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i'm looking to replace the cheap stock outlet in my brooklyn apt with a ps audio outlet. i have zero experience doing this. any tips or tricks i need to know?
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I replaced my cheap wall socket with the PS Audio socket and was amazed by the improvement. It's not subtle! I did it myself and thought it was relatively simple. Weather you do it yourself of have it done by a pro, it's well worth it.
Knowing which breaker does what is important to know in general and is always one of the first things i do when i move into a new to me apartment. I use a lablemaker and mark the kitchen, stove, fridge, air, and which rooms are what breaker.
Another is to change ALL the old outlets to new ones.
Typically the old outlets in ANY apartment building are totally shot. (and only replaced by the management when they completely fail) So they are all typically loose, have poor connecting ability and generally hang dog in function.
So I replace all of them,(on my own dime) and usually add in a few dimmer switches for the lights, and maybe aa added AC outlet into a lightswitch here or there.
I typically do them powered up/LIVE. Meaning no i do not turn off the power. Just have to be careful NOT to be touching both wires at the same time. Rubber gloves can do wonders.
Sometimes I actually DO turn off the power. LOL (sometimes the wires are ten gauge solid core, typically the neutral, and that makes them HARD to get on the outlet screws.
So some old batty woman can do this... makes you feel certain YOU can do it?
The big thing is the connections need to be tight!!! IF they are loose you will have all sorts of crappy problems.
Another is really stiff wires and getting them out of the wall, and back into the wall. Be BRAVE. they will bend with a little effort.
The wire ends should be reasonably clean. cleaning them, or cutting hre wire (just enough, never more!!) to strip a new clean area. But usually I never strip in wall wires.. They have to last way past you living there dude. do not ruin them.
And if you feel unsure do not try it. killing yourself is not good. Crispy audiophile tastes bad.
Elizabeth, I'm beginning to suspect that you might have a serious death wish, what with you replacing electrical outlets without turning the breaker off along with you carrying crappy health insurance!
Cheers,
Al
I remember my father flying across the room when he was fixing our TV with it turned on..
Wow. what a hit.. he touched the high voltage gizmo and KABOOM was knocked across the room. He was OK.
So it runs in the family.
Live wires are not dangerous if you are paying attention.
You drive down the freeway at 75mph... And accept it. (Any mistake can kill you there too) So what is different about electricity?
When most people are shocked, it is because one hand touched a hot lead and the circuit is completed through the legs, and the heart is largely bypassed. This situation is very different if one hand touches a hot lead and the other hand is touching a grounded piece of metal, in which case the current is traveling directly through the heart. It also matters whether your body is sweaty or not (most skin has less resistance).
Instead of playing Russian roulette, turn off the breaker....
Retsel
.
Literally for the life of me, I don't know why anyone would choose to work with live AC delivery rather than disconnect an electrical device. The use of a test probe is the only exception I can think of at this time.
"I remember my father flying across the room when he was fixing our TV with it turned on.."
When I was a teenager I was playing around with a neon sign transformer and managed to get a shock off the secondary. Or at least that's my assumption. When I came to I was against the wall on the far side of my room. On another occasion around this time I was fiddling with an antenna coupler of a 1000 watt ham radio transmitter when I smelled burning "pork". I found this curious until I noticed that it was my finger that was being burned. I do not recall any pain from either escapade.
I would not suggest concluding that electricity or RF are safe based on these stories. It might be that I was lucky, but as far as you can know, I may have had dozens of evil twins who passed away from similar escapades and never made it to the Internet age. So you are seeing a biased sample.
Tony Lauck
"Diversity is the law of nature; no two entities in this universe are uniform." - P.R. Sarkar
Live wires are not dangerous if you are paying attention.
Live wires ARE dangerous if you are paying attention. If you stop paying attention even for a moment (e.g. the telephone rings), they become extremely dangerous.
he touched the high voltage gizmo and KABOOM was knocked across the room. He was OK.
He was also lucky - the effect varies with the impedance of the circuit one touches. I don't understand why someone willing to spend silly money on audio kit doesn't first spend a little on basic electrical safety measures such as earth leakage circuit breakers.
You drive down the freeway at 75mph...
True - but I don't play chicken in the fast lane.
So what is different about electricity?
You don't see it coming. You can't listen out for it. It travels at more than 75 mph. And so on.
While i know not to touch both wires simultaneously, I dont have the courage to do an outlet swap with live wires. Brave or "batty" I dont know, but I do know Im not brave enough :)
navman
Edits: 05/23/14
Make sure you have a breaker box for your unit in your home. Usually most modern building codes require that. Make sure they are labeled or if not plug in a lamp into the outlet you intend to change, turn it on and flick breaker involve to insure that it the correct one.
From then on installation is simple.
Most American made outlets are clearly labeled:
Hot ( black wire in most installations) is the brass screw on the outlet.
Neutral (white wire in most installations) is the nickel or chrome screw.
Ground (green wire) is the green painted screw.
When in doubt call a friend or electrician. It isn't difficult, not if you follow normal safety precautions.
in our apartment.
I'm NOT good at such, but this was years ago and
the difference was worth it AND the place hasn't
burned down yet.
However I did manage to melt part of my wife's Hello Kitty
toaster the other day...
"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination" - Michael McClure
So it's goodbye kitty then?
ET
N/T
"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination" - Michael McClure
Some old insulation is so brittle, that it will fall off the wire if you disrupt it. If your apartment has been rewired in the last fifty years, you probably don't have to worry about this.
Edits: 05/20/14
You should definitely ask the landlord if it's allowable. There's plenty of online tutorials you can refer to for instructions. I suggest viewing a number of them in order to see if the level of ease is doable. Also, it's likely at least one of your friends/acquaintances has done this task before, so ask someone experienced to help you. Otherwise, an electrician should do the job.
FWIW, I tried to change the outlets in my previous apartment (in a Brooklyn brownstone) only to discover there were some serious grounding issues. I decided (I think wisely) to get an electrician to deal with it. As it turned out my landlord was very grateful & paid for his services (I supplied the outlets) but regardless, it was money well spent.
how could you tell there were grounding issues?
thanks for everyone's feedback. i have a fuse box in my apartment, but nothing is labeled. the lamp trick is a good idea.
it sounds like some of you are strongly warning against doing this without previous experience. various youtube videos make it seem doable ... need to think about this one.
If you are unsure, test the circuit for current (buy a cheap meter). Wear rubber gloves and make sure you are not conductive to ground (wear dry shoes).
You say "It seems like some of you are strongly warning...I need to think about this one."
Everyone has been very diplomatic. Let me say a little more bluntly that you clearly have no idea what you are doing and if you attempt this on your own you are fking nuts.
Ned, I'm from Brooklyn, so your post actually seems quite diplomatic to me.
Seriously, you have guys here telling you how to do things cursorily who assume you know how to handle various electrical metering devices, circuit boxes and wiring. Nothing you've written tells me that any of this trying-to-be-helpful advice is within your level of skill.
Don't tinker with electricity unless you really know what you're doing. Let someone skilled at least show you onsite or look at your apartment wiring.
Flying a small plane is "easy" to a person who's been trained. Will you be taking on any passengers on your flight today, captain?
If you really know what you're doing and the wiring is fine, it's not a particularly hard job, just potentially dangerous.
If you don't know what you're doing, this is NOT a DIY job for you! Too many things can go wrong that you won't recognize and/or won't know how to deal with. Look at the questions you're asking and ask yourself if you really know enough to take this risk.
Since you clearly don't know how to do this, I'd recommend strongly against your doing so on your own. Please, there's no issue of honor here if you have to get qualified help. There's a reason for that profession.
In fact, it is wisest to check with your landlord or building super to be sure you aren't going to really regret this later on.
From personal experience I can tell you that taming your electrical system is likely to do wonders for your sound. But it's unlikely that one outlet alone is a magic bullet; it takes a lot more than that cumulatively. As a confirmed cheapskate, I can assure you that you won't save a nickel if you have a disaster on your hands.
how could you tell there were grounding issues?
1) No safety equipment grounding conductor present.2) Poor safety equipment grounding conductor continuity/conductivity due to a loose connection/s or corrosion.
(Note, old BX pre early 1950s is not approved for use as a safety equipment grounding conductor.)
.
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thanks for everyone's feedback. i have a fuse box in my apartment, but nothing is labeled. the lamp trick is a good idea.
Fuse box? Or do you mean breaker panel box?Any idea how old the building is? How old is the wiring?
Are the existing receptacles the old 2 wire type without the safety equipment ground contact?If the wiring is pre middle 1950s there is a good chance the insulation on the copper wire is rubber with a cloth covering. Due to the passage of time the insulation will be very brittle and could/will fall off just by pulling out the old receptacle for a look.
Jim
Edits: 05/20/14
The radio will let you hear, while standing at the fuse box, whether or not you've found the right fuse. And the lamp will let you know that the radio station hasn't momentarily gone off the air.
The device linked below will let you know, not only if an outlet is "hot", but also whether or not it is wired correctly. You should be able to find one locally, at Lowe's, Home Depot, etc.
Be careful!
The inexpensive receptacle tester is a must-have; an especially good tool for an AC outlet installation newbie and any other audiophile to test power line distributor receptacles and/or AC outlets installed at the wall, not to mention AC outlets installed by someone else who knows when...
I always test, and on one occasion, a wall switch was hot when I thought I had hit the breaker. It was only once, but you only die once!
Dave
...how intense 120V AC feels when electrocuted. I've been zapped before, with such high-energy force that it vibrated my hand and lower-arm, but no lasting effect, no burned skin. I don't look forward to any "memory refreshing incident", anytime soon (knock on wood) ;-D
The inexpensive receptacle tester is a must-have; an especially good tool for an AC outlet installation newbie and any other audiophile to test power line distributor receptacles and/or AC outlets installed at the wall, not to mention AC outlets installed by someone else who knows when...not to mention AC outlets installed by someone else who knows when...
Worth noting, the tester can be fooled by a bootleg equipment ground where the neutral conductor is intentionally connected to the ground terminal of the receptacle where a true equipment grounding conductor is not present.
The bootleg neutral/equipment ground can be very dangerous in the event the neutral conductor connection is broken between the receptacle and the neutral bar in the electrical panel. In this instance if a load is connected to the receptacle the metal case of a 3 wire cord and plug piece of connected equipment will be HOT with respect to any grounded object. A 120V potential will exist.
Jim
Edits: 05/21/14 05/25/14
hire a electrician to make the swap.
Aside from the extreme danger to you and others, you're likely to be voiding your rental or lease agreement. And if the outlet isn't up to code for your dwelling, anything that goes wrong would end up with you financially liable too.
The danger to you and others comes from the need to be able to absolutely cut off power to that outlet, which you may not be able to do from inside your apartment. It may take a building level power cutoff for the circuits leading to your apartment, which you won't be able to do by yourself, nor on the sly!
The other danger to you and others is of inadvertenly creating an ongoing fire or electrocution hazard that will spark up when you aren't aware of it.
Messing with your electrical circuits is not for the inexperienced. Do NOT try this at home. Ask for qualified help.
Yes, fire or electrocution -- I hate when that happens.
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