[PLUG-TALK] Electrical circuit branch: identify first outlet

[Keith Lofstrom]

On Wed, Jan 04, 2023 at 08:56:17AM -0800, Galen Seitz wrote:
> 
> Since we're talking receptacles, I recently noticed that Leviton has
> a line of receptacles with integrated USB C Power Delivery, with up
> to 60W of power.  15A 60W receptacle has a depth of 1.40".  Not
> cheap, but it would certainly help reduce the clutter.

My recent "lets rip the wrong hole in the drywall" project  
was to install one of these Leviton USB-added receptacles,
so we can charge mobile phones in the garage.   It has
USB-C on one side and USB-A on the other.

However, the "brick" on the back of the USB-enhanced outlet
is huge - it will barely fit in one side of a standard
duplex box, and crowds the other side, leaving room only
for a narrow single pole light switch; knockouts must go
on the switch side, no room on the USB outlet side, tops
or sides or back.

A deeper box, or a box with an extension on the back, will
allow more room for wiring. 

The USB receptacle has worked for two months in the cold. 
I don't know if it will survive summer in the non-air-
conditioned garage.  The garage got up to 110F on 2022's
hottest day, even with vent fan running.  We recently
re-roofed with lighter-colored "California climate zone"
shingles (*), so the garage may be cooler next summer.

Inside the house, four of the outlets have "socket extender
covers" attached to them, which turn a duplex outlet into
six outlets.  Two of these extenders also provide USB-A and
USB-C sockets.   Very quick and easy retrofit.   We don't
let the house get above 85F in the summer (or below 65F in
winter), so these inside-the-house outlet extenders won't
suffer the thermal extremes of our unheated garage.

All these extenders require grounded 3-wire feeds. 
When we bought the 1960-built house, it had many ancient
two-prong-only sockets, as well as a Stablok "fire trap
arc welder" circuit breaker box.  I did a LOT of rewiring
to replace all that dangerous crap. 

If you have dangerous wiring, replace that first, then
hire a good electrician to inspect your work (the county
inspectors are too busy to check details).  Quicky fixes
are putting lipstick on the pig you are about to roast.

Also, download the latest Oregon Electrical Specialty Code
book, or read it at the library.   I unpleasantly learned
that my three-year-old dead-tree code did not mandate
shutter-covers inside outlets, the new code did.  I had to
replace 50 outlets after the first (failed) inspection.

Another strong suggestion is using WAGO lever-action wire
connectors instead of old-style twisted-wire nuts.  If you
cut wires square, and trim the insulation to the specified
11mm, these little connection bricks are more mechanically
secure than wire-nuts, and very tidy, while making future
wire tracing and rework easy. 

My only complaint is that WAGO offers 2, 3, and 5 wire
widths, but no wider;  One of my boxes has six connections
on the "white" neutral lead, so I double-lashed two of the
WAGO 5-connectors together. 

For ground connections inside that "busy" box, I used a
7 terminal grounding bar, normally intended for a small
circuit breaker panel, and screwed it snug to the back of
the box.  That dressed the ground wires very neatly,
though an inspector won't see a "green screw" poking out
of the back of the box.  If they complain, I'll remove
the cover plate and let them admire the neatness inside.
Enough airspace in there to fly a small plane.  :-)

Keith

(*) Climate zones moving north 30 miles per year, and
accelerating.  Welcome to Baja British Columbia.

-- 
Keith Lofstrom          keithl at keithl.com