Replacing Electric Baseboard Heaters, Making a Custom Pendant Light Fixture and Wiring Receptacles

John Cutts asks:
I have Singer baseboard heaters that have been installed approx 37 years. Should they be replaced?

Answer:
I recommend replacing them. I’ll bet that the insulation on the internal wiring is brittle and there are much more efficient electric baseboard heaters on the market today. I recommend using Cadet’s softheat electric baseboard heaters. These units have a tube filled with a glycol mixture which is heated by the heating element. The glycol mixture retains the heat much longer than just the heating element resulting in a much more efficient baseboard heater.

You may purchase one of Cadet’s softheat electric baseboard heaters and get more information at the link below:
CADET 13104 EBHA Softheat Permanent Baseboard Heater 240V 1500W White Sand 83

Stan Ozereko asks:
I am trying to make a pendant light for over the kitchen sink. I have a 13 inch x 3.75 inch brass bowl shape (it’s from an old water bubbler I removed at work) that I would light to use as the body. I will be turning a black stained oak top.

I can’t seem to find a source out there for rest of the parts I need. Sites I find want to sell me the whole light and not the parts.

There is only the wiring and hole mount in the ceiling. We renovated the kitchen last year and couldn’t decide what to put there. The switch is a dimmer type. Can I put a fluorescent type there or does it have to be incandescent?

Answer:
Your local lighting store will have all of the parts you will need to build a custom light fixture. If you plan to keep the dimmer switch, then the light needs to be incandescent. However, there are options available to dim fluorescent lighting. It can be challenging to make a fluorescent pendant light because there is typically no place to hide the ballast.

A few things to consider when making a custom light are:

1. According to the National Electrical Code^®, all light fixtures need to be listed or approved. I doubt that you will obtain a UL listing for you light, so I recommend contacting your local electrical inspector to approve the fixture before installation
2. Don’t forget to install a ground wire and connect it to all metal parts on the light fixture.
3. The black stained oak top needs some type of noncombustible shield between it and the box.

Heath asks:
When wiring plugs in a row on the same circuit do i place all three 12/2 wires on same side of plug, then two wires over to next plug?

Answer:
Turn off the power to this circuit. Connect all of the ground wires together with an approximate six inch long pigtail. Connect the pigtail to the green ground screw. Connect the white wires to the silver colored screws. Connect the black wires to the brass colored screws. Turn on the power and test.

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