible to predict what you might need, chases are great to have. We usually run smurf or rigid PVC from the basement to the attic to make future stuff easy.
Also great idea about marking the circuits on the plates, although it is harder to remember after the drywall is up and you're actually installing the plates.
Ceiling light fixtures in every room. An outdoor recepticle on every side of the house.Bill Koustenis
Advanced Automotive Machine
Waldorf Md
I have a terrible memory, so I write the info in a shorthand code inside of the box at rough in. Translate into plain language on plate at trim stage as inside note will be obstructed by wires and / or devices.
Inside box "note to self" might say "23M" -- cover plate reads "C.B.#23 main panel". Any future reader who cannot figure out C.B. = circuit breaker has no business fooling around inside of any electrical box.
Jim
Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
When people were looking at my spec house, not one of them commented on the breaker box or asked about the wiring gauge.
The only comment I remamber was one woman who looked at the phone, cable, and outlet boxes and commented on how nice it was to have so many outlets.
Pardon me for being a bit cynical, but to me - If the public can't see it, it has no value. So wiring upgrades are a waste of money in a spec house situation.
If you're building your own house, that's obviously a different situation.
Wiring my own house. The public may *never* get a shot at this place if one of my kids wants it someday. So, no shortcuts, only the best will do.
There are places to cut corners (countertops and flooring come to mind) where things can be easily replaced, but wiring isn't one of them.
Some of this is a repeat of others, but a cut/paste from existing list of own house.
50 or 100A feeds to subpanels for each floor, garage, shop and any outbuildings.
Labeled loop circuits for critical loads such as water pump/well house.
Separate 20A breaker for EVERY kitchen outlet, for each fridge, freezer, microwave; obviously, a separate breaker for any load over 20A.
NO lighting and outlets on same breaker anywhere
4 ft spacing on outlets in most places, and duplex outlets in kitchen, Plugmold strips in shop and on wall in back of beds and at computer areas.
Lighting all low voltage relay controlled, at least 4 central points in house for controlling every light manually in addition to parallel port computer control.
Nothing but spec grade outlet if only for the holding power of plugs.
Not per code now, but 50A 3 prong oven outlets anywhere a compressor or welder could conceivably be used (le's see, only 12 such in own house, you may want more, seem to add another every few years)
20A 240 V outlets as needed.
All ceiling boxes capable of supporting 220#
At least provisions for transfer switch and generator feed.
Whole house lightning protection anywhere.
Grounds - welded rebar in footings brought out onto brazed 4/0 copper ground. #4 minimum ground wire tie-in to any well casings, etc - need to be careful of the setup on this to avoid electrolysis or ground loops.
As said before, label, label, label. Although not per code, there are zero GFCI in own house except in parts bins, just a big nuisance IMHO - IF YOU know what you are doing and how your house is wired - naturally put the back in if house being sold.
Edited 6/14/2005 8:23 pm ET by JUNKHOUND
How much "leap-frogging" can one do with subpanels? I have 200 amp service and was going to put in a 100-amp sub for my shop, a 60-amp sub for mechanical room, and another small sub for my office. I also am planning long-term for a media room/home theater and didn't know how crazy I should get with wiring. Running the feeds and lines NOW isn't a problem, but in ten years it'll be a pain.
I'm not even gonna ask why you have twelve, 50-amp welder/compressor outlets in your house.... hope none of them are in the bedroom or kitchen.
Jon:
You probably don't need much more than you have already planned; however, 4 of my sub-panels are fed by surface conduits (shops/pumphouses) installed after most was completed and the need for dual feeders was obvious when DW ran out of water once when I tripped a shop feeder with the big welder and went off doing something else.... ......
I have 8 sub-panels total just for convienience and because I use a dual feeder setup. (basement 50A, 2nd floor 60A, garage 50A, shop1 50A, shop2 50A, pumphouse140A, pumphouse2 20A, playhouse 20A). The shops and pumphouses get fed from 2 different underground loops thru 8 gauge and 6 awg from the basement subpanel bus and main panel, and have breakers at both ends. This way, if I trip a breaker in one of the shops with a welder while a compressor starts, the water pump still has power. All are labeled with big yellow danger/caution placards that the panel is dual feed.
One of the 50 A outlets is in the kitchen for the oven<G>. Ya gotta weld in the pumphouses sometimes, the shops occasionally when thesawdust is cleaned up, the garage in emergencies and rare occasions when there are no combustibles on the floor, but usually outside or the dirt floored forge area, so 6 of the outlets are near shop or garage doors and one by the forge. My compressors and welders are all set up with 3 prong 50 A plugs.
If you can afford them or find a surplus source for GE RR3 type relays and switches, I definetly would take a look at that type setup for convienience (e.g. 10 way switching in some places, capability of computer control, etc. ) Last I looked a RR3 was $25 retail, with about 70 in the house I'd go broke trying to duplicate at retail what was only $2 each 35 years ago.
Also, the biggest advantage to spec grade outlets is IMHO the good tight retention of the plugs.
IMO, the ideal thing for power wiring would be a sort of X-10 on steroids, so that switches were just connected to a low voltage signal bus and loads were attached to power busses. Power switching would be done at the device.
No one makes anything like this, though, at least not for a price that mere mortals can afford.
More down-to-earth: Increase the number of outlets about 50% over code. In places such as a home office install dual duplex outlets instead of single duplex units.
From a practical standpoint, often the best spot for office outlets is about 6.5 feet above the floor. Unfortunately, this isn't the most attractive scheme, though, and it may twist the EI's shorts.
Run a 240V 40A or so circuit to the garage or any other area that may be a home shop in the future.
Designing for a genset isn't a bad idea -- planning ahead can save a lot of rework expense. Split out the likely genset loads into a separate subpanel so that the transfer switch can be easily added at a later date.
Do double-check with the EI before doing some things. There are obscure rules about what lights can/can't be on the same circuit, eg. But where permitted it's good to split things up a bit so that some lights can remain on in an area when others are out. In fact, you might want to consider (code permitting) a dedicated "emergency lighting" circuit that powers one light or outlet in every room, so that most of the system can be shut down and you'll still have light.
Also, consider requirements for smoke/fire detection, and possible future burglar alarm stuff. (The wireless burglar alarm stuff is OK, but fairly easily circumvented by a sophisticated thief.)
Don't pooh-pooh "hard" wiring for internet. It's still much more reliable than wireless, and it causes less TV interference. But no need to wire the bathroom anymore -- just home office and kids' rooms.
For A/V equipment install conduit from "home entertainment" area to your utility area where cable and satellite connections will enter. Also install conduit to home office so you can go to 5GB fiber optic or whatever may come down the pike.
Install several empty conduits suitable for either power or low voltage (though of course not both at the same time) between basement and attic and garage and any other utility areas. They'll come in handy in the future.
Forgot to add: Detailed, careful documentation of what circuit runs where. Laminate the info and hang it with a cord next to the panel (so that it can be drawn close to read in poor light). Keep another copy elsewhere. Consider labeling the actual outlets somehow (like on the back of the cover plate).Also, on the panels, dip a finger in thick white paint and drag it across the embossed breaker numbers on the panel so they fill with white.
Plugmold up under the wall cabs in the kitchen. Mount it on a continuous block with a 45 degree face facing down and out. Gives you more outlet frequency, and hides them.
Gentran switch and plug near garage door for emergency gen. Needed one today here when storm knocked out power on a hot humid day for over 7 hours.
Use a counter-mounted air switch for your kitchen sink disposal.
Dimmers, dimmers, dimmers. If you even think you might want to dim it, dim it. Consider a Lutron Grafik Eye electronic gang dimmer. Really cool.
Run conduit for wherever you think you might want to add something in future, like satellite dish, low-voltage landscape lighting, etc.
Run speaker wire everywhere, and log where it is coiled behind drywall.
For that one phone near kitchen or mudroom where the answering machine will be, get one of those wall boxes from Leviton that has the low voltage transformer in it, so you don't have to have a cord dangling going to a stupid little transformer plugged into the necessary nearby receptacle. Your phone-answering-machine mounts to the box, and everything is self-contained.
Gene Davis, Davis Housewrights, Inc., Lake Placid, NY
Hey Gene, have you got a part no. for that Leviton transformer outlet?
No. I found it on the web by searching and surfing. My electrical contractor knew what it was, and got it from his supplier.
Edit. Found it! Here is a pic.
View Image
Gene Davis, Davis Housewrights, Inc., Lake Placid, NY
Edited 6/15/2005 6:21 am ET by Ima Wannabe
Way Cool!....thanks
Hmmm, seems like that could be easily mistaken for a network port. Is it a standard RJ45 socket?
I have no idea. Leviton makes this specifically for phone devices that are driven by low voltage power.Gene Davis, Davis Housewrights, Inc., Lake Placid, NY
Smartest thing a customer ever asked me to wire was outlets inside his bath vanity so he could leave his toothbrush, razor, hair-dryer, etc plugged in and out of sight in the drawers. I've passed that idea on hundreds of times and its always a big hit.-duke
I've seen it done in the rear of a drawer, so all the chargers could be in the drawer.Gene Davis, Davis Housewrights, Inc., Lake Placid, NY
Exactly. I suppose you could mount flex/bc from wall and actually have the box ride the drawer (CODE CHECK), but unless you use stranded wire--for breakage--and you don't wanna ever pull the drawer out, I think its better to put the outlet in the back of the cab and just let the cords hang over the drawer box and into the void.
Or put a plugstrip in the drawer and route the cord from the strip through the back to an outlet behind the drawer.If a cord doesn't want to fold/unfold right, do like they do on some computers and make a carrier for it: Use two pieces of stick or bar not quite as long as the drawer width. Hinge them together on one end and then hinge the two other ends to the drawer back (near one side) and the back of the cabinet (on the same side of the drawer opening). Strap the wire to these sticks.Of course you'd want one end at least to have a loose-pin hinge so you can remove the drawer all the way, etc.
Bare in mind that transformers have different outputs. I got the pass&seymour power module for my home network center, but all of the output is a specific voltage, and most of my network switches are not that voltage. Now they have one with switchable voltages, but I think it still doesn't cover my equipment.Maybe a deeply recessed outlet would work with any power brick.
I went through this several years ago when I designed my dream house. I did all the wiring. Unfortunately, after 18 years with the same company, I lost my job and had to sell the home after being in it for only 3 years. The new job is great.
Growing up my grandfather was an electrician, so dad was always putting something electrical in somewhere. When we grew up and he sold the house the new homeowner said one of the reasons he bought it was outlets everywhere. Hidden items won't matter to most potential buyers.
Here's my opinion. Good design is worth more than just sticking lots of the most expensive stuff all over the place. Who really needs outlets in the closet? Definitely plenty of outlets, but in places where you'd use them. Like someone else said, code is essentially 6' from a doorway and every 12' around the room for rooms that are lived in such as bedrooms. But, think about where you will place the bed and locate outlets on either side about where the nightstands will be. They'll be closer than 12', but in a useable spot. Hallways don't require outlets, but at least one is handy for plugging in a vacuum cleaner. Of course outdoor outlets, inside the garage just beside the overhead door, and one at the other end of the vehicles. In a room you plan on using as an office, put quad outlets in in each of the places where you think you might want a desk. In short, imagine all the normal things you will plug in (vacuum cleaner, Christmas lights, hedge trimmers) and where the outlet needs to be.
Put switches in convenient locations, where you or a guest would naturally reach for them. Since you plan on living in the house into your old age, don't put the outlets too low. Put lighted switches where you would be looking for them in the dark, and in guest rooms and bathrooms. Of course light switches by all the entrances.
A higher-end bathroom fan will be much quieter than a cheapo. I bought some with a built in night light, which takes an extra wire and switch. I wired the night light to the switch nearest the entrance, and put a lighted switch on that one. It is nice to not be blinded by the light on nighttime trips to the bathroom. Putting the other light on a dimmer is nice, too. I would not waste the money on using 20 amp circuits for the lighting circuits.
Install a whole-house surge suppressor right in the main panel. For this and for portable surge suppression to work properly you must have a good building ground. So make sure your ground rods are placed in good wet soil, deep enough, and connected by a continuous piece of ground wire fully sized per code, without splices.
As for panel size, a 200 amp 40 breaker panel is probably all anyone could ever need unless the house is unusually large. I would not waste money on top grade outlets and switches, but I would not get the cheap ones either. Spec grade is a reasonable compromise. I like the main panel in an unfinished space, such as a garage or basement, so adding additional circuits is easy. I hate surrounding them with drywall as spec builders do.
A generator panel is really a luxury. For what it and a generator costs you can throw out all the food in your fridge many times over. It is nice to have a gas heating stove or fireplace that will operate without electricity. You can hook them up to a thermostat set at, say 55°F, so if your power goes out while you are away, the gas heat comes on and your pipes won't freeze.
If you install a central vac (which I liked considerably) you'll need an electrical outlet within a couple of feet of each vacuum outlet to plug in the power head for carpets.
You should do an electrical plan as part of designing the house, and not just walk around and wing it when the time comes to start wiring.
Have fun.
DanH has the right idea. If you plan on living in the house until you die, think about the problem of stooping over in your old age to plug something in. Look at heights in Europe for your outlets. Around here it's about 1' off the floor. If I were doing it I would go at least 3' above floor height.
Quality repairs for your home.
AaronR Construction
Vancouver, Canada
might there be a thread somewhere about "dream house" features that could provide some of these answers?
http://forums.taunton.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=tp-breaktime&msg=56438.71
Dane
I will always be a beginner as I am always learning.
Network ports on the porch.... Forget wireless, eventually fiber will replace all other communication wires coming into the home.....
Off topic, but why do you think fiber will replace twisted pair? I recently wired my house, and after carefull consideration, I put in 4 Cat 6 and 2 RG 6 connectors at each box. Personally, I don't think fiber will have a major use IN the house. But take a look at everything that you can get now that runs on twisted pair. Speakers, security monitors, baby monitors, intercomm systems, you name it and there is a twisted pair solution out there.I think the capacity of twisted pair WITHIN a house is quite sufficient. Fiber might be run outside of the house, but I don't see anything coming along that will need fiber in the house.
fiber will replace twisted pair
Good point. Saw recently (but cannot remember where <grr>) that the average for households with computers is 2.4 computers per household (and a mean very near three).
That suggests that the "push" will be to wireless, at least by product marketing.
In-home fibreoptic has a bunch of issues, some are similar to the "last mile" problems with telco & cable. The connection to the actual equipment (PC, modem, router, etc.) becomes the limiting factor.
I'm supposed to go help diagnose a house with structured wiring later this week, so I may have a report "from the trenches" as it were.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Right now bandwidth in the home is limited by everything having to go over phone line or TV cable from outside. So you can watch movies over the Internet but they're pitiful little mpegs. People are imagining audio-visual applications that require gigabits or in some cases terabits of bandwidth. These applications will only become available to the home with fiber cable coming in from the street, and then wireless will be good for email and not much more. In more enlightened times the federal govt would have picked up the tab for this, along the lines of Eisenhower starting the interstate highway system, and the economic payoff would probably be similar. But people voted instead for tax cuts and foreign wars.
Wow - that must be a real bundle at your central media box!
I agree the Cat 6 is what you should string a house with - that or run Cat 5 inside EMT. There is a new wireless spec coming down the pike - "802.11N" that promisses both bandwidth and range, but even then it won't take the place of a wired connection which should be gigabit - and on a switch not a hub... if you have the bandwidth, you will use it. Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
TWO media boxes, but that's in part because I had to use the smaller ones to fit the space I put them (knee walls on the third floor).My point is that I would be very surprised to see anything inside the house that will need more bandwidth than can be achieved with twisted pair. I can move video over my gigabyte network just fine, if I can get it inside the house. Lots of pipes gives good bandwidth too.
I always liked the lighted face duplex receptacles that LEVITON sold. 8300HL
The entire face was illuminated instead of a teeny tiny pilot light it makes a very nice path light.
and while you are at it put those on one of the genny circuits
maddog