In this video, This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey installs a reserve tank so a homeowner can finally fill their tub with hot water for a relaxing bath.
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Master electrician Heath Eastman takes us on a house call to help solve a problem with a tripping breaker. Heath investigates and finds that the circuit has undersized wiring and power cords, and should be on its own breaker. He then installs a new 20-amp breaker and outlet in the basement to solve the issue.
If there are appliances in the basement tripping breakers throughout the rest of the home, there might be an issue with circuits. And the solution might be to install a new breaker, wiring, and outlets. Here’s how to do that.
Where to find it?
Heath identifies why a homeowner’s breaker trips when the dehumidifier is running. After, Heath installs a new basement circuit into the receptacle.
Heath uses an electrical outlet tester [https://amzn.to/3CqDsky] to see if the existing outlet has ground going to it.
Heath uses a drill [https://amzn.to/3qC43J1] and pilot drill bit to create a pilot hole in the stone foundation. He then installs a new work metal electrical box [https://amzn.to/42zAO6O] using screws [https://amzn.to/3X0fLcm]. Heath then uses a cordless jigsaw [https://amzn.to/3CpBQHW] and 1/2-inch offset bender for the conduit pipe.
Heath then runs a 12-gauge wire [https://amzn.to/3CrIf5r] from the new electrical box over to the electrical panel. He secures the wire to the joists overhead using a crown stapler [https://amzn.to/43GArc8] and electrical staples [https://amzn.to/3oQZlql].
Heath replaces one of the fillers on the circuit breaker with an arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) breaker [https://amzn.to/3qF1rdl], which is now required by code in Massachusetts whenever a receptacle is replaced.
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Materials:
Junction box [https://amzn.to/42zAO6O]
Masonry screws [https://amzn.to/3X0fLcm]
Cable clamps [https://amzn.to/3CsUyhU]
1×6, 1×8, or 1×10 pine boards [https://homedepot.sjv.io/5gAVdn]
1 ½ inch wood screws [https://homedepot.sjv.io/xky7KO]
Wire staples [https://amzn.to/3oQZlql]
20-amp outlet [https://homedepot.sjv.io/rQG7KB]
12/2 wire [https://amzn.to/3CrIf5r]
20-amp GFCI breaker [https://amzn.to/3qF1rdl]
Electrical tape [https://homedepot.sjv.io/an50oQ]
Tools:
Voltage tester (pen tester) [https://amzn.to/3CqDsky]
Screwdrivers [https://amzn.to/45ZW1d7]
Hammer drill and bits [https://amzn.to/3qC43J1]
Wire strippers [https://amzn.to/3NwqBDK]
Jigsaw [https://amzn.to/3CpBQHW]
Staple gun [https://amzn.to/43GArc8]
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From the makers of This Old House, America’s first and most trusted home improvement show, Ask This Old House answers the steady stream of home improvement questions asked by viewers across the United States. Covering topics from landscaping to electrical to HVAC and plumbing to painting and more. Ask This Old House features the experts from This Old House, including general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada, master carpenter Norm Abram, and host Kevin O’Connor. ASK This Old House helps you protect and preserve your greatest investment—your home.
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How To Install a New Basement Circuit | Ask This Old House
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Hanging things right on a wire? Well, who would ever…. Me, I've done that
Happy to see you wrap the receptacle with electrical tape. Now make a video convincing these curmudgeons
My god, what a clean basement.
That was an easy one ahh.
I would like to see a video that shows breaking down several rooms that are all tied into an overloaded breaker. Mapping out the circuit, breaking and capping off the daisy chain in strategic areas, adding a new breaker, running/fishing new wire to those rooms. Example I had 4 bedrooms all tied into one 15 amp breaker. An electrician came in and broke down each room to run on their own dedicated 15 amp. He added 3 new breakers, fished wires from the breaker box all the way through either the attic or from below to strategic areas. I thought it was cool, but wish I could have seen how it was done.
Johnny 5 over load. Johnny 5 need bigger wire.
He undid a Clark Griswold wire job.
With all due respect, I would have also separated all the outlets and the lighting circuit into individual circuits, thus forever creating a safe situation as people forget and can still place a heavy draw appliance creating an overload on the original circuitry.
This video makes me appreciate living in an area where the code requires wire-in-conduit instead of nm cable. Much safer and more robust.
When plugging a cord into a socket, why is it necessary to wear eye protection?
After all years of studying complex circuits analysis, complex mathematics and physics, all the electricians has to do is running some wires in the walls and make some connections? I never fully understood school ????
OMG THANK YOU FOR A NEW UPLOAD
Another great video guys ????????
I would put a 90° turn on the top of the conduit. Put a threaded conduit connector, threaded coupling and an nm connector. I would strip the nm cable after the connector and run it bare down the conduit.
For a electrician, I'm surprised that Heath didn't unplug those cords by holding the plugs instead of yanking the cords. Sets bad example.