Showerthought: I ran a 4-wire for a keypad instead of a 2-wire loop on a retrofit

Everyone says to just use the existing loop to save time, but I tried it on a 90s house in Tempe and got way cleaner voltage readings at the panel. The old wire was corroded inside the wall. Anyone else found a case where the 'extra work' method actually saved you a callback?

2 comments

2 Comments

mila_craig43d ago

Adam_anderson6 is right, that extra hour saves you from future headaches.

adam_anderson63d ago

Yeah, that old cloth wrapped wire in those Arizona homes is a real problem. I mean, the heat just cooks the insulation over time and you get all that internal corrosion. I had a similar job in Mesa last year where the original 2-wire loop was giving me a 1.8 volt drop under load. Running new 4-conductor took an extra hour, but the reading at the panel was a solid 12.6. It just makes the whole system more reliable long term.

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