Is it really that bad?

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dejeud

Member
Couldn't really find any other forum more appropiate for this topic, and this is the contracting forum so here it is:

I got a call today to someone who's service ground has been cut. I went there and I find the 10' of #1/0 between the 2 ground rods cut. I mean this is like what? 5-6 dollars? and BTW someone went through quite some work to cut it at both ends and remove the 1" PVC between the ground rods.
I've been doing this for 20 some years, and I have seen some stealing, but never anything like this.
Is it really that bad out there? Does anyone else encounter these "stupid" stealing?
 
mivey

mivey

Senior Member
People are likely to steal anything, no matter how stupid. It is a whole 'nother mind-set.
 
electricguy61

electricguy61

Senior Member
Location
Remotely running business in Bay Area, CA from Med
A brain surgeon broke into my personal pickup a couple of weeks ago.

Took a 4 year old GPS (but not the mount), a 5 year old digital camera, 3 packs of gum and a bottle of hand sanitizer. Didn't discover the gum until I went for a piece.

Uncovered (I had a blanket over them) , but not taken, in the back seat: my personal hand electrical tools (in a carrier), plumbing hand tools (in a duffle bag) and a full set of Makita 18v power tools (in a Makita duffle bag) probably $2500K worth of tools.

Left a full hand print on the window where they used the jimmy to pop the window. Police took the print.

I did invest in an alarm.
 
C

Cow

Senior Member
Location
Eastern Oregon
Occupation
Electrician
Around here they like to steal the span cable off of irrigation pivots. They also like to cut the copper piping to the HVAC units used for onion/potato storages.
 
mdj1320

mdj1320

Member
Location
seattle wa
who ever installed the 1/0 ground must have worked in iraq they tell us to do that here .it is funny to see the wire bigger than the ground rod it is connected to.and how hard they had to work to get it under the acorn clamp.it only needs to be a #6.
 
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big john

Senior Member
Location
Portland, ME
My favorite, this happened a couple years ago now: A buddy of mine is a plumber. Happened to toss a 18" length of 3/4" copper pipe into his back seat one day. You guessed it: Came out to a broken window. What would that be worth at scrap? $1.50??

But my friend got to pay $150.00 to replace that window.

If these idiots could rub two brain-cells together, they wouldn't be breaking into cars for pocket change.

-John
 
mcclary's electrical

mcclary's electrical

Senior Member
Location
VA
I did some apartments on Porter street. I'm sure Larry knows the neighborhood. The wire got cut out of that place TWICE before I coud finish it. We had to put plywood over all openings. It took ten minutes to unscrew the plywood on the back door everymorning,but that's the only way I could get it finished
 
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benaround

Senior Member
Location
Arizona
mcclary's electrical said:
I did some apartments on Porter street. I'm sure Larry knows the neighborhood. The wire got cut out of that place TWICE before I coud finish it. We had to put plywood over all openings. It took ten minutes to unscrew the plywood on the back door everymorning,but that's the only way I could get it finished
Click to expand...


One 'bid' and you got three jobs out of it . :)
 
S

sparky=t

Senior Member
Location
Colorado
had some _ _ _ _ wad steal 3 aluminum covers off of some Erickson custom gear, 30 dollars of scrap cost $1200.00 to replace!! I would have bought them ther wine or beer!! ;)
 
e57

e57

Senior Member
Location
San Francisco, CA
Not long ago the local interpretation of subject to severe physical damage for GEC's became any area outside the building... Due to theft...


Exposed rounding electrode conductors or cable armor shall not be installed on the outside of a building or structure.​
Click to expand...

You have to pipe it in EMT or RMC. RNC allowed if below grade. And it sounds like that would not have stopped the dope fiend in the OP.
 
TOOL_5150

TOOL_5150

Senior Member
Location
bay area, ca
e57 said:
Not long ago the local interpretation of subject to severe physical damage for GEC's became any area outside the building... Due to theft...



You have to pipe it in EMT or RMC. RNC allowed if below grade. And it sounds like that would not have stopped the dope fiend in the OP.
Click to expand...

It was a bummer, but on the job I did in SF a month ago, we ran our GEC's in EMT and it came out pretty darn good. The inspector didnt have 1 bad thing to say about the service :)

~matt
 
e57

e57

Senior Member
Location
San Francisco, CA
TOOL_5150 said:
It was a bummer, but on the job I did in SF a month ago, we ran our GEC's in EMT and it came out pretty darn good. The inspector didnt have 1 bad thing to say about the service :)

~matt
Click to expand...
"Bummer"? You were expecting some abuse - weren't you? ;)

By "exposed" they mean bare or insulated without conduit...
 
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