I am SUCH a Dorklehead!!!!!!!!!

[TheVTCGuy]

What the $#%% is WRONG with me!?!?!? Wait, let me go look at my college diploma... University of California... BS... ELECTRICAL Engineering..... Yep... says so right here! THEN WHY AM I SUCH A DORKLEHEAD!?!?!?!?


Ahem.... I am doing some work on my place this week, (including installing my new toilet, thanks for the nice comments on where it is going to be located in the other thread ) and I am installing LED accent lights under my kitchen counter and in my new display cabinet For FIVE hours yesterday, I tried to get everything to work. The first time I installed the dimmer switch, I turned the CB back on and hear: POP! And... smell smoke.. Hmmmm...... OK... something.... might... not... be... quite... right.

Trip to Home Depot and $29 dimmer switch number two... OK, everything is hooked up.... CB back on..... ready to hit the deck... Hey! No Poof! No smoke! Oh.... and no lights either...... WTF?

HOURS and HOURS I spent wiring, re-wiring, ..... No lights.....

Long story even longer.... It is nice having a best friend who is also an Engineer but literally a genius. He comes over last night and after looking at the set up for 30 seconds says: "Uh... you might want to run it off the power feed instead of the return line"

Me: "..... oh ...... "




I am starting up the NAOD.... National Association Of Dorkleheads

[MonBK]

We know.

[yannis]

Know thyself...first step on your path to wisdom my friend.
Your tosser buddy,
Yannis

[TheRolexKingofLV]

You are our Dorkelhead though Paul!

[GerardoG]

Founding member?

[SemperFi]

Paul, aside from being its founding father are you the only member of NAOD?

[NewEnthusiast]

Well at least it was plugged in...

[Psmith]

At least you weren't standing in a bucket of water

[MonBK]

Originally Posted by Psmith

At least you weren't standing in a bucket of water

Don't bet on it.

[Rebel]

[Rolex addict]

I asked myself that very question this morning because I'm going to sign up for the Dopey Challenge at Disney World. I'm thinking we need to get together and ride a moped across the country.

[GerardoG]

Originally Posted by Rolex addict

I asked myself that very question this morning because I'm going to sign up for the Dopey Challenge at Disney World. I'm thinking we need to get together and ride a moped across the country.

...or a drone??

[Jocke]

If you had asked me, I help you, we know your limitations. Paul give a damn electricity installations, it will end up like this in your case.



We don't want you looks like this in Vegas.

[GerardoG]

[JimSnyder]

20 years of doing that and I do not miss it one bit! Want to buy An RV

[TheVTCGuy]

Jim, are you an electrician? Or anyone else? Now I am really stumped.... lights in my cabinet work fine. I take the other lights, and running Romex behind the wall, they do not work. THEN, I take a set of lights with a regular plug, and plug it in the outlet.. IT DOESN'T WORK!?!?! The outlet works fine for everything else, including my vacuum cleaner. AND, when I take the same set of lights and plug it in to a different outlet, they work fine! Anybody got any ideas?

[TheVTCGuy]

Oh, and Jocke!

[TheVTCGuy]

OK, I have no explanation for what is hapening now.... Any electricians on here? I would love to do a face time or skype to show you what is going on.... I admit, I am not as smart as I thought I was.... this does not make sense!

[joeychitwood]

A friend who is a plumber once had this conversation with me as he repaired a small sink job I had botched.

Plumber: "Do you have a drill?"
Me: "Yes."
Plumber: "Do you drill your own teeth?"
Me: "No, I see a dentist for that."
Plumber: "Then put the wrench down and call a plumber next time."

[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by TheVTCGuy

Jim, are you an electrician? Or anyone else? Now I am really stumped.... lights in my cabinet work fine. I take the other lights, and running Romex behind the wall, they do not work. THEN, I take a set of lights with a regular plug, and plug it in the outlet.. IT DOESN'T WORK!?!?! The outlet works fine for everything else, including my vacuum cleaner. AND, when I take the same set of lights and plug it in to a different outlet, they work fine! Anybody got any ideas?

Did you wire this outlet to the dimmer switch?

What kind of lights are we talking about?

[bdex75]

Originally Posted by MonBK

Don't bet on it.

Rofl.

As soon as you throw the red wire in with the black and white and it is. It 220v I am lost. I hate 3 way switches. They are my mortal enemy.

Paul; is the switch in the picture a 3 way that is being fed from another switch? Is the whole house romex? Or is there some knob and tube in the house? I am not an electrician. Hell, I didn't even stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. Have just gone rounds with these things before.


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[Boothroyd]

Of course, a side benefit is now your toilet is electrified in your living room.

[TheVTCGuy]

Originally Posted by Abdullah71601

Did you wire this outlet to the dimmer switch?

What kind of lights are we talking about?

Originally Posted by bdex75

Rofl.

As soon as you throw the red wire in with the black and white and it is. It 220v I am lost. I hate 3 way switches. They are my mortal enemy.

Paul; is the switch in the picture a 3 way that is being fed from another switch? Is the whole house romex? Or is there some knob and tube in the house? I am not an electrician. Hell, I didn't even stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. Have just gone rounds with these things before.


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What is happening in my kitchen defies the laws of physics.... I will post a Yourube video and am welcome for opinions... or rooms to rent if I give up and move out. Right now I am going to Hime depot to buy the wax ring for my toilet; let's see if I can screw that up too!!!!!

[bdex75]

Originally Posted by TheVTCGuy

What is happening in my kitchen defies the laws of physics.... I will post a Yourube video and am welcome for opinions... or rooms to rent if I give up and move out. Right now I am going to Hime depot to buy the wax ring for my toilet; let's see if I can screw that up too!!!!!

Just buy the extra thick one, or better yet two regular ones in case the floor is uneven.


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[cajunron]

You can give me a call, Paul. I'm an electrician. PM sent.

[psv]

Originally Posted by monbk

we know.

+1

[cajunron]

If it popped and you smelled smoke, you probably hooked the neutral, or common (white) to one side of the dimmer. You need to find and seperate the neutral wires from the hot wires and switch legs, with a meter. Lastly, you need a dimmer that will work with LED lights. All dimmers work differently. And make sure you have DIMMABLE LED lights, or the dimmer won't work.

[Fleetlord]

That more than likely isn't a DIY project.

Call a professional electrician to sort it out and don't use Home Center quality dimmers and switches. The proper stuff is trade only and for good reason.

Electricians are wiring stuff like this day and day out. They know the building codes and have seen this scenario a zillion times....

Also, don't tell them you're an EE. It will just give them another story to tell....

Good Luck!

[Jocke]

If you go on with your dimmed toilet Paul.



It will end you need this kit.

[milov]

In Australia our domestic supply is 240v. It helps seperate the professionals from the dorkelheads.