OT. Electrician question
#2849985
11/22/20 03:37 PM
11/22/20 03:37 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,494 Minnesota
Hemi_Joel
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OP
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Minnesota
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I have a question for the electricians here please. I recently purchased an abandoned gas station / car wash. It has been empty for at least 10 years. I am going to convert it to a different use, and I want to strip out all of the fixtures in wiring related to the gas pumping operation and convenience store coolers and equipment. But I want to keep the lighting and outlets and furnace, well pump, and the essential wiring in place. There is four or five different panels, and wires everywhere. The electrical power lines from the pole to the building have been cut off, so there is absolutely no power to the building at this point.
So what kind of apparatus can I use to most easily identify the circuit breakers and wires that lead to the essential fixtures, and which ones lead to the stuff that I want to rip out?
My plan is to get the demo done without the use of the electrician, then get a licensed electrician in to make any needed reconnections before getting the power hooked up again. I can run a generator or something to have some temporary lighting in there, but I'm looking for something, possibly battery-powered, that can allow me to trace circuits. Thanks, Joel
[img]http://i.imgur.com/boeexFms.jpg[/img]31 Plymouth Coupe, 392 Hemi, T56 magnum RS23J71 RS27J77 RP23J71 RO23J71 WM21J8A I don't regret the things I've done. I only regret the things I didn't do. "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something. ~ Plato"
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Re: OT. Electrician question
[Re: kidmopar]
#2850019
11/22/20 04:50 PM
11/22/20 04:50 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,494 Minnesota
Hemi_Joel
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Minnesota
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Most of the wires are in EMT. I would need a tool that works well in that instance.
Doc, do you want to buy some large used storage tanks? Just pay the removal fee, and the shipping and they're yours!
[img]http://i.imgur.com/boeexFms.jpg[/img]31 Plymouth Coupe, 392 Hemi, T56 magnum RS23J71 RS27J77 RP23J71 RO23J71 WM21J8A I don't regret the things I've done. I only regret the things I didn't do. "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something. ~ Plato"
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Re: OT. Electrician question
[Re: Hemi_Joel]
#2850023
11/22/20 04:55 PM
11/22/20 04:55 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,494 Minnesota
Hemi_Joel
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Minnesota
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I bought the property from the county. It was a tax foreclosure. They have been sitting on it for at least 10 years while they have pollution tested it in every way possible. They had every phase of environmental study done, drilled a bunch of test wells and monitored them, had the tanks emptied and cleaned, and the MPCA recommend no environmental remediation. I have all the paperwork from that. so I have a choice of either filling the tanks in with sand, or getting them yanked out of there. All of that is factored into the purchase price. The only reason I bought it is because it's two and a half acres adjacent to my roofing company parcel. It's hard not to buy adjoining land on a major state highway when it becomes available cheap.
[img]http://i.imgur.com/boeexFms.jpg[/img]31 Plymouth Coupe, 392 Hemi, T56 magnum RS23J71 RS27J77 RP23J71 RO23J71 WM21J8A I don't regret the things I've done. I only regret the things I didn't do. "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something. ~ Plato"
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Re: OT. Electrician question
[Re: Hemi_Joel]
#2850042
11/22/20 05:13 PM
11/22/20 05:13 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,275 Morrow, OH
markz528
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Morrow, OH
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I would try one of the tracers. You need one with pretty decent power - I would think. I have not used one. Because of the conduit, you would need to get to the fixtures/devices to tell or get to actual wires. Hook the tracer to the incoming lines. If 3 phase, you probably need to short the 3 phases together and hook up the tracer phase to ground.
If not obvious, you shut all the breakers off and turn them on one by one till the tracer beeps. Alternatively, you can short out each fixture/device and measure resistance on the incoming lines, but I would try a tracer.
It is very doable but will take some time.
Good luck!
67 Coronet 500 9.610 @ 139.20 mph 67 Coronet 500 (street car) 14.82 @ 94 mph 69 GTX (clone) - build in progress......
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Re: OT. Electrician question
[Re: Hemi_Joel]
#2850045
11/22/20 05:19 PM
11/22/20 05:19 PM
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 30,451 Florida STAYcation
dOoC
The village idiot's idiot
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The village idiot's idiot
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 30,451
Florida STAYcation
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Most of the wires are in EMT. I would need a tool that works well in that instance.
Doc, do you want to buy some large used storage tanks? Just pay the removal fee, and the shipping and they're yours! GOOD you covered yur @$$ ! HJ ... you got me thimking... I could sure save somjue big $$$ buying resin and gel coat that way ! Me thimks SAND is the best option !
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Re: OT. Electrician question
[Re: CYACOP]
#2850130
11/22/20 08:29 PM
11/22/20 08:29 PM
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Joined: May 2019
Posts: 6,282 nowhere
Sniper
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master
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nowhere
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Hook up a car battery to the bus bar and start tracing That is genius
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Re: OT. Electrician question
[Re: Hemi_Joel]
#2850210
11/23/20 12:48 AM
11/23/20 12:48 AM
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 22,696 Bitopia
jcc
If you can't dazzle em with diamonds..
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If you can't dazzle em with diamonds..
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 22,696
Bitopia
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What is the reason for wanting to "rip" any wiring etc out, other then remove unneeded fixtures? I'm having a hard time thinking of good reasons, based on what you have shared so far.
Reality check, that half the population is smarter then 50% of the people and it's a constantly contested fact.
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Re: OT. Electrician question
[Re: srt]
#2850259
11/23/20 03:38 AM
11/23/20 03:38 AM
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 22,696 Bitopia
jcc
If you can't dazzle em with diamonds..
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If you can't dazzle em with diamonds..
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 22,696
Bitopia
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The buss bar would energize every circuit. I'd do similar, but remove every neutral from the lug and connect the battery to each neutral and find what is energized. Doing so one could reattach every necessary neutral, and tap off/cut off each not needed. Lable each circuit as you i.d. it as well. The nice thing about doing it that way is the battery could be attached to an outlet and test back at the box, larger circuits could be i.d.'d that way as well. Just need to make sure all the neutrals are removed from the lugs, in the main, and any subs. Doesn't account for any two or more phase circuits as they may not have a neutral.
Reality check, that half the population is smarter then 50% of the people and it's a constantly contested fact.
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Re: OT. Electrician question
[Re: jcc]
#2850275
11/23/20 07:39 AM
11/23/20 07:39 AM
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 5,465 Michigan
oldjonny
Don't argue with me.
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Don't argue with me.
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 5,465
Michigan
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The buss bar would energize every circuit. I'd do similar, but remove every neutral from the lug and connect the battery to each neutral and find what is energized. Doing so one could reattach every necessary neutral, and tap off/cut off each not needed. Lable each circuit as you i.d. it as well. The nice thing about doing it that way is the battery could be attached to an outlet and test back at the box, larger circuits could be i.d.'d that way as well. Just need to make sure all the neutrals are removed from the lugs, in the main, and any subs. Doesn't account for any two or more phase circuits as they may not have a neutral. Huh? Say What? There is Single Phase and Three Phase...no "two or more phase".
Never, ever argue with an IDIOT. They will drag you to their level and then beat you with their years of experience
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