[3phase]

I had a job last week from a rental co that I work for. I get a call that when the tenant turned on the kitchen light they heard a fuse pop but the kitchen light didn't go out. I call the secretary and tell her I will get right over and check it out. I get there and find about 12 wires in a double switch box. Further investigation finds 2 hot ckts in the box plus the dead one. Being so late I go back the next day to sort it out. After toning and metering (3 hrs) I get the problem found. A handyman had run a White wire as a hot:001_huh: , not marking it, and the current rental handyman had hooked a neutral to the hot white thinking it was a neutral. I later found that the sweet liltle old lady who originally owned the rental co employed handymen who seemed nice, whether or not they knew anything. The secretary and I have conversed a lot about repairs needed and I am slowly getting the properties back in shape. :thumbup: This is not the first major wiring error I have found working for them.

 

[MDShunk]

I'm torn when I hear about stuff like that. It's guys with good intentions, but lacking knowledge that screw things up like they. They so much want to please, that they get into stuff they know little about. What's worse, is they don't realize how little they know. They probably think they're doing a really good thing.

 

[3phase]

I could fill this board up with things I have found just in these properties. It really is sad to think they do feel they are doing a good job.

 

[MDShunk]

I could fill this board up with things I have found just in these properties. It really is sad to think they do feel they are doing a good job.

Pictures! Pictures!

 

[faber307]

Here's a nice handy man install. Called in to help remodel old farm house bathroom. They told me the existing exhaust fan used to work, maybe you could fix it. Well they got a new one. Check out the wiring.

 

[MDShunk]

Check out the wiring.

Lovely! Not only did they make up connections outside of the fan's box, it seems they totally chucked the wiring compartment box from that fan.

 

[Speedy Petey]

I get lots-o-work from handymen. Well, not actually from them, but because of them. :jester:

 

[Joe Momma]

I see they taped their wirenuts :thumbsup: , at least they got something right :laughing:

Why did they run 2 romex's? because they didn't know how much power the fan would use? :thumbup: (I know it's to go to the light)

 

[Bkessler]

I tell customers something along the lines of " any idiot can make a light work or a plug work, but there a lot to learn to do it right" than I comment on how my wife teaches her fifth grade class how a circuit works. And my favorite is the lady who told me her gardener does electric too!

 

[faber307]

I see they taped their wirenuts :thumbsup: , at least they got something right :laughing:

Why did they run 2 romex's? because they didn't know how much power the fan would use? :thumbup: (I know it's to go to the light)

they ran power to the fan, then used the other romex as a switch loop

 

[Joe Momma]

A gardener/electrician, that's a good one.

Reminds me of a few posts about grow-rooms, haha

 

[faber307]

Sometimes even the commercial guys get a bit "handy"
We started adding some lights to a nursing home dining area. Popped a ceiling tile and "voila!" Some interesting conduit runs.

Not a cover one on the floating octagons. No ground pulled in this separated conduit. It used to be caddy clipped to the grid. Someone remodeled this before and did a dandy bit of work.

Unfortunately customer's budget doesn't allow for a re-pipe. We'll just re set the fittings, cover the boxes.

 

[MDShunk]

Bummer.

That's one of those deals where I sorta wish someone could force people to permit me to do work. It's non-compliant, for sure, but there's not a soul that's going to force the work be made right. Putting the fittings back together and blanking the boxes is about the best you can hope to get permission for, many times. Course, you could always call the inspector or fire marshall in yourself, but you'd never work for that customer again. Not me, brother.

 

[faber307]

yeah, catch 22
We work for multiple facilities under the same ownership. Adds up to nice portion of our yearly sales................ah money.........what a concept.

 

[Joe Momma]

And merely a 'concept' it is for some of us non-contractor types :laughing:

 

[3phase]

Still trying to remember I have a digital camera and also a cell phone cam. Technology is nice if I remember I have it. I work industrial at night job and see some real good stuff ther but no pictures allowed there. I knew this thread would get good with all of our great finds.

 

[Joe Momma]

Yeah camera are not allowed in an industrial setting....

Just gotta sneak a few shots here and there :whistling2: