Outdoor Weatherproof Receptacles

I use a series of solid-state relays so all the holiday lights are
controlled by ONE timer, and so go on and off at the same time. This
is a temporary setup That I put out in the middle of October (a few
Halloween lights). The individual outlets still have GFCIs.

> I've also heard, though

>unsubstantiated, that it's not a good idea to use the GFCI "test" switch as

>an on/off switch. Apparently it wasn't meant for constant use as such.

--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"So far as I can remember, there is not one word
in the Gospels in praise of intelligence."
--Bertrand Russell

Posted by Wayne Boatwright on April 27, 2008, 10:49 am

On Sun 27 Apr 2008 06:25:30a, Mark Lloyd told us...

> On Sun, 27 Apr 2008 02:31:02 GMT, Wayne Boatwright

>>On Sat 26 Apr 2008 06:25:59p, Mark Lloyd told us...

>>> On Sun, 27 Apr 2008 00:15:52 GMT, Wayne Boatwright

>>>

>>>>On Sat 26 Apr 2008 04:43:43p, Tony Hwang told us...

>>>>

>>>>> Wayne Boatwright wrote:

>>>>>> On Sat 26 Apr 2008 04:21:56p, Tony Hwang told us...

>>>>>>

>>>>>>>Wayne Boatwright wrote:

>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>This is a question of curiosity more than anything, as I don't

>>>>>>>>plan to make changes to the way I have installed outdoor outlets.

>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>In several homes, including the present one where I am currently

>>>>>>>>installing outdoor outlets, this has been my method...

>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>At a point opposite on the inside of the house where a receptable

>>>>>>>>already exists, I drill a hole in the outside wall (cedar), and

>>>>>>>>from the inside, push through a length of exterior grade "romex"

>>>>>>>>(the same guage as the interior wiring) through an existing

>>>>>>>>self-clamping opening in the interior junction box to the outside

>>>>>>>>and through the hole. I connect the inside wires to the existing

>>>>>>>>receptacle.

>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>On the outside, I seal the hole around the romex with silicone

>>>>>>>>sealant, and mount an exterior weatherproof box (also sealed

>>>>>>>>behind it with silicone swealant. After the sealant has cured, I

>>>>>>>>connect a GFCI receptacle to the romex and mount it in the box. I

>>>>>>>>then attach an "always in use" hooded cover plate to complete the

>>>>>>>>installation.

>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>While I know this has proven to be safe over all the years I've

>>>>>>>>used this technique, I wonder whether it is really according to

>>>>>>>>code, and if not, what exactly would the code require instead.

>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>BTW, I currently live in Mesa, AZ, if that makes a difference.

>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>Thanks for any responses.

>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>Hi,

>>>>>>>And better be on GFCI circuit.

>>>>>>>

>>>>>>

>>>>>> The receptacle I install in the box is GFCI. I need more than

>>>>>> that?

>>>>>>

>>>>> Hi,

>>>>> You are OK then. My exterior ones are daisy chained. And Jacuzzi tub

>>>>> is the only one having it's own GFCI breaker.

>>>>>

>>>>

>>>>Each of my exterior outlets is a one-off with an indoor outlet

>>>>(although some of these are on the same circuit in the main panel),

>>>>and each has its own GFCI receptacle. Back in OH when we had a

>>>>Jacuzzi tub, it also had its own GFCI breaker. I presently have no

>>>>GFCI breakers in my main panel. For now I don't think there's a need.

>>>> It's a brand new home, and every outlet that needs GFCI protection

>>>>has it's on protected outlet.

>>>>

>>>>One flaw that I made in the first house where I installed exterior

>>>>outlets was replacing the interior receptacle with a GFCI, then

>>>>feeding the exterior outlet. It was inconvenient when something

>>>>outside would cause a fault and whatever was plugged in inside would

>>>>also go out. Lesson learned. :-)

>>>>

>>>

>>> I know someone around here who has 2 exterior receptacles wired to

>>> interior ones, with the GFCI in the interior location. This makes it

>>> easy to control holiday lights without having to go out in bad

>>> weather.

>>>

>>>>Thanks for your comments...

>>Well, yes it does, if you don't mind tripping the circuit and not being

>>able to use the indoor socket when you want the holiday light off. I

>>need the full time use of the interior sockets. As far as holiday

>>lights, I have mine on weatherproof plug-in timers.

> I use a series of solid-state relays so all the holiday lights are

> controlled by ONE timer, and so go on and off at the same time. This

> is a temporary setup That I put out in the middle of October (a few

> Halloween lights). The individual outlets still have GFCIs.

Great idea... Are these anything like the X-10 devices? I used these in a
previous home for all interior lighting, either in wall switches or plug-in
modules.

>> I've also heard, though

>>unsubstantiated, that it's not a good idea to use the GFCI "test" switch

>>as an on/off switch. Apparently it wasn't meant for constant use as

>>such.

--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Sunday, 04(IV)/27(XXVII)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
Today is: Rogation Sunday
Countdown till Memorial Day
4wks 16hrs 15mins
-------------------------------------------
Yo! Ewige Blumenkraft, Dude!
-------------------------------------------

Posted by on April 27, 2008, 11:08 am

On Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:49:22 GMT, Wayne Boatwright

>On Sun 27 Apr 2008 06:25:30a, Mark Lloyd told us...

>> On Sun, 27 Apr 2008 02:31:02 GMT, Wayne Boatwright

>>>On Sat 26 Apr 2008 06:25:59p, Mark Lloyd told us...

>>>

>>>> On Sun, 27 Apr 2008 00:15:52 GMT, Wayne Boatwright

>>>>

>>>>>On Sat 26 Apr 2008 04:43:43p, Tony Hwang told us...

>>>>>

>>>>>> Wayne Boatwright wrote:

>>>>>>> On Sat 26 Apr 2008 04:21:56p, Tony Hwang told us...

>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>Wayne Boatwright wrote:

>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>>This is a question of curiosity more than anything, as I don't

>>>>>>>>>plan to make changes to the way I have installed outdoor outlets.

>>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>>In several homes, including the present one where I am currently

>>>>>>>>>installing outdoor outlets, this has been my method...

>>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>>At a point opposite on the inside of the house where a receptable

>>>>>>>>>already exists, I drill a hole in the outside wall (cedar), and

>>>>>>>>>from the inside, push through a length of exterior grade "romex"

>>>>>>>>>(the same guage as the interior wiring) through an existing

>>>>>>>>>self-clamping opening in the interior junction box to the outside

>>>>>>>>>and through the hole. I connect the inside wires to the existing

>>>>>>>>>receptacle.

>>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>>On the outside, I seal the hole around the romex with silicone

>>>>>>>>>sealant, and mount an exterior weatherproof box (also sealed

>>>>>>>>>behind it with silicone swealant. After the sealant has cured, I

>>>>>>>>>connect a GFCI receptacle to the romex and mount it in the box. I

>>>>>>>>>then attach an "always in use" hooded cover plate to complete the

>>>>>>>>>installation.

>>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>>While I know this has proven to be safe over all the years I've

>>>>>>>>>used this technique, I wonder whether it is really according to

>>>>>>>>>code, and if not, what exactly would the code require instead.

>>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>>BTW, I currently live in Mesa, AZ, if that makes a difference.

>>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>>Thanks for any responses.

>>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>Hi,

>>>>>>>>And better be on GFCI circuit.

>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>

>>>>>>> The receptacle I install in the box is GFCI. I need more than

>>>>>>> that?

>>>>>>>

>>>>>> Hi,

>>>>>> You are OK then. My exterior ones are daisy chained. And Jacuzzi tub

>>>>>> is the only one having it's own GFCI breaker.

>>>>>>

>>>>>

>>>>>Each of my exterior outlets is a one-off with an indoor outlet

>>>>>(although some of these are on the same circuit in the main panel),

>>>>>and each has its own GFCI receptacle. Back in OH when we had a

>>>>>Jacuzzi tub, it also had its own GFCI breaker. I presently have no

>>>>>GFCI breakers in my main panel. For now I don't think there's a need.

>>>>> It's a brand new home, and every outlet that needs GFCI protection

>>>>>has it's on protected outlet.

>>>>>

>>>>>One flaw that I made in the first house where I installed exterior

>>>>>outlets was replacing the interior receptacle with a GFCI, then

>>>>>feeding the exterior outlet. It was inconvenient when something

>>>>>outside would cause a fault and whatever was plugged in inside would

>>>>>also go out. Lesson learned. :-)

>>>>>

>>>>

>>>> I know someone around here who has 2 exterior receptacles wired to

>>>> interior ones, with the GFCI in the interior location. This makes it

>>>> easy to control holiday lights without having to go out in bad

>>>> weather.

>>>>

>>>>>Thanks for your comments...

>>>

>>>Well, yes it does, if you don't mind tripping the circuit and not being

>>>able to use the indoor socket when you want the holiday light off. I

>>>need the full time use of the interior sockets. As far as holiday

>>>lights, I have mine on weatherproof plug-in timers.

>> I use a series of solid-state relays so all the holiday lights are

>> controlled by ONE timer, and so go on and off at the same time. This

>> is a temporary setup That I put out in the middle of October (a few

>> Halloween lights). The individual outlets still have GFCIs.

>Great idea... Are these anything like the X-10 devices? I used these in a

>previous home for all interior lighting, either in wall switches or plug-in

>modules.

An easy way to do this is to put an SSR in a Bell Box with a 120v
cordset, receptacle and a low voltage cable going to a wall wart.
Plug the wall wart into the timer controlled strings and plug the
power to another circuit. Then you are still controlling additional
lights with the timer but you are using another circuit.

Posted by Mark Lloyd on April 27, 2008, 5:43 pm

On Sun, 27 Apr 2008 11:08:24 -0400, gfretwell@aol.com wrote:

[snip]

>>> I use a series of solid-state relays so all the holiday lights are

>>> controlled by ONE timer, and so go on and off at the same time. This

>>> is a temporary setup That I put out in the middle of October (a few

>>> Halloween lights). The individual outlets still have GFCIs.

>>Great idea... Are these anything like the X-10 devices? I used these in a

>>previous home for all interior lighting, either in wall switches or plug-in

>>modules.

>An easy way to do this is to put an SSR in a Bell Box with a 120v

>cordset, receptacle and a low voltage cable going to a wall wart.

>Plug the wall wart into the timer controlled strings and plug the

>power to another circuit. Then you are still controlling additional

>lights with the timer but you are using another circuit.

I do that, with long (low voltage) wires between them so all my lights
come on and flash together. I have some pictures of the lights at
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com/winter.html Click on any thumbnail
to see a larger picture.

You can't see the flashing in the pictures, but one side of the yard
flashes "Happy Holidays" (or other sayings) in Morse code and the
other side flashes out of phase (so there's always some lit).

All these used to require 7 circuits, but since most of the colored
lights are LEDs, that's 4 circuits now. I now use 9 SSRs: 4 for
always-on stuff, 4 for flashing lights, and 1 (NC) to disable an
electric heater while the lights are on.
--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"So far as I can remember, there is not one word
in the Gospels in praise of intelligence."
--Bertrand Russell

Posted by Wayne Boatwright on April 27, 2008, 6:43 pm

On Sun 27 Apr 2008 02:43:53p, Mark Lloyd told us...

> On Sun, 27 Apr 2008 11:08:24 -0400, gfretwell@aol.com wrote:

> [snip]

>>>> I use a series of solid-state relays so all the holiday lights are

>>>> controlled by ONE timer, and so go on and off at the same time. This

>>>> is a temporary setup That I put out in the middle of October (a few

>>>> Halloween lights). The individual outlets still have GFCIs.

>>>

>>>Great idea... Are these anything like the X-10 devices? I used these

>>>in a previous home for all interior lighting, either in wall switches

>>>or plug-in modules.

>>>

>>An easy way to do this is to put an SSR in a Bell Box with a 120v

>>cordset, receptacle and a low voltage cable going to a wall wart.

>>Plug the wall wart into the timer controlled strings and plug the

>>power to another circuit. Then you are still controlling additional

>>lights with the timer but you are using another circuit.

> I do that, with long (low voltage) wires between them so all my lights

> come on and flash together. I have some pictures of the lights at

> http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com/winter.html Click on any thumbnail

> to see a larger picture.

> You can't see the flashing in the pictures, but one side of the yard

> flashes "Happy Holidays" (or other sayings) in Morse code and the

> other side flashes out of phase (so there's always some lit).

> All these used to require 7 circuits, but since most of the colored

> lights are LEDs, that's 4 circuits now. I now use 9 SSRs: 4 for

> always-on stuff, 4 for flashing lights, and 1 (NC) to disable an

> electric heater while the lights are on.

That's a beautiful holiday display!

--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Sunday, 04(IV)/27(XXVII)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
Today is: Rogation Sunday
Countdown till Memorial Day
4wks 8hrs 20mins
-------------------------------------------
'Bother,' said Pooh as he switched
between Animaniacs and Star Trek.
-------------------------------------------

Page 4 of 5 < 1 2 3 > last >>

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