peter d
Senior Member
- Location
- New England
Stupidest comment you ever heard?
- Thread starter sii
- Start date
- Status
Minuteman
Senior Member
- Location
- The Sooner Nation
Minuteman
Senior Member
- Location
- The Sooner Nation
ElectricianJeff
Senior Member
- Location
- Southern Illinois
After replacing and properly protecting circuits in a 100 amp. panel HO called me that night complaining that the breakers I used were to "sensitive"
Had a job a couple of months ago where the 80 year old lady wanted to replace all the "hob-knob" wiring in her home. By the time I was done she had me calling it that.
Had a job a couple of months ago where the 80 year old lady wanted to replace all the "hob-knob" wiring in her home. By the time I was done she had me calling it that.
When I was in high school, I worked at a hardware store. One day a lady came in to the store and asked for a plug for her extension cord....
I said "Do you need a male plug or a female plug?"
She said "What's the difference?"
I said "Ummm.. Errr... Well I'll just show you." Then I showed her the different types of plugs.
Then she said "Oh I get it!" Then she turned beet red...
I said "Do you need a male plug or a female plug?"
She said "What's the difference?"
I said "Ummm.. Errr... Well I'll just show you." Then I showed her the different types of plugs.
Then she said "Oh I get it!" Then she turned beet red...
sparkchaser1961
Member
- Location
- New York State
good story. lol
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
Had basically the same question from a new bookkeeper. I said "Think about it for a minute." She laughed so hard when it came to her...
- Location
- San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Electrical Engineer
New one last month:
"That disconnect is defective. It blew up in my operator's face, he fell back and got hurt."
My responses:
1). Why was he operating the switch with the door open? Is he a licensed electrician?
A) We don't think we should have to call an electrician every time we need to change a fuse.
2) Looks to me as if this phase has been blowing fuses in the past (the one on the burned disconnect pole is a different brand). See the burn marks on the inside of the door? Did it occur to anyone that maybe there has been a bigger problem going on here for a while before this thing blew?
A) How were we supposed to know that? (See their answer to #1 above).
3) Am I the only one who noticed what appears to be a rodent nest on top of the 3rd pole? Was the door left open?
A) Yes, we had to leave the door open in the summer to keep the fuse from blowing. (Again, refer to their answer to Q1)
4) How old is it?
A) About 4 or 5 years. (Date code on the label says it was made in 1989.)
"That disconnect is defective. It blew up in my operator's face, he fell back and got hurt."
My responses:
1). Why was he operating the switch with the door open? Is he a licensed electrician?
A) We don't think we should have to call an electrician every time we need to change a fuse.
2) Looks to me as if this phase has been blowing fuses in the past (the one on the burned disconnect pole is a different brand). See the burn marks on the inside of the door? Did it occur to anyone that maybe there has been a bigger problem going on here for a while before this thing blew?
A) How were we supposed to know that? (See their answer to #1 above).
3) Am I the only one who noticed what appears to be a rodent nest on top of the 3rd pole? Was the door left open?
A) Yes, we had to leave the door open in the summer to keep the fuse from blowing. (Again, refer to their answer to Q1)
4) How old is it?
A) About 4 or 5 years. (Date code on the label says it was made in 1989.)
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LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
"Okay, so it's four times five years old." :roll:
drbond24
Senior Member
- Location
- Barboursville, West Virginia
I've been enjoying this thread, and I just thought of something to add myself.
My dad works at a grocery warehouse, and he is friends with the maintenance electrician. This electrician told him that he saw the plant manager giving a bunch of corporate executives a tour around the warehouse. As he walked them by the main switchgear in the building, he told them they had three phase power. That way, if they lost a phase, they had two spares so they could keep the warehouse running.
My dad works at a grocery warehouse, and he is friends with the maintenance electrician. This electrician told him that he saw the plant manager giving a bunch of corporate executives a tour around the warehouse. As he walked them by the main switchgear in the building, he told them they had three phase power. That way, if they lost a phase, they had two spares so they could keep the warehouse running.
I've been enjoying this thread, and I just thought of something to add myself.
My dad works at a grocery warehouse, and he is friends with the maintenance electrician. This electrician told him that he saw the plant manager giving a bunch of corporate executives a tour around the warehouse. As he walked them by the main switchgear in the building, he told them they had three phase power. That way, if they lost a phase, they had two spares so they could keep the warehouse running.
One of my co-workers wired our plant manager's new garage for him. PM was showing his brother the garage one day while the guy was up on a ladder pulling wire and overheard this: "Yeah, I had the power company upgrade me to 200 amp, 3-phase service so I can run this new welder." Not wanting to embarass him, my co-worker waits until the brother is gone, pulls the guy aside and says, "You have 200 amp service but it is not 3-phase."
"THE HELL IT ISN"T, I WATCHED THEM PUT IT IN 'CAUSE I WANTED TO BE SURE!"...Proceeds to show him the 3-wires coming into the panel.
weressl
Esteemed Member
I've been enjoying this thread, and I just thought of something to add myself.
My dad works at a grocery warehouse, and he is friends with the maintenance electrician. This electrician told him that he saw the plant manager giving a bunch of corporate executives a tour around the warehouse. As he walked them by the main switchgear in the building, he told them they had three phase power. That way, if they lost a phase, they had two spares so they could keep the warehouse running.
If they only have single phase loads, this could be an accurate statement. In that case they would have double redundancy.
Lately I'm hearing a few paranoid types claim that the government is pushing the new digital TV converter boxes because they have "listening devices" in them to listen in on what each person in America is saying in their homes.
Anyone who knows anything about government secrets and their inability to keep them (sometimes with just 5 people knowing a secret!) would know this is pure fantasy - too many manufacturers and too many people involved with the design and manufacture of these for there to be any secret devices inside.
Then more TV box trouble... I visited my hard of hearing elderly dad for Christmas and he told me he needed a TV box. I said no you don't dad, you have cable TV! He said the guy on TV said he needed one. I said you don't need one if you have cable TV! He said then why is the guy on TV saying I need a box? ('round and 'round we went!)
Anyone who knows anything about government secrets and their inability to keep them (sometimes with just 5 people knowing a secret!) would know this is pure fantasy - too many manufacturers and too many people involved with the design and manufacture of these for there to be any secret devices inside.
Then more TV box trouble... I visited my hard of hearing elderly dad for Christmas and he told me he needed a TV box. I said no you don't dad, you have cable TV! He said the guy on TV said he needed one. I said you don't need one if you have cable TV! He said then why is the guy on TV saying I need a box? ('round and 'round we went!)
- Location
- Simi Valley, CA
We have a guy here at work that swears that the jet contrails are not a vapor trail, but chemicals that they are spraying and anyone that thinks any different is an idiot.:smile:
Your dad and my dad may be related.
My dad will argue with a rock if he thinks he's right.
Fulthrotl
~Autocorrect is My Worst Enema.~
- Occupation
- E
If they only have single phase loads, this could be an accurate statement. In that case they would have double redundancy.
so, those three phase breakers are in case one phase goes off,
the other two phases will keep it running.
good idea. i like it.... i'm gonna disconnect one of the wires from
each 3 phase load, and save electricity.....
weressl
Esteemed Member
You are changing the argument. The OP did not talk about loads.
Even though the main breaker would be a three phase breaker, it may not have single-phasing protection, so it won't trip. If all the other loads are either single phase or two phase loads the statement still could be valid. (Although nobody would design such system.)
Actually when a three phase motor looses one phase supply it will keep running and if it is underloaded, which most motors are, the remaining two phases could still be witihn the FLA range. Since the motors operate more efficiently closer to their fiull load, in effect you could potentially save energy. Stopping and restarting could be a problem.
Mike Furlan
Member
- Location
- Lemont Il
I am living in a house wired by an EE.
It is a disaster.
For one example here is a picture of the wirenuts he used to connect the dishwasher. Wonder why it only worked intermittently?
He double lugged most of the breakers in the panel.
He saved some money by not installing those silly green wires.
I could go on and on, but you get the idea.
electricalperson
Senior Member
- Location
- massachusetts
electrical engineers are the worst customers i think. one guy was standing right over my shoulder watching me work. that was a little uncomfortable:smile:
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