Which product or material do you dislike installing?

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#1 - plugmold
#2 - plugmold
#3 - plugmold


hate it with a passion. and i'm the last person you want to get a price from on installing it.
 
Stupid, cheesy, Chinese light fixtures with a little bag of parts that are neither metric or standard. Basically the light fixtures from Ikea. With funny names like XXXX and XXXX. On trim out homeowners always buy this junk.
 
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Reading this thread makes me realize that there is way more stuff I hate installing than stuff I like installing.

The list is endless and includes all the aforementiond items.

ONCE in a while I will run into something and say "that's a good design".

MOST of the time I'm saying "what the $#!@^ were they thinking when the desingned/built this piece of %$&@"
 
I hate Handy boxes

I hate Handy boxes

people who are too cheap to install A four-square and raised metal cover. "HANDY BOXES" Should be Banned. On a another note "If" I could go back in time I would ASSINATE the guy who decided pickles shoud go on hamburgers.
 
Yet another vote for plugmold/ wiremold. The stuff is handy in its application but a bear to install.

High priced lighting fixtures are hit and miss. Sometimes you will get a high end product that you are impressed with. Most other times it is obvious that the designer made it look pretty but had no idea how to make it installable.

For those talking about undercabinet lights and the yoga inspired positions you need to assume, I'd like to recommend a 4' ladder. I position the ladder in front of where I'm working, put my back on the counter and put my feet on the third rung of the ladder. Basically I'm lying down on the job. Doesn't necessarily make the install easier but my back complains a lot less.
 
rt66electric said:
people who are too cheap to install A four-square and raised metal cover. "HANDY BOXES" Should be Banned. On a another note "If" I could go back in time I would ASSINATE the guy who decided pickles shoud go on hamburgers.
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if we're going OT in that direction, I want to find the guy who invented the thing that puts the annoying pop up ads and logos at the bottom of the tv screen during a show (and they always seem to block something important) :mad:
 
220/221 said:
Reading this thread makes me realize that there is way more stuff I hate installing than stuff I like installing.

The list is endless and includes all the aforementiond items.

ONCE in a while I will run into something and say "that's a good design".

MOST of the time I'm saying "what the $#!@^ were they thinking when the desingned/built this piece of %$&@"
Click to expand...

I think you hit the nail on the head. The number of really poorly designed electrical items is way longer than it should be.

Ex.:

Why can't plugmold have screw terminals? For what it costs, it should be in there already. And screw-on covers would save us from having to hammer on the cover plate.

After all the years of making fluorescent lights, am I really supposed to believe no one has an idea for making sockets that don't fall out or get brittle and break apart?

Who came up with those goofy clamps in the baseboard heaters? They NEVER work. Just make a 1/2" KO and pack a plastic grommet like the fan box makers do.

What's the point of a 4" round plastic old work box that you can't hang anything from? I really don't get that one.

Ballasts with screw terminals built in. It would save a huge amount of time.

Same goes for 12V transformers. Also, front access on vertical only mounted ones would be great.

Can't anyone come up with a retrofit designed exhaust fan? If not, at least pack a template for cutting out the drywall so we're not just guessing how much bigger we need to cut the opening.

And really, does the ground screw tap have to be right up against the side of a deep metal wallcase, forcing you to take one side off to put it in? I mean, you have to cut the ends of the screws off to get it in a 2x4 wall anyway, so why put a KO dead center and offset the ground screw like that?

Do I feel better now? Nope. ;)
 
Wiremold - any product of theirs....

I used to have a boss who was a bit nasaly - and everytime he said the word 'wiremold' I would cringe..... It was like a brand new wire brush on a chalkboard.

Closely followed after that is any lighting product from the nation of Italy.
 
Plugmold is no so bad.

The worst? Single conductor MI CABLE. If you're a contractor and want to lose lots of money take a job installing this stuff. Ever try to bend a solid #4/0 with a copper jacket? :mad:
 
For me the wrong customer can trump any annoying plugmold, fixture, or tough working conditions. I just trimmed out a huge remodel with over 50 surface mount light fixtures. they were all purchased from the close out sale when Home Expo closed all of its stores. Probably 60% of fixtures were missing a part or cross threaded or had other problems. It looked like the guy installing all the door handles was equally frustrated.
If you don't like undercabinet light installations then you have to try the Kichler! They take 1/2 as long and are super easy.
 
Been awhile since I've had to install anything, but I used to really hate ceiling fans when they first became a big thing. Those old Hunters that used to weigh 100 pounds that you used to have to balance while you wired them.:roll:
 
rt66electric said:
"HANDY BOXES" Should be Banned.
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They're great for small J-box use, like when connecting a gas solenoid to a fire-suppression system.

On a another note "If" I could go back in time I would ASSINATE the guy who decided pickles shoud go on hamburgers.
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If you're talking about dill pickles, I agree. I hate dills and onions, but I love sweet pickles, as well as relish.
 
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