using scrap wire

Status
Not open for further replies.

mkgrady

Senior Member
Location
Massachusetts
I'm not scared of a splice, I've even run with scissors and lived to tell about it.

Some splices are scarey but not the ones I make.

Someone should start a poll.

Are your splices scarey? Yes or No.

I originally guessed this thread count would go to about 100. Now I'm thinking 250.
 

rodneee

Senior Member
hidden dangers of splicing

hidden dangers of splicing

...as you know the american screen actors guild was the first national group to declare splicing "unsafe" and "unproffesional"....this led me to get the help i needed.....i do not want to preach but maybe some of you could learn from me....the #1 false myth "most splicers do it to save money"....TOTALLY FALSE....most splicers do not even know how much money they save, if they save any at all (in fact with labor often times they lose) ....they have a brain condition that whenever they see two pieces of anything; they have this insane desire to connect them and prove to the world their connection is better than the original...false myth #2 "most splicers only splice wire at work" TOTALLY FALSE...i have heard the stories, all the same, guy comes home from work, cuts his backyard clothes line, repairs it and taunts his wife saying her clothes line is good as new...like jack nicholson writing his novel at his desk in the movie THE SHINNING, a guy sits in his garage by himself making and remaking splices he will never use....and lastly ONCE YOU SPLICE YOU CAN NOT STOP POSTING ABOUT IT ON THE MIKE HOLT FORUM...
 

mcclary's electrical

Senior Member
Location
VA
...as you know the american screen actors guild was the first national group to declare splicing "unsafe" and "unproffesional"....this led me to get the help i needed.....i do not want to preach but maybe some of you could learn from me....the #1 false myth "most splicers do it to save money"....TOTALLY FALSE....most splicers do not even know how much money they save, if they save any at all (in fact with labor often times they lose) ....they have a brain condition that whenever they see two pieces of anything; they have this insane desire to connect them and prove to the world their connection is better than the original...false myth #2 "most splicers only splice wire at work" TOTALLY FALSE...i have heard the stories, all the same, guy comes home from work, cuts his backyard clothes line, repairs it and taunts his wife saying her clothes line is good as new...like jack nicholson writing his novel at his desk in the movie THE SHINNING, a guy sits in his garage by himself making and remaking splices he will never use....and lastly ONCE YOU SPLICE YOU CAN NOT STOP POSTING ABOUT IT ON THE MIKE HOLT FORUM...



Myth # 3


would be that entire manipulated post. If you ever see a factory splice in NM wire in the middle of a spool,,,MANUFACTURED that way, it's nothing more than laying wires on top of one another and crimp, no solder, nothing. I don't want to hear these made up statistics you're throwing around
 

foqnc

Member
I lost power to my home once, the power company came out and probe the ground. Dig down and found a broke cable by a tree root, they spliced it and filled in the hole. Am I concerned, no because they are professionals and know what they are doing.

Side note I can see this topic being the next into the archives with the other classics that cannot be agreed but go on for 200+ posts. You which I mean :D
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
I lost power to my home once, the power company came out and probe the ground. Dig down and found a broke cable by a tree root, they spliced it and filled in the hole. Am I concerned, no because they are professionals and know what they are doing.
Knowing the splice is underground, and not inside your home, probably contributes to your comfort, too. ;)
 

jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
I would try to stay away from a splice on a new install. Save your good scrap and use it on remodels where the oven is being moved. Nothing wrong with splicing there. Or sell some for scrap if you're tripping all over it. That said, if I saw a splice previously done, I wouldn't worry much over it, if done well. Don't always know what circumstances someone was working under. After dark, no store nearby, supposed to start new job tomorrow, etc.
 
Last edited:

moucon

New member
Definition of "new"

Definition of "new"

Hello
I just found this thread, and I see it's a year old - but wanted to stick my nose in anyway. The definition of "new" in most construction agreements is "having never been previously installed." I wouldn't even categorize short leftovers as "scrap" as "scrap" sounds like "waste".

We work with builders to help them work with their subs to find mutually agreeable cost savings. I would definitely advise a builder to ALLOW their scope of work for electrical to allow an occasional splice where it can be done safely and inconspicuously. It's not inferior workmanship, and it's not unprofessional to make the best use of your materials, any more than it's unprofessional for a carpenter to piece in the sheathing on a gable end (non-bearing) rather than buzz up 2-3 more sheets of sheathing and generating even more scrap.

I totally understand and respect you guys' pride in workmanship making you opposed to the practice - but think about it this way instead. Every $100 you save turns into $200 in the selling price which turns into $600 over the life of a mortgage. It's good business and it ADDS VALUE to the project when you reduce waste.

JLS
 

Disco

New member
The thread began with a question regarding splicing 8/3 for ovens in new construction to use up small scrap pieces of wire to save money.

I also agree it reeks of poor craftsmanship.

I was in a newer residence, maybe 4 years old a few months back, homeowner hired me to finish basement. All new stud walls framed in, egress windows, 2 bedrooms a bar and bathroom. I had to demo out existing electrical which consisted of maybe 10 - 100w keyless lights and few switches scattered around.

Also consisted of: 2 - 8/3 splices in 4 11/16 boxes to range upstairs, (exact scenario the original thread question asks) and 10/2 spliced in a 4square metal box running to ac, also a spliced 4square box for the 10/3 to the upstairs dryer, and believe it or not there was an open splice in the low voltage to the thermostat upstairs.

What a pain in the arse and extra cost to repull all these runs as the homeowner wanted a finished basement without blankplates peppering the ceiling. I thought "what a frick'n moron, who wired this place?" As I said the "House was only 3 or 4 years old."

If that doesnt reek of unproffessionalism then I dont know what does, even to suggest or agree that you as an electrician would do such poor workmanship speaks volumes. At the absolute worst, maybe throw a splice in the attic or a crawl space, but never in an unfinished basement.

BTW: This is newconstruction we are talking about.

And on another note, the original contractor was not ashamed to put his company name and phone number sticker on the electrical panel. Me and several other electricians laughed our butts off repeating this story, what a joke electrician this guy is/was pulling a stunt like that on brand new construction. Word travels when you do poor work faster than when you do good work. ;)
 

peter d

Senior Member
Location
New England
I also agree it reeks of poor craftsmanship.

In your opinion.



Also consisted of: 2 - 8/3 splices in 4 11/16 boxes to range upstairs, (exact scenario the original thread question asks) and 10/2 spliced in a 4square metal box running to ac, also a spliced 4square box for the 10/3 to the upstairs dryer, and believe it or not there was an open splice in the low voltage to the thermostat upstairs.

Nothing you mention is a code violation including the thermostat wire splice.

What a pain in the arse and extra cost to repull all these runs as the homeowner wanted a finished basement without blankplates peppering the ceiling. I thought "what a frick'n moron, who wired this place?" As I said the "House was only 3 or 4 years old."

You're complaining about someone else's work that ended up making you money? If that "moron" hadn't done that, you would haven gotten paid to rework all of it. Talk about a cry baby. :roll:

If that doesnt reek of unproffessionalism then I dont know what does, even to suggest or agree that you as an electrician would do such poor workmanship speaks volumes. At the absolute worst, maybe throw a splice in the attic or a crawl space, but never in an unfinished basement.

Nothing you mentioned is an NEC violation. And actually, unfinished basements are great for junction boxes. If they opted for a suspended ceiling in the finished basement, we wouldn't even be having this disucssion, would we?

BTW: This is newconstruction we are talking about.

So?

And on another note, the original contractor was not ashamed to put his company name and phone number sticker on the electrical panel. Me and several other electricians laughed our butts off repeating this story, what a joke electrician this guy is/was pulling a stunt like that on brand new construction. Word travels when you do poor work faster than when you do good work. ;)

Yeah, keep ragging on someone who made you some money. Good plan. ;)
 

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
I was in a newer residence, maybe 4 years old a few months back, homeowner hired me to finish basement.

If that doesnt reek of unproffessionalism then I dont know what does.

Were you a licensed and insured contractor at the time you were doing this basement finish? It's a fair question because your profile says employee and you say this guy hired you.
 

jes25

Senior Member
Location
Midwest
I think this all boils down to people and thier identities with their work.

If you are the guy that thinks he is a great installer of electrical equipment, of course you are going to think splicing a wire is "hack" work. And since you don't do "hack" work you feel good about pointing out when someone has hacked it in and spliced a wire.

If you are the guy in charge of job profitability and you take pride in the best bottom line, then most likely you will think a splice that increases profit is good business practice and someone that doesn't is simply foolish or wastes money on insignificant details.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top