In many older homes, you will find that they have a “razor only” receptacle in the bathroom.  These usually have a polished silver plate, mounted in a 4” X 4” box, and the outlet has only two prongs.  These were designed to isolate you from the grounded electrical system in your house by limiting the amount of current that could flow in a fault condition.

The Problem:

These are one-to-one transformers that have a fairly low load capacity and cannot operate today’s appliances, such as curling irons or blow dryers.  Also, changes to the electrical code required that these receptacles be connected to the light switch, so that they were on only when the bathroom was occupied, as they tended to get warm, and even hot, creating a potential fire hazard.

This is a problem if, for example, you use the outlet to plug in your re-chargeable electric toothbrush, or razor.  The batteries will only charge when the light is on.

Changes to the Electrical Code:

Today’s code requires that a GFCI breaker protect the outlet in the bathroom, or that the outlet itself be a GFCI receptacle.

A GFCI device protects you from electric shock by measuring the flow of electricity (current, or amps) and checks that all the current used by the appliance returns to earth via the neutral conductor.  If all the flow of current is not accounted for, down to as small of a leak as 5 milli-amps, (.005 amps), then the circuitry inside the GFCI device will trip in as quickly as 1/30^th of a second.  This protects you from getting a shock, or at least a bad enough shock to seriously hurt or even kill you.

GFCI Conversion Kit:

You will need is a GFCI conversion kit, and one of the best that we have found is manufactured by TEMCO.   You can purchase this at your local home improvement or hardware store.

Step One:

SAFETY FIRST!  Start by ensuring that the power is OFF.  You will need to arrange for some light, as the circuit that feeds the bathroom will have to be shut off before starting the project.

1.  Get a good battery powered flashlight or work light, or run an extension cord from an outlet on another circuit and set up a lamp or trouble light to work with.
2.   Check the panel directory to shut off the correct circuit.  Remember that often the panel directory is incorrectly identified as changes may have been made through the years, and not documented.
3.  Verify that you have the correct circuit shut off by checking with a voltage tester, or just plug in an electric radio in the razor outlet and then when you have the right breaker shut off, the radio will quit.

Start by removing the screws in the faceplate of the razor outlet.

Remove the screws that mount the transformer bracket to the 4” square device box. (You may have to pick out years of accumulated paint from the screw slots to enable you to remove the screws with the appropriate screwdriver.)

Once the screws are removed, it is a good idea to use a sharp knife to carefully cut the joint between the mounting plate and the wall, so that when you remove the bracket, the paint doesn’t stick to the plate making paint and/or drywall repairs necessary.

Step Four:

Once the plate is removed, take note of how the wires are connected.  You will have at least one black or red wire, and a white wire in the box.

In this example, we are fortunate to have both an unswitched conductor (black wires), and a switched conductor (red wires), along with neutral (white wires) spliced in the box.

The razor outlet is connected to the red wire (the switched conductor continuing on to the light fixture), and the white splice (neutral).

We can use the unswitched (black) splice to connect the GFCI receptacle, so that it will remain live, or hot, even when the switch is off.

Disconnect the wires to the transformer of the razor outlet.  Then toss it in the trash, as it is no good to anyone and does not meet today’s code, so it shouldn’t be re-used for anything but a paperweight.

You will probably have to connect a ground wire to the ground screw as the ground wire (s) were likely cut off.  As no tail was required for connection to the razor outlet, one wasn’t required.

You will need one ground wire for the GFCI receptacle ground (green) screw.  You may have to pigtail in a ground wire, wrap it around the screw and tighten it, and then onto the GFCI ground screw.  Always ensure that the ground path isn’t interrupted.

Mount the adapter bracket to the box using the box screws.

Bring the wires out through the rectangular hole in the plate for connection to the GFCI receptacle.

Connect the white wire(s) to the white or silver identified terminal of the GFCI receptacle.

If you have more than one wire, you can pigtail (splice the existing wires together, along with a short jumper wire for connection to the screw, using an approved wire connector).

You can also cut and strip both wires to the correct length and push them in under the terminal in the appropriate holes, and tighten the screws.  (That is how I connected them in this example).

Connect to the terminals identified as ‘line’, and NOT the ‘load’ terminals (see GFCI Receptacle diagram below for reference).

Step Ten:

Repeat step #9 for the black conductors

Splice the red wires together using an approved wire connector and tuck carefully into the back of the box.

 Step Twelve:

Once connected, check your connections by pulling on them to ensure that they are tight.

Mount the receptacle into the adapter plate using the device screws provided.

Step Fourteen:

Put on the silver faceplate with the screws provided.

Remove the protective film as the final step.

Step Sixteen:

Now you are ready to restore power to the circuit.  Make sure that the light works, and press the reset button on the GFCI receptacle.

Then press the test button, and the GFCI should click, and the reset button will pop out.

Reset again, and test the outlet with a circuit tester, or better yet, an electrical device such as a blow dryer, lamp, or radio.

Clean up the mess, and pat yourself on the back for a DIY job well done!

In summary, replacing a razor only receptacle  not only provides you with a safer outlet  that provides GFCI protection in your bathroom, but allows you to plug in all of your modern chargeable appliances.

Q:  I’m going to be installing an outdoor lamp post alongside of a driveway. I have a new lamp post assembly, which came with an 18/2 SJ cord prewired from its’ 3-lantern head down to the base of the pole assembly. The pole assembly will be mounted onto a 2ft deep concrete footing with a PVC conduit installed inside of the footing. A 14/2 NMWU cable will be run underground from the house to the lamp post.

Since the lamp post has an 18/2 SJ cord prewired down to the base of the pole assembly, I am wondering if the underground cable connection should be made at the base of the pole, where the prewired 18/2 SJ cord terminates –OR- should I remove the prewired cord, and run the underground cable through the pole to the lantern head? If the connection is to be made at the base of the pole, will it be necessary to install an electrical box on top of the footing where the base of the pole will sit? The base of the pole has also a large canopy. – Stephen

A:  Stephen, the base of the lamp pole itself is an approved junction box for the termination of the underground cable and connection to the SJ cord that is prewired from the lantern heads on down to the base.  When fixtures get appropriate approvals from accredited agencies, they approve the entire fixture as a whole, and a suitable location for the electrical connections is a part of that inspection.

You could run the NMWU cable up to the lantern head, but only if that is more convenient for you in some way, like easier access to the splice should something go wrong.  The advantage of that would be one less set of splices, thus one less potential trouble spot.

The only issue you may have in your project is the size of the underground wire.  I would check with your local electrical authority to make sure that #14/2 is large enough.  Some jurisdictions specify that 12 gauge wire is the minimum size allowed for underground installations.

So in conclusion here; no, you do not need to install a junction box on top of the PVC conduit at the base of the footing, the fixture itself is approved for the electrical connections.  Enjoy the light and good luck with the outdoor lamp post installation project!

The problem comes when the unit is not in use, and is parked and put away ready for the next opportunity to get out and enjoy the RV lifestyle.  Some are parked away in storage facilities which may or may not offer power to keep the unit plugged in.  Some people are fortunate to have the room and are allowed to park their units near their home on their own property.  It is a good idea to keep the unit plugged into power when not in use, especially in colder climates where a discharged battery or batteries can be destroyed by freezing temperatures.  In most cases a 15A, 125V circuit is enough to provide the basic power required keeping the batteries charged up but when you want to prepare the unit for a trip, it’s nice to have full use of all the on-board appliances such as the furnace, refrigerator, and possibly the air conditioner.  This is when you need to have the proper connection for full, or at least partial use of all the on-board conveniences.  Many of the large units now need a 50A, 125/250V connection for the full electrical service to the unit, but the majority of your RVs need a 30A, 125V supply.  Even the larger units will have the option to run on 30A where 50A is not available.

In this post (which includes a step-by-step video and full article), I am going to guide you through the installation of a dedicated, 30A, 125V R.V. receptacle so that you may have the luxury of being able to provide power to your stored RV when parked, hopefully in a location close enough to the unit to avoid the use of extension cords.

In this situation I am using my electrical demonstration wall located inside my attached garage to complete the project.  This location will work for me when I have my motorhome here at our house as we prepare to move in or out of the unit as required.  I can park out front of the house and the power supply cable will reach this outlet quite comfortably.

Location for the RV Receptacle:

The first step is to decide on a location for the receptacle, and then decide how you are going to supply the outlet.  Consider where the service panel is, or the closest sub-panel.  Then check to see if the panel has the room to accommodate another circuit, and the ampacity to supply the new load.  Once you have picked a good location for the box, and determined how you are going to run the supply wire to the panel, the next step is a trip to the electrical aisle of a home improvement store to gather supplies.  You will need:

Materials Required to Wire an RV Receptacle:

1.  The correct manufacturer, size, and style of the required 30A, single pole breaker.
2.  A sufficient length of cable, and the appropriate type of cable for your particular installation.  In my case here, standard NMD-90 cable will work, and #10/2 will be what is needed.
3.  Cable connectors for each end to enter the panel and the junction box
4.  An RV receptacle.  In this situation, a flush mount 30A, 125V, (NEMA TT or RV-30R).
5.  A 4×4 metal junction / outlet box
6.  The correct size mounting / cover plate
7.  Cable staples or straps, screws, etc.
8.  The standard set of electrician’s tools, screwdrivers, wire-strippers, hammer, electrical meter, personal protective equipment, etc.

Steps to Wiring an RV  Receptacle:

1.  Once the box location is determined, and you’ve found a path to get your cable to the panel, the first step is to run the cable and mount the box.  In my situation I am showing a fairly typical situation of an installation that may occur on a plywood covered wall inside a garage.  The plywood will be screwed or nailed on to the wall studs so it can be removed where needed in order to run the cable through the walls to the panel location.  I am bringing the cable in to the back of the box so that no cable is exposed on the wall surface thus requiring mechanical protection, or cable suitable for surface installation in a dry location such as BX or armoured cable.

2.  Run the cable through the wall studs behind the plywood to the panel location.

3.  Mount the box so that a hole can be drilled in to the plywood between studs, but close enough to a stud to allow wood screws to secure the box firmly to the wall.  The hole will need to be large enough to accommodate the cable connector when installed.  Strip the appropriate amount of the cable jacket (6- 8”) and insert the cable into the back of the box though the connector and tighten the lock nut and the connector screws.  Ensure you tighten the cable connector down on the external jacket and not on the wires.  Then put the box in place and secure to the wall with wood screws.

4.  Wrap the bare ground wire clockwise around the box ground screw 180 degrees and tighten the screw.  Leave the cable long enough length beyond the grounding screw so the wire can reach the ground terminal on the receptacle and tighten firmly.  Strip ¾” of insulation from the neutral (white) and the hot (black) conductors and insert them in the identified terminals on the receptacle and tighten the terminal screws on each terminal.

5.  Now mount the receptacle to the cover plate with the machine screws provided and then mount the plate to the box.  Take care not to pinch the wires between the plate and the box when pushing the excess wire in to the box.

6.  At the panel, pick a knock-out that is easy to work with to allow the cable to enter the panel.  With the main breaker, or the breaker that feeds the sub-panel off, and checked that it is off with your electrical meter, mount the cable connector into the knock-out.  Strip enough cable jacket so that you have plenty of wire length to reach the farthest corner of the panel.  Then insert your cable and tighten the cable connector, again ensuring that it tightens down of the jacket of the cable and not on the exposed individual conductors.

7.  Now connect the bare ground wire to an available ground lug mounted to the panel tub in the back of the panel.

8.  Next connect the neutral conductor to the neutral buss bar in the panel.

9.  Then mount the breaker in the next available spot in the panel and push firmly in place.  Then connect the black wire to the breaker terminal.

10.  Remove the appropriate breaker knock-out in the panel cover to accommodate the new breaker position.

11.  Install the panel cover.  It’s a good idea to shut off each individual breaker in the panel before turning the main feed breaker back on.  Then turn on each breaker one at a time, including the newly installed circuit breaker.

12.  Now test your work.  Using your meter, and setting it to the appropriate AC voltage scale, insert one meter lead into the hot and the other lead into the neutral slot of the receptacle.  You should get somewhere around 120V.  Then check from the hot slot to the ground terminal.  Again you should read somewhere around 120V.  Now check from neutral to ground.  The reading should 0 volts.

13.  You are now ready to plug in your RV and test the electrical components of the RV for proper operation.

Having a proper outlet to plug in your RV while storing it at home, or while preparing the unit for the next camping trip will help eliminate a lot of frustrating problems that can occur due to dead batteries, and it will be very convenient to have everything in working order prior to hitting the open road for your next RV adventure.

I received such a request recently and decided to create a video response and share it with my website visitors. In this situation, the existing circuit offered some challenges for the DIYer posing the question.

The video response, article and wiring diagrams outlining how you can accomplish adding a receptacle to an existing circuit follow below.

Question -  How To Add a Receptacle to an Existing Circuit:

Q: Presently I have two lights on a switch, and I want to add an outlet so that the outlet is live, even when the switch is off.  I wired the outlet from the first light but it only works when the switch and lights are on.  The second light has a wire from the first light, also.  Should I wire the outlet from the second light?  What is my solution?   -  Alive

A: The problem for you here is that the power coming to these two light fixtures is switched, so you don’t have a constant ‘hot’ wire at the light outlets. Unless you have 3-wire cable coming from the switch up to the first light (and I doubt that you have), then the only way to get your outlet to work the way you want is to wire it from the switch position. Then you can pig-tail splice into the supply cable.

If you had a 3-wire cable in the first light, then it is likely that this is wired so that the red conductor is the switched conductor for the light or lights, and the black wire that may be tucked in to the back of the light outlet is a constant hot. Here is how a circuit like this is connected.

It’s most likely that you will have to take your new outlet from the switch.

Remember that you will have to consider box fill at the switch. If the outlet box is a standard sized metal box, you will likely need to replace it with a larger box to accommodate the six conductors that you will now have entering/exiting that box.

You will also need to count up the number of outlets (light and receptacles) that are on this particular circuit to make sure that the new receptacle you add doesn’t exceed the maximum number allowed for a 15, or 20A circuit, whatever you case may be. For general purpose circuits, you are only allowed 12 outlets on a 15 amp circuit, and 16 on a 20 amp circuit.

As you can see from this scenario, adding a receptacle or outlet to an existing circuit requires you to take into consideration the existing wiring to the circuit, and particularly the load that will be placed on the circuit.  Safety First!

Question Regarding a Kitchen Split Receptacle Circuit:

Q: We have an electrical outlet that has 240 to one plug and the other plug has 120.  There are three wires involved in this counter top plug; red white and black.

Red plus white = 120 volts

White plus black = 120 volts

Black and red = 240 volts!  Ouch!

Any idea on how to fix?  – Trish

Understanding the Kitchen Split Receptacle Circuit:

Trish, what you have is actually a perfectly normal situation which meets the code rules in many electrical jurisdictions.  This is what is known as a split receptacle kitchen circuit.

It is fed by a 2-pole, 15A circuit breaker, and uses 14/2 cable.  In this situation, the neutral is shared between the two hot wires (red and black) that come from the panel.

You are correct in that you do have 240V between the black and the red conductors.  However, the receptacle is wired so as to only have 120V in each half of the duplex receptacle, and the brass tab is broken between the top and the bottom half of the receptacle on the hot (brass) side of the device, but remains intact on the neutral side.  This way the two circuits that feed this outlet “share” the neutral connection.

Kitchen Split Receptacle Circuit Wiring Diagram:

Because the two circuits are from opposite sides of the panel, the neutral will only carry the unbalance load.  So if you are using a toaster plugged into the top half, and it is using 8A on circuit #1, and the coffee maker plugged into the bottom half using 6 amps, then the neutral will only be carrying 2 amps of current back to the panel.  The maximum that the neutral conductor will carry on a circuit like this is the maximum that one of the appliances that are plugged in will draw.

The new code now requires all kitchen receptacles to be protected by ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) receptacles, and must have at least two 20A circuits supplying general purpose kitchen receptacles.

Split kitchen receptacles are still quite common, and are still allowed in some jurisdictions.  However, where the new code rules have been adopted, the existing installations are grandfathered and are not and will not be mandated to be rewired.  I personally like the kitchen 3-wire circuits as I think they offer more flexibility on counter top appliance locations and configurations with plenty of capacity to supply the various power requirements.  However, the complicating issue and change motivating factor was the requirement for GFCI protected outlets in the kitchen area, and protection of split circuitry is more complicated and more expensive to achieve than using 20A GFCI receptacles with feed-through capability.

I received the following e-mail from a website visitor who was experiencing problems after replacing a single lamp light fixture with a three-lamp light fixture.  In the following video and text, I discuss how to troubleshoot light fixture wiring problems.

A Common Light Fixture Wiring Problem

Q: I have a three-light fixture it came pre-wired. I’m replacing a single light chandelier light fixture. I wired it up the same way ground to ground white to white and black (hot) to hot but only one of the three lights works. What did I do wrong? The fixture is in a hall way that can be controlled by two different single switches, one at the top of the stairs and one at the bottom of the stairs.     – Brian

Troubleshooting Light Fixture Wiring Problems

A: It’s not likely that you did anything drastically wrong here Brian, and the fact that the light fixture is controlled by a 3-way switch network is irrelevant.

The problem could be something quite simple, yet easily overlooked – check to make sure the light bulbs you are using in the fixture are good.  It might be just a matter of replacing two bad bulbs!  However, if that isn’t the case, you’ll have to dig a little deeper to determine the light fixture wiring problem.

Without actually seeing the fixture, and given your description of how you connected it, everything sounds okay except the part where you say “ground to ground white to white and black (hot) to hot”. What concerns me here is that you probably had more than one set of wires coming out of the new fixture that needed to be connected.

Let’s look at this fixture, which is a two-light fixture, but the concept is the same.

See here that you have two sets of wires that need to be connected in order for both of the lamps to work.  Unless the fixture you had has connections somewhere internally inside the light fixture itself, you most likely missed two of the three sets of wires.

Below is a diagram that shows what the problem may be with your three-lamp fixture.

Steps to Correcting a Light Fixture Wiring Problem

Here’s what we need to do to correct the problem.  Pull down the new light fixture and see if you missed a couple sets of wires tucked somewhere inside the canopy.  Sometimes the manufacturer ties the wires up in nice little bundles and secures them by wrapping the ground wire around them and it’s possible that you didn’t look close enough and missed them.

If that doesn’t solve your problem, then you likely have a defective light fixture with either a problem with the connections to the lamp-holders, or the lamp-holders themselves.  Either way you should be able to return the fixture to the retail outlet that you purchased it at for a replacement, or a refund.

Troubleshooting a light fixture wiring problem often involves a little backtracking to make sure those all important wiring steps were not missed.  Eliminate any of the most probable causes and systematically work through until you can identify the reason.  And remember – safety first!

Wiring the keyless ceiling light fixture or lamp holder is a common DIY wiring task, however, as with all work involving electrical, necessary safety precautions must be followed.  In the following video, I demonstrate the steps to installing and wiring the common “plastic (or sometimes porcelain) chandelier”, or as it is better known, the keyless light fixture.

One of the most interesting, yet least thought about safety aspects within the home are the innovations in the evolution of smoke detectors and alarms. Smoke alarms have been mandated to be a part of the home’s safety system, and testing monthly and replacing the batteries with the change of seasons is something that is discussed annually with Fire Safety Week. Whether or not this gets done is another subject. All I can say is “do it”!  However, have you given any thought as to the effectiveness of the typical smoke alarm signal?

Studies have found that children, the elderly, people under the influence of alcohol or drugs or who are sleep-deprived, have difficulty awakening to the beeping of hallway smoke alarms. These studies have shown that only 46% of children aged 6 to 15 woke reliably to traditional smoke alarm signals. Some manufacturers have reacted to this information and created an alternative to the generally accepted alarm tones. They have developed a detector that allows parents to record a personalized message in their own voice, instructing children to wake up and escape safely during a fire emergency. This human voice alarm was developed in response to documented research showing a familiar voice consistently awakens children from deep sleep. These same studies show that a smoke alarm that used a recorded familiar voice like a mother’s or father’s urging these children to wake up woke 100% of the children in one minute or less. Another benefit is that a familiar voice alarm helped children stay calmer in a traumatic situation.  Take a moment and watch this for yourself:

Another simple, yet life saving practice is incorporating a home fire escape plan into your household.  Each member of your family should be fully trained in what to do in the event of a fire, and the steps to escape the house safely.

While reviewing safety, it’s a great time to upgrade your home’s receptacles to the now mandated tamper-proof receptacles.   According to the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), in the United States alone, an average of seven children per day are treated in hospital emergency rooms for electrical shocks and burns due to contact with standard wall receptacles.  Tamper resistant receptacles are designed to only allow the simultaneous insertion of an electrical plug into an outlet. If a child (or misguided adult) attempts to insert an object such as a small screwdriver or a paper clip into just one of the slots, the mechanism inside will physically prevent this from happening, avoiding a potentially harmful electrical shock.

While you’re at it, take into consideration all the necessary safety precautions and devices available to prevent small children from climbing up and pushing out the screens on upper floor windows. Common sense goes a long way here. Protecting our children is our responsibility and should be taken very seriously. No one should have to endure the pain of causing harm to or losing a child, especially if the cause was preventable.

All of the products discussed in today’s post can be purchased safely and securely online through Amazon:

In this video, I demonstrate the wiring and installation of a Hunter Five Minute Fan.  While I found the job extended beyond the five minute mark, there were definite benefits to this new design that simplified the process.

Overall impression?  Great improvement to a traditionally tedious home wiring project.  If you’re looking to find a quality ceiling fan that installs easily, the Hunter Five Minute Fan is an excellent choice for the DIYer.

These and other great fans are available for purchase safely and securely through Amazon.  A few options are shown below: