I keep adding until I can no longer 'work' it. Then another is started right next to it. There are four piles next to each other in the backyard along the forest line. Another thing I'd like to point out is that you should leave the pile alone for a few days for the temps to climb and activate the microherd so they can do their job. When the temps start going down, then you can turn, add water if needed, throw in some more stuff, etc. Just leave it alone so it can do what you want it to do. I just started a pile about a week ago and it has climbed to 130F and today is starting to fall again. On the weekend I'll be adding more stuff and turning it and watering. Then it will be left for another week. Nerxt weekend I may toss it into another section so I can start a new pile. It just goes on and on and on. :O)

Tell me how mandating insulation color has any bearing on expense or amount o copper consumed? Well, let's say like bus_driver, you got "such a deal" on one huge reel of black THWN, and one equally huge reel of white... and you've got to re-wire several long EMT runs that each carry two 3-way lighting circuits tied to the same branch/CB, i.e. supported by a single neutral... you're going to consume 4 to 6 times as much black as white... and start casting furtive glances at your kids' Easter egg coloring kit, LOL. ;')

bigbird, I hate to be the one to inform you of this, but "immigrant" is hardly a racial slur. Ah, an illegal immigrant special! EXTREMELY "non-NEC-compliant"... Ole'!! Please tell us who the builder is, so we can all add to our "gotcha" database. ;') ... Just say NO to illegal UNlicensed immigrant electricians... yes, I've seen their fine fire hazards first-hand, when I lived in NV and AZ. I am not going to go to Germany and start working as an electrician. Why? Because I don't know German codes, standards, equipment, etc. Likewise, someone from another country should NOT just randomly move here (as ILLEGAL immigrants often do) and decide to pick up a skilled trade, for that same reason. I personally have no hatred for illegal immigrants - I just don't want them doing my electrical work - nor do I have an issue with immigrant electricians who have the proper education or experience. Education and/or experience would tend to imply some higher level of planning and organization than the concept of an illegal immigrant would seem consistent with. I am in 100% agreement with fixizin that ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ELECTRICIANS are a bad idea. As far as his other posts: 12 AWG is the wrong wire to use for an electric water heater, as a 20A circuit cannot supply a continuous load of 4500W. I personally am an african/portugese mix, and my friend next to me is... well we haven't figured out what he is. I think I am quite qualified to be offended when it comes to true racism, which fixizin's posts do not contain. Search for forum for his name. He asks plenty of valid questions. His assumption that the original poster had two red wires in a conduit may (or may not!) have been inaccurate, but, based on his asking many questions, I do believe he realizes that he doesn't know everything, and I suspect he merely made the assumption that everyone's water heater was hooked up the same way as his. I have often made such assumptions about other devices and arrangements, in addition to drawing electronics theory into electrical wiring. I am thankful when people correct my assumptions, but not when they get pissed off at me for making them. In no case have I ever seen one of these hate-filled threads where only one party is at fault. RELAX, MOVE ON.

Any LED connected to the mains has a built in power supply that converts the AC to DC. AC has no polarity, so the light will work either way you connect it. The power supply takes care of feeding the LED DC in the polarity it needs. Typically the concern with connecting hot and neutral as instructed is keeping the switch in the hot side. In the case of a screw-in light bulb, you're also concerned with making sure the shell isn't hot, to prevent shock. (The Edison base isn't a very safe design, and I can't imagine any electrical company coming up with something like that today. In fact they didn't, the GU24 base is much safer, though I guess safety wasn't its main purpose.)