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Every month, we pick the top Ideas That Work submitted by you, ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR readers. These ideas can't be found in any code or guidebook and are only learned or devised through years of experience and thinking, "There's got to be a better way to do this!" Please remember, the ideas presented in this article are for consideration only. Before using such ideas, make sure codes and safety standards have been fully adhered to.
For a note on "game-changing ideas" from the Ideas That Work editor, Anton Mikec, click here.
Now, without further ado, here are this issue's Ideas That Work!
Glue with speed
Want a productive, faster and more efficient way to glue PVC conduit? Use a paint roller. When I do a large duct bank installation, I use a 4-in. paint roller with a quart lid attached. I pour PVC glue into gallon cans and into empty quart cans to use in the trenches. Using the roller to spread the glue on the PVC pipe makes it easier, quicker and cleaner.
Bill Boone
Chicopee, Mass.
Undercabinet spacer
When installing undercabinet lighting, a simple way to install the fixture is to use the box that the fixture came in. First, ensure the light is centered under the cabinet. Next, put the box against the back wall and hold it in place with the lighting fixture. Screw in the fixture. There is no need to measure, since the box will space the fixture evenly off of the wall.
Kim Duersch
Salt Lake City
Conduit stub-up cover
Take a 6-in. piece of 1½-in. PVC, glue a 1½-in. cap to the end of it and paint it orange to increase visibility. This device will fit on conduit stub-ups of raceway from ½ in. to 1¼ in. and help keep stub-ups clean from trash, mortar and other debris. It can be reused on many future jobs.
Breck Richbourg
Blue Ridge, Va.
Easy circuit tester
This is a simple, inexpensive circuit tracer to identify receptacle outlets on a circuit supplied by a 15- or 20-ampere circuit breaker. You’ll need a 100-watt outlet flasher, two wire cord caps, a pigtail socket and a 100W incandescent lamp. Plug the tester into the receptacle for which you want to know both the circuit and breaker that supplies the receptacle outlet. The lamp should flash on and off. Then, go to the open circuit breaker panelboard* and slowly attach an ammeter to each circuit conductor, one at a time. Take an amperage reading at each circuit until you find one where the amperage is increasing and decreasing as the tester’s lamp flashes. Circuits do not need to be turned off and on to detect which circuit supplies the outlet. When the lamp flashes, current is added and subtracted from the circuit without disturbing the load existing on the circuit.
Wayne Rodgers
Houston
IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA that has saved you time or money on the job, ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR readers would like to hear about it. Be sure to include a good photo of your idea—hand sketches are often hard to interpret. Note that some similar ideas are submitted by more than one person. In these cases, the one that is more clearly written and includes a photo is given precedence. Send your letter and photo to Jack Pullizzi, Ideas Editor, ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR, 3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 1100, Bethesda, MD 20814-5372, e-mail [email protected], or use the online submission tool at www.ecmag.com/ideasthatwork.
CASH AND TOOL PRIZES FOR WINNING IDEAS Each published author in Ideas That Work receives a $50 American Express gift card from ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR. In addition, Southwire (www.southwiretools.com) will send the following set of electrician’s tools to each month’s first-place winner:
• Cable cutter
• Fish tape
• Long nose pliers
• Side cutting pliers
• Diagonal cutting pliers
• Pump pliers
• Screwdriver
• Wire stripper
• Crimpers
• Multimeter
DISCLAIMER: The ideas presented in this article are for consideration only. Before using such ideas, make sure codes and safety issues have been fully adhered to. ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR disclaims any liability from your use of these or any other ideas. ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR reserves the right to reprint the words herein at its discretion.
