Those little code violations I am noticing

[knoppdude]

Hello,
Ever since I have begun reading good study material on the NEC (including the NEC itself), something I did not do much of in the past, I am beginning to catch not only my own errors in work, but things others have done that seem to be in violation, such as 7 #12 thw's being spliced in a half inch condulet, etc. My wife asks why I have been reading this stuff so much lately, and I always have several answers. The first being, if I install it, I own the responsibility of its safety. I don't want anyone getting hurt because I was too lazy to read and understand something. I am also trying to not hurry through work anymore, because the little errors can be as deadly as the big ones. Just wanted to pass this little personal revelation along to anyone who cares. It is not all just about passing the test.

 

[GUNNING]

A real pain.

A real pain.

I find that its not the electrician doing this kinda stuff but the a/c mechanic, homeowner, business owner or the maintenance man. Nobody needs to hire an electrician unless there is pain involved in not hiring one.
Generally we are the second choice when there is an electrical problem. The carpenter says he wont do the wiring on the new kitchen or bathroom remodel. The in house maintenance guy cant find the electrical short. The manufacturing plant doesn't have anyone that knows about electrical installation right now, and that new piece of equipment just showed up. And, oh yea, its 3 phase and we only have a single phase system. We checked with the utility company and we were going to install it but now we can't cause we don't know how.
Electrical fires are caused by these folks cutting out the middle man, the electrician. Thats right, not the qualified, educated, knowledgeable, trained, experienced, electrician; but, the guy that is going to cost a little bit more to put it right, the middle man.
The electrician is the first on the job with temporary power and the last to leave pulling it out. When there is a problem on the job somebody comes to the electrician and gets their input. They know what equipment, what it looks like, where its going and what side the power has to go to power it.
On the job in the morning its the electrician, At lunch it the darn electrician, by the end of the day its the gosh darn electrician. Before we get there we are an economic hazard in need of being removed.

Cheap don't work in the dark.

The thing that makes me the maddest, and see just before reading about some place burning down, is the furnace wired with #6 Al SEU with flying joints in the attic or under the floor tied to 10/2 nm. Try explaining why the furnace which looks all right and works just fine, needs to be rewired to the owner. Its personal suicide to your reputation. We are an after thought.

 

[Ken9876]

Keep up the reading, I find reading codes about jobs your doing or have done is the best way to learn.

 

[Volta]

...The first being, if I install it, I own the responsibility of its safety. I don't want anyone getting hurt because I was too lazy to read and understand something. I am also trying to not hurry through work anymore, because the little errors can be as deadly as the big ones. Just wanted to pass this little personal revelation along to anyone who cares. It is not all just about passing the test.

Thank you! We care. :grin:

 

[LawnGuyLandSparky]

Hello,
Ever since I have begun reading good study material on the NEC (including the NEC itself), something I did not do much of in the past, I am beginning to catch not only my own errors in work, but things others have done that seem to be in violation, such as 7 #12 thw's being spliced in a half inch condulet, etc. My wife asks why I have been reading this stuff so much lately, and I always have several answers. The first being, if I install it, I own the responsibility of its safety. I don't want anyone getting hurt because I was too lazy to read and understand something. I am also trying to not hurry through work anymore, because the little errors can be as deadly as the big ones. Just wanted to pass this little personal revelation along to anyone who cares. It is not all just about passing the test.

Here's is what you realized, oftentimes lost on those caught up in the "business" of selling electrical work...

What we do is a CRAFT, it's a TRADE and when a money manager holds the reigns what happens is the emphasis day to day turns to time, and not quality craftsmanship. Fine if you can accomplish both, but when push comes to shove it's the time they're most concerned with, not your craftsmanship.