highlander

For those of you that do / have done resi work how often was going under the house required?

An acquaintance of mine is letting me shadow him on some of his side jobs so I can get up close and personal with some of the aspects of what an electrician does. He mentioned something about rewiring an old house that has the original wiring and fuse box from 1954. The owners want everything upgraded and breakers installed. He mentioned this will most likely include some crawl space diving.

I don't mind the sweat, heights, digging, dirt, tight quarters, or a dozen other things but I sure don't like going under houses...of course I don't have to like that part of it...just gotta do it.

JohnJ0906

Thats hard to say, really. More than anyone would like, for sure.

__________________
John from Baltimore
"One day at a Time"
All responses based on the '08 NEC
It's not my fault, it's not my problem, I'm not your solution.

MDShunk

Claustrophobic?

I don't know, to tell you the truth. I do mostly old work, so quite a bit, I suppose. Some weeks it seems like every day, several times a day. Than, at other times, weeks will go by without having to enter a crawl space. I'd say that I go into crawl spaces nearly as often as I go into attics. Having a pair of coveralls on the truck handy, is a must.

brian john

I did residential service for 2.5 years and did a slew of crawl spaces, quite a few in Old Town Alexandria, these are 200+ year old crawl spaces ad I have seen it all, 6" of pure dust, rats, spiders, spider webs that would make Indiana jones shiver. Part of the job.

My first apprentice (last year I did residential service) was a rather portly fellow, and every time he saw a crawl space he'd say "I can't fit in there". One time there was a rather nasty crawl space and I got the old line from him. I told him look I have been doing this a long time (2.5 years long??????), no get your big butt in that hole. He wiggled into the crawl space and did his job, we never had an issue after that.

MDShunk

Maybe the only thing nastier than a crawl space is the area under a mobile home. It's usually damp and muddy under lots of them, and if you're real lucky, the neighborhood cats have been using it for a litter box under there.

I don't mind crawl space work, truthfully. I just tie a doo-rag on my head to keep most of the dirt out of my hair, and wear coveralls. You don't want to be all hogged up for the next customer. I not at all claustrophobic, but I understand that's the main objection for most guys. What I don't like is wet and muddy crawl spaces. I try to schedule them for last thing of the day, or come back later if I'm faced with one early in the day. You're pretty much ready for the shower after you're done working in a muddy or damp crawl space.

highlander

No, not claustrophobic as I've wiggled into some pretty small spaces just doing stuff for my folks at their house and the one I live in now. Not to mention some of the tight spots I've squeezed in and out of while scuba diving.

I guess it's just the fact that if a spider gets on me under there I'll either destroy the floor going through it or cause myself serious injury tearing out from under the place.

highlander

I can only imagine how hard this guy is going to laugh when he sees me suit up to go under this place...I'm going to look like an astronaut when I get done putting on all the stuff I've got.

MDShunk

I'm sure you do it for personal safety, but from a marketing standpoint you might be on to something interesting.

Sell the sizzle, not the steak....

I once worked for an HVAC outfit. When they did annual PM's of PTAC's (Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners) at motels and old folk's homes, they'd take each one out to a predetermined spot in the parking lot for cleaning. Everyone wore moon suits, goggles, and respirators. The whole area was taped off with caution tape and orange cones. OSHA-type caution signs were erected that said "Caution- Hot Water". (yeah, we cleaned with with warm water). Any globs of dust removed from the units were placed in red "biohazard" bags. It was a big dog-and-pony show. The reason had less to do with safety and more to do with building value.

If we did something like that for going into a crawl space, that would certainly build value into our services. Put on a big production with all the associated PPE regalia you can think of to enter a crawl space. Not only have you saved your health a bit possibly, but you've also eliminated a possible price objection in the end.

Sell more sizzle. Something to think about.

JohnJ0906

I have a great crawlspace story, but I had better wait until Highlander is finished the job!

__________________
John from Baltimore
"One day at a Time"
All responses based on the '08 NEC
It's not my fault, it's not my problem, I'm not your solution.

highlander

It's okay go ahead and lay it on us. Things may be good or ugly tomorrow but I'm in either way so it's not gonna stop me now.

MDShunk

It wasn't until I was well into my adulthood until I realized how many people were scared of heights and scared of cramped places. I guess that was one of the benefits of being the son of a GC. I was getting coaxed into tight places, and been to high places since I was little. Kinda conditioned me, I guess. I don't know if that's good or bad. In any event, I take my boys to those same places to rid them of those fears. We rappel off a 55' bucket truck in the driveway for a father-son bonding thing. They have a blast.

Joe Tedesco

Don't get too close to any red hot "BX" armor!

This young electrician was warned by his Dad on his first "crawl" in a basement in NYC while installing a new BX feeder a long time ago!

JohnJ0906

Alrighty then!
3 of us in a rough-in. Old house, completely gutted to framing, with an addition doubling the size. Originally wired in the OLD romex, with the black jacket, real fat. Myself and another guy working in the kitchen, hear a blood curdling scream from the crawl space. We rush downstairs, and Brian is getting out of the crawl with a nice 3-4' long black snake wrapped around his arm.
When he saw the tail dangling from the joist, he grabbed it, thinking it was a peice of the old wire we missed gutting out, and it wrapped around his arm, causing the scream.
Luckily, he likes snakes (go figure ), I think I would still be running.

I try REAL hard not to think of this when I go under!

__________________
John from Baltimore
"One day at a Time"
All responses based on the '08 NEC
It's not my fault, it's not my problem, I'm not your solution.

highlander

Had that have been me...let's just say the smell would have killed the snake

Joe Tedesco

Another set of tools you should carry while crawling in a basement, is a "flit gun" and bug spray to kill the bugs and fleas, and also carry a change of clothes when you meet up with "fleas" who stick to your leg!

This thread reminds me of these experiences I have had during my career as an electrician, and electrical inspector in New Haven, CT

MDShunk

Fleas drive me crazy. I'm not scared of spiders and roaches (or any other creepy-crawly, for that matter), but fleas give me the willies. Nothing worse than fleas, in my opinion. They'll hang on you for days if you're not careful.

I think it's always a good idea to have a spare shirt and trousers.

dcc

I live in the northern Ca. foothills and had a similar experience. I had to crawl under a house to troubleshoot a dead circuit, and in the process of following the wire under the house I saw where it went though an opening in the foundation from the new addition to the old part of the house. When I started to crawl through the opening I heard a sound that is unmistakable...a rattle snake. I didn't take time to see what kind it was, how many buttons it had on its tail, all I needed to know was its disposition...pissed! I'm sure that I must have set some kind of record exiting the crawl space.

brian john

Worse problem IMO, you crawl 75 feet in a tight space through dust, spider webs, cat doo, bricks from the original construction only to drop your drop light buls goes out, you bought a rough service tuff skin but your in the dark, so crawl back and.....

MDShunk

Happened to me, many times. Mostly with flashlights. My flashlights have a spart bulb on board, but in the pitch dak, it's a challenge to change. You can use the light from your cell phone screen to change a light bulb in an attic or crawl space.

brian john

The flashlight industry has come a long way since the days of steel 2 D cell incandescent flashlights. As my eyes seem to age a LED flashlight has become my side arm of choice and being a tool nut every time I see a new style I buy it.

Do you use incandescents in your drop cord or CFL's or one of the florescent drop cords.

WHY oh WHY do they call it a drop cord everytime I dropped it I was in the dark?