Wiring

While reading a wiring book I started recording a list of things to check in our existing wiring and a list of things to do to prepare for doing wiring work on our the house:

• Make sure the ground rod uses acorn clamps and the wire is the side of the clamp opposite to the bolt. (p. 123)
• Get wiring reference cheat sheets that list gage conductors, decoders of cable sheath (p. 18-19), and NEC table 310-16
• Make sure the split bolt connector used to connect grounding wires separates the wires with the center tongue (p. 21)
• If our wiring uses aluminum cable then we should wire brush it until it is shiny and add an anticorrosion compound to the exposed wire (p. 23-24)
• Put common electrical tools/materials in a tool box/bag/pouch and get a wagon to haul them around (p. 36)
• Common wiring tools
  • Side cutters (Klein)
  • Long-nosed pliers
  • Diagonal cutters (diagonals)
  • End cutters (staple pullers)
  • Hammer
  • Long and offset screwdriver (common heads include flathead, phillips, Torx, and square drive)
  • Screw holding screwdriver
  • Thread-starter driver
  • Screw starter,
  • Breakaway blad utility knife
  • Electrical tape
  • Portable GFCI,
  • Liquid electrical tape,
  • extension cord that has lighted, clear ends and multiple outlets,
  • Giant twist ties to hold the extension cord
  • drill (pistol and possibly right-handed) with 1/2" drive and spade bits
  • Double insulated or grounded corded reciprocating saw with a toolless blade change mechanism
  • Conduit bender
  • Safety glasses
  • Rubber gloves
  • Soft leather gloves
  • PVC saw
• The panels next to the meter bases are cutoff panels and should be labeled
• Make sure there is a bonding jumper at the upstream/downstream ends of the plumbing at the hot water heaters (p. 114)
• See the detail on p. 116 for a detail on grounding rod/wire installation and consider grounding to the well casing
  • Multiple grounding rods should be spaced 8' to 20' apart depending on the available space
  • He recommends #4 copper wire between the service panel and the grounding rod although it technically never needs to exceed #6
• Only use solid brass clamps at grounding rods (p. 124)