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Any Chicagoans electricians familiar with code.

I like to do my own DIY work. My goal was to update some outlets and fixtures. When reading around everything I found seems to suggest you have to hire am electrician for even these minor things. Which I find annoying. TBH I found it hard to find info on the matter. I live in an existing home and just wanted to update nothing major.
 
If you know what the ground, earth and neutral wires are then you are good to go. Sockets are easy, take wires out of the old one and put them back in the same place as the new one.
I'm pretty good at the electrical work, the problem is I was just trying to find out if its legal here for me to do it. I assumed it was fine and had did many of my repairs till coming across information that made me think otherwise tonight. Thinks for your reply!
 

INC

Member
If you know what the ground, earth and neutral wires are then you are good to go. Sockets are easy, take wires out of the old one and put them back in the same place as the new one.

Depends if you're adding on to a ring or radial circuit.

If its a ring with clearly 2 sets of L/N/E going in and out, adding a spur on to that isn't an issue

But if its just 1 set of L/N/E, worth checking if that's the end of line of that radial circuit, or if its been added on to an existing ring. Shouldn't really add another spur on top of a spur, that's connected to a ring circuit, not good practice tbh
 
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You have to run conduit to every outlet. This is why they propose you use an electrician, ever bent conduit? If the answer is no suck it up and hire a guy.
 
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If you ever try selling the place you may need to provide documentation on the work performed, and not being able to may or may not be a problem depending on how extensive it is. I'd imagine absolute worst case you would have to hire an electrician to redo it.
 

Mistake

Member
Even if it were legal for you to do it, in the event of an electrical fire, if your insurance finds out they might not cover you
 

Northeastmonk

Gold Member
I know how to run and terminate data cables. I’ve always been interested in power because I deal with it a lot. I know nothing about it other than it’s deadlier than a MF. One wrong move and you’re 🪦

I got shocked once at a water treatment plant. I swapped out a UPS and got shocked real bad because my pinky swiped an exposed part of the pump’s electrical system. I had to fill out a form for work. Electricity scares the f*CDK out of me, so I don’t mess with it.

I think it’s cool you know what you’re doing though. I don’t think I would ever run conduits or anything like that.
 
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You have to run conduit to every outlet. This is why they propose you use an electrician, ever bent conduit? If the answer is no suck it up and hire a guy.
In residential? Is that in every states? That's ridiculous, as long as the wires are not in the open, like behind a drywall etc.. you dont need a conduit
 
I know how to run and terminate data cables. I’ve always been interested in power because I deal with it a lot. I know nothing about it other than it’s deadlier than a MF. One wrong move and you’re 🪦

I got shocked once at a water treatment plant. I swapped out a UPS and got shocked real bad because my pinky swiped an exposed part of the pump’s electrical system. I had to fill out a form for work. Electricity scares the f*CDK out of me, so I don’t mess with it.

I think it’s cool you know what you’re doing though. I don’t think I would ever run conduits or anything like that.
Thats scary, hope I haven't acted like I'm a master electrician. I just meant extremely basic stuff, little upgrades to preexisting structures. I for one do nothing with the electric box besides changing breakers out. Just really talking about light fixtures, outlets testing that things are wired right, grounded etc.
 

nush

Member
I don’t see how they would know you did it honestly

Exactly, I had my home renovator run a new gas line in the kitchen for me. He'd been in the business for years and knew what he was doing. Conversation went "Don't tell anyone I did this work" and "It was like that when I moved in mate".

Most of the rules about who can do what in a home are just there to cover the lowest common denominator who fucks the work up and the the official people can charge you through the nose for doing the job.
 
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