help with electricity please?

[extravalue]

Alright so i recently moved into my own home ( from a rental) and it feels great to not have a landlord anymore, and I have a great spot for activities... but, as I excitedly went up there I realize that there is NO source of electric in this loft, now im no electrician, but there are lights wired for the garage below, then there are these things ( not exact pic)

with lines running to them and a flat white plate attached, that I believe are just a simple circuit kill, add outlet innerds, and an outlet plate away from becoming a grow room, am I offbase? if not how much would it be to have an electrician over ( parts + how long?) to either run another line or do some magic to those existing?

 

[Dr Dog]

Normally when I see those type of boxes it is for Cat5 wire or coax....

Have a picture of the wire that is in the boxes?

 

[Weezard]

Here's an idea.

Here's an idea.

I suggest that you remove the "flat, white, plate", and tell us what you see in da box.

Aloha,
Weezard

 

[Horsemanrocks]

I'll hang around too.

I'll hang around too.

Just in case Weeze needs a hand.

HMR

 

[extravalue]

I unscrewed said cover, this thing is the same as what switches are except they are plastic instead of metal, and found 3 wires which screams to me pos, neg, and ground, now I know someones gonna tell me, extra value its only hot, neutral, and whatever the third one is, just force of habit i guess, in those caps for connecting wires, sorry I dont know the electric jargon, those things that look like a screw top for... toothpaste? not very descriptive either, the place is hooked up for cable, i do see the coax definitely not that, and same type of wire in the garage running to a switch, Ill think a bit and see if I cant a picture with words any better if I was no help as of now

 

[Horsemanrocks]

Gonna make some assumptions

Gonna make some assumptions

The three wires that you found are black, white, and green/or bare.
Black is hot (feed)
White is neutral (completes the circuit)
Green or bare (ground)

The toothpaste caps are wirenuts….they just protect the conductors (wires) from coming into contact with each other.

The term for the wire that you see in the garage is most likely romex.

You’re correct…a picture would help.

What you have may or may not be live (energized). And I’ll assume by your description that you don’t have any test equipment. So it would probably be smart to disconnect the main disconnect (breaker) before proceeding.

Wire in a receptacle to the three wires that you found. The colors on the receptacle actually guide you.
The green or bare wire goes to the (likely) green screw on the bottom.
The white wire goes to the brighter looking screw on the left side (chrome looking)
The black wire goes to the duller looking screw on the right side. (brass looking)
Secure it back in the box.

Re energize the main disconnect.
Plug in a disposable 120V electrical device (could be 240Volt).
If the device functions…..we’ll work on determining how much work that particular circuit can provide as far as your grow op needs.

If any of my assumptions aren't correct....report back before going forward.

Good luck,
HMR

 

[extravalue]

The three wires that you found are black, white, and green/or bare.
Black is hot (feed)
White is neutral (completes the circuit)
Green or bare (ground)

The toothpaste caps are wirenuts….they just protect the conductors (wires) from coming into contact with each other.

The term for the wire that you see in the garage is most likely romex.

You’re correct…a picture would help.

What you have may or may not be live (energized). And I’ll assume by your description that you don’t have any test equipment. So it would probably be smart to disconnect the main disconnect (breaker) before proceeding.

Wire in a receptacle to the three wires that you found. The colors on the receptacle actually guide you.
The green or bare wire goes to the (likely) green screw on the bottom.
The white wire goes to the brighter looking screw on the left side (chrome looking)
The black wire goes to the duller looking screw on the right side. (brass looking)
Secure it back in the box.

Re energize the main disconnect.
Plug in a disposable 120V electrical device (could be 240Volt).
If the device functions…..we’ll work on determining how much work that particular circuit can provide as far as your grow op needs.

If any of my assumptions aren't correct....report back before going forward.

Good luck,
HMR

this is exactly what i wanted to know, will report back, just wanted to make sure if i connected something it wouldnt go kablooey or something

 

[Phillthy]

and buy a $5 outlet tester to ensure you did it right

 

[Bigrick31]

To clear some stuff up for you that plasitc box sounds like its just acting as a junction box. If there is no switch or plug on that box than all thats happening is your power source comes into the box and other wires go int the box to be connected to your source or Line wires and go out to carious locations or Loads. Those are the typical box used in residential installations. Metal boxs are used more in commercial applications.

 

[extravalue]

yep i was just about to follow up post this, there is a third wire in every set, which would be one of the t5 or t8's, is there any way to figure out which one of them is the one running to the light? I feel the job is simple and would feel like a waste of money to pay an electrician to do what seems like a 5 min job...

 

[Horsemanrocks]

Getting a little ahead of yourself

Getting a little ahead of yourself

I feel the job is simple and would feel like a waste of money to pay an electrician to do what seems like a 5 min job...

Yeah, why not burn your house down all by yourself.

My suggestion is this:
It seems like you were successful in getting a working circuit. Before you go forward it’s time to understand how much work that circuit has left in it. And how much more work that you’re going to ask it to do.

Electricians pay a lot of dues learning their craft….and will help you. But you’re going to have to slow down a bit to allow that to happen.

HMR

 

[Horsemanrocks]

Protection

Protection

Alright so i recently moved into my own home ( from a rental) and it feels great to not have a landlord anymore

I have a hard time imagining that your own home isn’t worth protecting. Or your life or family’s lives.

An electrician gets paid for the most part in seeing that things get put together in a safe manner….the least part of the job is the actual putting the system together.

I will help….but with the understanding that you follow safe procedures. You’ll learn a lot and won’t end up half way through to find out that your system won’t carry that much needed exhaust fan, while being too far along to call an electrician that may or may not be sympathetic to your grow.

Either way, I’ve done what I feel is the responsible thing to do….The rest is up to you.

In either case, Good Luck.
HMR