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Patrick of Dallas, TX had been towing with his 2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser for months, until a run with a rental trailer turned his truck into a ball of fire. Can we figure out what happened?

Patrick took to FJCruiserForums to share his plight, video and a few pictures as well as a detailed account of the incident and some advice to other owners hoping to hook up trailer wiring to an FJ. But most importantly, he described his hypothesis as to why his off-roader was consumed by fire and reduced to rubble.

Yes, it's in portrait mode. Let's move on.

Basically, he'd had his trailer wiring installed by a professional and the truck had been towing his camper for a couple incident-free years. The camper used a seven-pin connector. On the day he pulled a rented utility trailer from Home Depot, requiring him to hook up his four-pin connector for the first time, he was flagged down by another motorist who was alarmed to observe the FJ was billowing smoke.

Patrick had been towing the trailer for inside twenty minutes.

He called 911 and the fire department was dispatched quickly, undoubtedly using some of the car-fire extinguishing techniques we've discussed before. The fire was put out, the Dallas Fire Department satisfied with the scene's safety, and a tow truck was sent to pick up the scorched FJ.

But by the time the wrecker could arrive on scene, about an hour later, smoke appeared again... and soon 4X4 was completely engulfed in flames and obliterated. DFD returned to finish the job, assuredly with a little embarrassment.

Patrick has some ideas about what might have happened, but he admits his assessment is speculative and declines to specify the wiring installer "in case he's wrong," which is a classy move. What the hell do you think happened here?

In his own words:

Link:
Did Faulty Trailer Wiring Burn This FJ Cruiser To The Ground-- Twice?

Get ready for a whole new generation of connected lightbulbs. Philips latest concept replaces an office's traditional electrical wiring with Ethernet, used to power LED bulbs and pass info to and from each lamp. Each fixture outputs light, but also collects information from a variety of sensors. A motion sensor can track the number of employees in a given area, for example, while a thermometer can report back on the current temperature. Facility managers can track any section of the office in realtime, adjusting lighting and heating from a smartphone app to save on utilities whenever possible. Of course, as you'll need to replace traditional cabling with Ethernet, the installation itself is sure to cost a pretty penny. Philips quotes a 50-percent reduction in installation costs for PoE over traditional wiring with new installations, however, so if you're planning to refurbish an office this is definitely an interesting option to consider.

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Philips' new LED bulbs are powered over Ethernet, provide occupancy and climate info to office managers

Placing guidelights up your hallway or down your staircase can involve bulky plugin solutions or a professional and expensive installation. SnapRays Guidelight, an easy-install outlet cover with built-in LEDs, could simplify this process by turning any standard power outlet into a night light without the need for re-wiring or batteries.

At a glance, the SnapRays Guidelight looks no different to a standard power outlet cover, but features patented "power extractors" on the backside. In removing the standard outlet cover and replacing it with SnapRays, these power extractors slot into the outlet and extract enough juice to power the LEDs without rewiring or using batteries. The company says this process takes only seconds and that the LED lights will last for up to 25 years.

Once installed, a built-in light sensor will turn the Guidelight on in the dark and off when it is light, automating things and avoiding unnecessary use of electricity. According to the company, the units draw 5 mA of power and costs less than five cents (US) a year to run.

Aside from energy savings and ease of installation, the unobtrusive nature of SnapRays adds further weight to its creator's claim as a convenient replacement for typical plug-in guide lights. While SnapRays look like a regular outlet cover, its ability to extract power from the wall while leaving the outlets free for other appliances means that it functions as one too.

The SnapRays Guidelight measures 2.9 x 4.9 in (7.3 x 12.5 cm) and less than a quarter-inch (6 mm) in thickness. It is compatible with standard outlets that have exposed screw terminals and operates at 100-120 volts (those used in the US, Canada, Mexico and certain Latin American countries). The team says it is looking at the potential for units compatible with European outlets but warns these are likely to be some ways off.

Two styles are available the Duplex, which has two separate holes to fit over standard duplex outlets, and the Decor with one rectangular hole for use with standard decor outlets. The lights are available in white, light almond or ivory.

The team has taken to Kickstarter to raise funds for mass production and after setting a humble target of US$12,000, has just surpassed $360,000. It is offering single Guidelights at a pledge level or $12, while a pledge of $36 will put you in line for a pack of three. Shipping is estimated for May 2014.

You can hear from one of the company's founders, Sean Watkins, in the video below.

Source: SnapPower

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SnapRay Guidelight turns standard power outlets into safety night lights

Employer:

Intermountain Electric / Quanta Services

Updated: Mar242014

Job posting bookmarked!

Largest and leading local contractor is searching for General Foremen with Oil & Gas experience. Work location is ND and CO. Very self-sufficient with the ability to oversee several projects and manage multiple field personnel at any given time.

Journeyman's License in CO or ND (or a State of reciprocity for ND) Minimum of 3-5 years at similar position Excellent leadership qualities including exceptional communication skills oClient interaction must be professional and courteous! oAbility to relay field requirements to office personnel Must be self-sufficient with ability to design and layout; and complete a project start-finish oResponsible for overseeing multiple projects and multiple field personnel at any given time Clear understanding of NEC and hazardous locations, with ability look up and/or research Controls experience: Strong skills at installation and troubleshooting for Industrial/O&G applications oPLC and ROC Controller's (Allen Bradley, Emerson, GE, etc) oAbility to read and install from Schematics, Ladder Logic, blueprints oInstrumentation installation and wiring experience. Adhere to job specific and company safety plan as well as prepare company job hazard analysis (JHA) for every task. Preferred Computer skills - Internet explorer, Microsoft office, PDF. This position will require electronic paperwork and communication. Work schedule / conditions: The work is located in ND/co oMay offer Rotational schedule. oWe believe you need to stay connected with your family and want you to have time with them on a scheduled basis. oPossible Travel allowance is included. oFlexible work hours, mostly 4-7 days a week 8-12 hours a day, Overtime based on work past 8hrs in a day or over 40 in a week and all weekend work at OT scale. Housing and Perdiem may be provided. Company truck provided. FR program provided. Ability to work in adverse weather conditions. Valid Colorado Driver's License; must have clean MVR. Clean Drug Test.

Full Family Medical Insurance coverage, pension, annuity, and Paid Vacation.

In order to apply for this position, applicants MUST meet the following criteria. If your resume does not match these criteria, you will not be able to apply for this position.

Location: North America

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Superintendent / General Foreman

New Berlin, Wis., USA EMTEQ is introducing the 3X Series, a new standard for white wash lighting for corporate cabin upgrades. In addition to enhanced performance, the 3X Series represents an easier way to upgrade to LED lighting through a unique bypass installation option.

Capitalizing on technology perfected and proven on several current line-fit programs, the 3X Series uses cutting edge LED and lens technology. The new-aged LED is hyper-efficient with incredible color consistency and unmatched color blending. Furthering the color quality, EMTEQ is using a next generation lens that creates a homogeneous output while not diminishing the intensity of the light. The wider beam spread of the light gives the cabin a fuller appearance.

Over 10 years ago, EMTEQ jumpstarted the transition to LED lighting aboard executive aircraft with the introduction of the ELW30, a product with over 2300 orders. stated Peter Tessmann, Product Manager for the 3X Series. Keeping our customers who know and love the ELW30 in mind, we have done that again with the introduction of the 3X Series.

The most significant advantage to the 3X Series is the installation flexibility. The 3X Series can be installed as either a minor modification or as part of a full modification.

Not all LED lighting is the same and now EMTEQ has provided an option where you no longer have to sacrifice the quality of the light and color consistency to achieve low downtime and lower cost, stated Tessmann.

While you can opt to remove the ballasts and power supplies, saving on weight in the aircraft, it is not necessary to install the 3X Series. The light has a regulated power supply which allows it to deliver steady light output when operating directly off of 28VDC aircraft power. The installation uses existing wiring bypassing the ballasts eliminating them as a failure point in lighting systems.

Right now there is a curiosity towards an LED light that can run off the ballast and be a drop-in solution. The problem with this is that over time the ballast can become damaged because of the way fluorescent tubes interact with them, explained Tessmann. With a failure of these new systems, you do not know if it is the light or ballast until you dig a little deeper. And worse yet, the ballast are often remote from the light source. The 3X Series bypasses the ballast eliminating that as a failure point.

The 3X Series line includes built in step dimming and variable dimming options. The 3X Series is also designed with compatibilities to the ELW30 for the ease of existing customers. It will utilize the same mounting clips eliminating the need to change clip inventory or learn new install methods. The 3X Series will also offer expanded length and color options.

About EMTEQ As a global aerospace company, EMTEQs commitment to the collaborative advancement of aircraft products keeps our customers at the forefront of technology. EMTEQ offers an extensive selection of innovative, value add products and services for both retrofit and forward fit applications in the commercial and business aviation markets. Products range from cables to integrated installation kits; from cabin power to LED lighting; and from structures to exterior lighting. From multi-faceted, complex programs to production overload needs, EMTEQ complements our products with comprehensive program management and full engineering, design, and certification services. Employing more than 600 employees worldwide, offices and manufacturing facilities are located in New Berlin, WI; Miramar, Florida; Great Falls, MT; Winnipeg, Canada; Montreal, Canada; So Jos dos Campos, Brazil; Bachenblach, Switzerland. EMTEQ complies with EN/JSIQ/AS9100:2004, ISO9001:2008, or EN9100:2003 standards backed with FAA/EASA Part 145 Repair Stations and global technical support. Learn more about EMTEQ at http://www.emteq.com.

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White LED Lighting features ballast bypass installation.

Lewisberry, PA (PRWEB) March 17, 2014

To make installation easier, Butler Mobility has added a modular plug to the control tube wiring assembly in the power unit of all wheelchair lifts. One plug replaces the 8 separate wire nuts and wire connections. No more wasting time matching the different colored wires. Just use the plug and jack already installed and its done.

No more calling the factory for wiring schematics and diagrams. A copy of the wiring diagram is in a sealed pouch inside the power unit cover. The company has also attached a quick view wiring diagram to the top plate inside of the power unit. This makes troubleshooting any potential wiring problems much easier, faster, and more reliable. Updated pictures and diagrams in the Installation Guide make it easier to test the lift during the installation process.

Wheelchair lift passengers can now recover from the platform over travel directly from the control arm joystick on the platform. The new procedure eliminates the need to move back and forth from the top landing call button to the platform to back down form over-travel. The wheelchair lift will be stopped by the over-travel switch if the upper limit switch fails to operate. Opening the over-travel switch renders the lift inoperative until the failure is corrected; one option is to press the platform emergency stop and then hold the joystick down for 10 seconds. The platform will travel slightly downward until the over-travel switch closes or for a maximum of one second. Normal operation may then be resumed by twisting and pulling the platform E-stop switch out.

Contact your installer/service technician immediately for evaluation and service. The new instructions are in the updated Butler Mobility User Guide.

Media Contact Patricia Small 717-938-4253 psmall(at)butlermobility(dot)com

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Improvements to Wheelchair Lift by Butler Mobility Products

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Chris Deziel

Chris Deziel began writing in 1974 as a feature writer for "Satellite News" magazine. He specializes in writing about home improvement and the arts and sciences. Deziel is a carpenter with more than 20 years of professional experience, a teacher and a musician. He has a Master of Arts in humanities from California State University, Dominguez Hills.

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The circuit breaker panel is the interface between the power grid and your house wiring. Panels include three buss bars: a brass one for the hot leads from the service company, a silver one for the neutral lead and a ground buss that is connected to the earth. Circuit wires are connected to the panel by means of circuit breakers, which are like reusable fuses. Once circuit wires are run throughout the framing of the house to the locations of all the circuit components, they can be connected to the panel and labeled.

Call the power company and ask them to turn the power off to your house. Then install a new breaker box and attach the power company leads to the buss bars. Attach the red or black lead (hot) to the brass bar and the white lead (neutral) to the silver bar. Pound a ground rod at least 8 feet into the earth and attach it to the ground buss with 10-gauge ground wire. Size the panel according to your electrical needs; most houses use a 200 amp panel.

Run wires through pre-drilled holes in the framing from the circuit components back to the panel. Make sure these holes are at least an inch from either face of the studs to prevent piercing the wire with drywall screws. Pass the wires through wall studs and holes in the top and bottom plates of walls. When you run wire along the faces of floor joist and ceiling rafters, staple it with wire staples.

Attach an electrical box to a stud at the location of each circuit component, such as an outlet, a switch or a light. Feed the wire through the back of the box and leave yourself about 8 inches of wire at each location to make connections. If you have to join wires anywhere besides inside an already existing electrical box, nail a junction box at that location so that the wire connection will not be left exposed.

Use a screwdriver to knock out holes for the wires in the service panel and attach a wire clamp to each hole. Feed the wires through the clamps, giving yourself plenty of slack to make connections, and tighten the clamps with a screwdriver. You can feed more than one wire through each clamp.

Connect each circuit to the panel by removing sheathing from the cable with a utility knife and separating the wires. Remove 1/2 inch of insulation from each coated wire with a wire splicer, then insert the white wire into a lug on the silver buss and the bare wire into a lug on the ground buss and tighten the lugs with a screwdriver. Insert the end of the black wire into the receptacle of a circuit breaker and tighten the screw, then snap the breaker into an available slot on the panel, where it will contact the hot buss.

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How to Install House Wiring | eHow

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Electrical vehicles could rule the roads of the future, and city staff wants new buildings in Cupertino to be ready.

The city council voted March 4 to amend its municipal code with an ordinance that requires pre-wiring for electric-vehicle charging systems in new buildings. The city rationale is that doing the wiring ahead of time would lower the cost for the future installation of those systems.

New single-, two-and multi-family dwellings as well as new non-residential buildings will need to have conduits, wires or dedicated circuits installed from the main building electrical panel out to a parking area.

New multi-family dwellings will need to devote 5 percent of their parking spaces, or at least one parking space, for such wiring. The figure for new non-residential buildings is at least 10 percent of parking spaces.

Cupertino is not alone in this initiative. Other jurisdictions that have adopted or are in the process of adopting similar ordinance are Sunnyvale, Palo Alto and Santa Clara County.

Sunnyvale's ordinance requires pre-wiring for electric-vehicle chargers for residential garage carports, residential shared parking facilities and new industrial, research and development and office buildings with 100 parking spaces or more, according to city staff.

The ordinance specifically amends Chapter 16.58, Title 16, Buildings and Construction, of the Cupertino Municipal Code relating to "Plug-in Electric Vehicle Charging Systems." The ordinance will be given a second reading at a future city council meeting.

Excerpt from:
Cupertino buildings prepare for electric-vehicle charging stations

New partnership with ELPRO highlighted at SPECS 2014

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - LumaStream today announced the release of new intelligent, low-voltage, LED lighting systems with unprecedented efficiency and light quality for retail and restaurant lighting applications. Combining LumaStream's strength in low-voltage LED solutions for restaurant chains with ELPRO's proven success serving retail brands, the two companies will be jointly exhibiting at the upcoming SPECS 2014 annual conference and exhibition, March 9-12 in Dallas.

LumaStream offers the only holistic approach to low-voltage power distribution for LED lighting. Unlike other LED companies that use traditional wiring, LumaStream uses thin-gauge, low-voltage wiring to carry power to LED fixtures. The same wire also fully controls and dims the LEDs, eliminating the need for secondary control wiring. Remote, digital drivers achieve clean, low-voltage power runs up to 200 ft. away for up to 24 LED fixtures at a time, like a stereo amplifier and speakers.

National restaurant chains have already adopted the LumaStream system for its quality and efficiency. For the retail industry, the benefits of LumaStream's low-voltage approach are significant. Reducing electrical infrastructure and installation labor lowers retailers' upfront costs. Improving the efficiency and longevity of the LED lighting systems lowers retailers' energy costs and eliminates maintenance. Beyond these cost savings, the LumaStream system offers superior dimming, flexible lighting scenes, and user-friendly controls.

"We're seeing extraordinary results for our retail clients," said Eric Higgs, CEO of LumaStream. "The difference in light quality and overall system efficiency is having a positive impact on our clients' bottom line."

ELPRO Lighting Technology is a German-based light fixture manufacturer working with the biggest retail brands in Europe, some of those brands are now expanding to the U.S. Starting at the store concept phase, ELPRO combines fixture aesthetics with lighting technology to deliver the ideal balance of store ambiance and visual merchandising. ELPRO's hands-on experience ensures lighting applications elevate a store's brand and enhance customer engagement.

ELPRO is the most recent addition to LumaStream's Powered by LumaStream(TM) partnership program. This program is an alliance of LED lighting manufacturers who recognize the benefits of low-voltage distribution for LED and who are making high performance, driverless LED fixtures to match it. Together, LumaStream and partners like ELPRO offer a new, higher standard for LED light quality, efficiency, and control.

One collaborative solution on display at SPECS next week is a unique, three-foot, drum pendant that contains crisp, high color rendering, white LED downlights paired with dynamic, color-changing LED accent lights programmed for a smooth, fluid array of color - all run from LumaStream's patented remote, low-voltage power supply. LumaStream's discrete control of LEDs through its power supply means fine color gradations and exact PMS color matches are achievable. With LumaStream, LED lighting with simpler installation, elevated branding capabilities, and superior energy savings are all within reach of U.S. retailers now.

The LumaStream partnership with ELPRO highlights the strengths of both companies - LumaStream's turnkey approach for the hospitality market with ELPRO's design expertise for retail brands. The additional of ELPRO fixtures continues the rapid catalog expansion of high-quality and high-efficiency LED lighting compatible with LumaStream's system.

"Better lighting systems create better store environments," said Kai Wiegelmann. "We've seen European retailers adopt our products as part of their corporate design standards. With LumaStream, we're ready to deliver intelligent, stylish, high-quality, high-value solutions to U.S. retailers."

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LumaStream Showcases Low-Voltage LED Lighting Solutions Delivering Breakthrough Performance ...