I can see the homeowner at the store now:

[480sparky]

"I wanna put one of those $6 lights you got on sale in my basement."

Dork working at the hardware store: "Sure. Just take this wire here (pulls out a roll of 14/3NM), run yer power to this here box (grabs a handi-box), put a recepiccle innit (hands the customer a duplex and cover), then runs yer power down to yer switch. Easy Peasy!"

....customer nods, knowing full well he didn't grasp the concept.....

And the result is......!:

 

[Coppersmith]

I wonder how many electricians refuse to work at Big Orange or Big Blue because they know homeowners are going to ignore their advice and do it wrong.

I wonder how many electricians work at Big Orange or Big Blue because they know homeowners are going to ignore their advice and want to laugh at them when it blows up.

 

[Eddie702]

I try to stay out of the orange and blue but we all go there at times. I walk down the aisle and here some of the conversations between the clerk and the homeowners.
I makes me cringe. By the time I leave the store my lips are bleeding from biting down so hard.

Say, "do you have any stove wire"?

 

[480sparky]

..........Say, "do you have any stove wire"?

2-way switches.....

 

[LarryFine]

50a breaker, 4-wire range receptacle, and 12-2 NM.

 

[texie]

2-way switches.....

And 220 volt wire....

 

[480sparky]

50a breaker........

2-phase breaker....

 

[Little Bill]

You forgot "I need a 220 circuit run"

 

[LarryFine]

 

[hillbilly1]

I try to stay out of the orange and blue but we all go there at times. I walk down the aisle and here some of the conversations between the clerk and the homeowners.
I makes me cringe. By the time I leave the store my lips are bleeding from biting down so hard.

Say, "do you have any stove wire"?

Many a time, I will be loading up my truck, when a shopper would come out of the store, and say so and so in electrical told me (fill in the blank), is that right? Half the time it isn’t. LOL! Big Orange quit letting their stores build “how to” displays because there is usually a lot of violations! LOL!

 

[LarryFine]

I have a friend who once wired some recessed cans in his open (thank goodness) basement ceiling without consulting me. He stripped the NM and cut off the EGCs, and only passed the blacks and whites into the wiring compartments.

 

[480sparky]

I have a friend who once wired some recessed cans in his open (thank goodness) basement ceiling without consulting me. He stripped the NM and cut off the EGCs, and only passed the blacks and whites into the wiring compartments.

Which was what was done here as well. But the photo doesn't show that so I didn't mention it.

 

[electrofelon]

handy boxes should be illegal

 

[gadfly56]

handy boxes should be illegal

But, but...they're so handy!

 

[oldsparky52]

2-way switches.....

Yes, they are right over here ... they say On and Off.

 

[rambojoe]

I wonder how many electricians refuse to work at Big Orange or Big Blue because they know homeowners are going to ignore their advice and do it wrong.

I wonder how many electricians work at Big Orange or Big Blue because they know homeowners are going to ignore their advice and want to laugh at them when it blows up.

You gotta be kidding...according to the dude in the electrical aisle, he was a master electrician for 30 years...and yet gives advice such as this. I wont shame one for still wanting to "ahem" have piece and quite from the spouse in ones golden years but, across the board (for me) it seems when people get defensive and feel compelled to brag about how experienced they are...it always ends the same.
The associates on the plumbing aisle are even worse...
I try a fair bit to help in the stores if i hear a person attempting to follow advice and trench some zip-cord out to the shed...you know, what connector to use and how to properly polarize it...

 

[jap]

I'd bet there's plenty of those "dorks" working in hardware stores that know about other things where they could hand you your knowledge about it in a hand basket.

JAP>

 

[480sparky]

Yes, they are right over here ... they say On and Off.

No.... 2-ways where you can turn the light on and off from that way or on and of from the other way.

 

[tom baker]

I redid (under permit) a DYI job, 1/2 emt to handy boxes on a workbench. 14 awg on a 30 A breaker, loose diecast compression connectors and no egc Lights were 8ft ho wired with carflex and no egc.
Carflex and pvc a handymans dream products.
Did you know you can buy premade PVC box offsets at your big box?

 

[LarryFine]

Did you know you can buy premade PVC box offsets at your big box?

Yes.