Every month, we pick the top four 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. Now, without further ado, here are this issue's Ideas That Work!

Flag finder
When pulling low-voltage wires in agricultural buildings, knowing where to come through the ceiling can be a hassle, but it is also very important. To make things easier, I make a ¼-in. hole from inside the building exactly where I want to place the wire or sensor. Then, instead of trying to find the holes in the attic or rafters, I simply push a brightly colored marking flag through the hole and stuck a piece of electrical tape over the hole to keep it in place. The loosely blown insulation in the rafters also helps to keep the flag standing. After doing this for all sensor locations, I can place them all precisely and make only one trip into the attic.

Shawn Wipf, Scotland, S.D.

PVC glue stick
I was tired of reaching for my slip joint pliers to open my can of PVC glue, then fumbling with the cap. I attached a 3-in. piece of 2-by-2 wood to the top of the cap with a few screws. Now I have an easy way to open the glue tool and have something to grip other than that dinky cap. Also, I can reuse this cap on the next can of glue.

Douglas Ferree, Wilcox, Neb.

GFCI tester
Installing a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) receptacle on a circuit that already has one can cause these devices to malfunction if not wired correctly. When adding receptacles to an existing circuit where the existence of other devices is unknown, you can temporarily pigtail a regular receptacle to the new circuit wires and then re-energize the circuit. Insert the GFCI receptacle tester, and press the button. If the circuit is tripped, you now know there is an existing GFCI receptacle somewhere in the circuit, and you can install the regular one instead. If you choose to install a receptacle anyway, make sure it receives “line” input instead of “load or feed-through” input from the other GFCI receptacle for them both to work properly.

John Hemmings, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Tool bag saver
Does your drywall saw blade damage your tool bag? Take a scrap piece of ¾-in. PVC, Schedule 40, and cut it to about ½ in. longer than the blade length. Now you have a protective sleeve for the blade. No more cuts on fingers, tool bags or pouches.

James Robertson, Fort Wayne, Ind.

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.