I've got a background in electronics and engineering, and am just starting a small smart-home/LVDC install company, doing my first 'big job'. I figure I'll end up doing a mile of wire in this place, and I normally use 'boring normal wire strippers', which have multiple gauge sizes in their jaws, so for every wire, I put the right amount in the right tooth-section, strip, and repeat.

But I'll be doing that for weeks coming up, and 90% of what I do is the same needed strip length (for Wago or push-block connectors) on the same gauge.

Is/are there better strippers to make me more effective? A stripper that was just for one gauge seems relevant - If I'm always doing 16 AWG, a stripper that only has that opening would save me error and time. Similarly, if it had a guide/guard/etc that I could set to the right length to strip, it would ensure I always remove the right amount of insulation.

So - does something better exist? What brand/model/etc should/can I buy to try and be just a bit faster and more consistent?

So we have a project about making resistors in different connections (series, parallel, and combination). What I want to know is how I can create a creative diagram for each connection + where do I put 2 bulbs on each of it.

How much would an electrical company charge vs what me and another apprentice should charge to covert 75 fluorescent light fixtures to LED and replace a 16’ light. In total it’s 300 bulbs and material is already paid for. We want to be cheaper than hiring a company to do it but want to make enough to split between us two and still be worth our time.

I’ll be running 100+ ft of 4thhn (2 hot, 1 neutral) from my main to a woodshop subpanel. 6thhn from the subpanel to a dedicated grounding rod (5/8 @8ft) in the concrete just below the subpanel (rod will be driven in the ground before the concrete is poured).

Any problems with this? Or do I have to have a ground coming from the main? Am I ok with surrounding the ground rod in concrete?

I’ll have an electrician hook up the wire to the main and sub, I’m just digging and running the conduit/wire

Do I need to scrub it off before plug in? Newly bought from Lowe's, seems like intentional. Hope it's conductive.

Hey electricians!

We have an old electric stove that seems to have developed a problem. One of the burners, which used to take a while to heat up, now gets blazing hot almost instantly - at almost any place on the dial. A little bit of research led us to this article which indicates a "faulty infinite switch":

https://www.d3sservice.com/blog/what-to-do-when-a-burner-only-runs-on-high

We're planning a renovation or complete knock-down at some stage soonish, so ideally won't spend much money on this stove, but of course we want it to be safe and usable in the meantime. What are your expert opinions on:

a) Whether the above diagnosis is likely to be correct (I know you can't say for sure without seeing it! just looking for probability, and whether we might be missing another obvious possibility) and

b) How much (a $ range would be great!) we should expect an Australian electrican would charge to come out and fix it (assuming we can't fix it ourselves - our guess is we probably shouldn't try, with something that could set the house on fire)?

We're in the ACT, Canberra, and the stove is this model:

https://www.westinghouse.com.au/cooking/freestanding-ovens/pek1350w/

Thanks for any info or general advice!

My cousin in Missouri said he knows of a power generation electrician making $150/hr at a local powerhouse. I called BS, but he is adamant. I am a Supt for a large commercial/industrial electrical contractor on the west coast and havent heard of this kind of money for an electrician in the midwest.

Thoughts?

Recently, I've fallen into the rabbit hole of LED Lights. What I wanted to know is how a really bright LED bulb can only be powered by 5 watts while another teeny tiny LED light for a toy is powered at only roughly 5 watts too, and the effects are so different from each other.

Is there a trick they're leaving out. Or is there something in the bulb that amplifies the brightness of the LED?

I have one of these lights that look a bit like this https://www.deepdiscountlighting.com/tech_lighting_wall_monorail.html to illuminate some of my framed posters. I was hanging a poster yesterday and was taking measurements with a metal ruler that I usually use for baking. When the metal touched the lamp, there was a spark and the bulbs went dead. Using a voltage tester I can still confirm that there's electricty going through the fixture, but the lights won't turn on any more even with new bulbs. So did I destroy my light fixture with a metal ruler?

Wondering if I should buy a new light fixture as a replacement, or if an electrician will be able to fix it without replacement. Either way I'll probably hire a professional but not sure if I should have a replacement before they come.

I’m installing 1/2” EMT on an outside wall using Raintight connectors and couplings. Using a standard box offset to keep the EMT flat against the wall worked fine with the box connectors but now I need to use a coupling and obviously that won’t allow the conduit to remain flat against the wall. What is the proper solution for this? Do you need an offset on both sides coming into the coupling?

Current old GE split bus panel has:
four out of six double pole switches currently filled (one for the bottom circuits
8 regular switches
8 tandem switches in 4 slots

I'd like to switch to more electrical appliances over time and will be over 200A on the split bus quickly by adding a couple high draw 240v appliances.

I'd like to add more circuits and get a modern breaker, probably staying at the same amperage. Any idea approximately how much this might cost?

We also have stranded aluminum coming in - is this a concern and should be replaced, or is it generally okay?

Thanks!