Undersizing engineer designated wire
- Thread starter Pinnie
- Start date
How is the process to ask them to change something? I’ve never dealt directly with an electrical engineer. I won’t for this but I’m just curious.
Eddie702
Licensed Electrician
- Location
- Western Massachusetts
- Occupation
- Electrician
Someone hired the engineer to do the design and paid him to do that. Then the job is bid/quoted based on that design. Unless it has some outrageous mistake why would you want the risk/liability of changing it?
To save money.
curt swartz
Electrical Contractor - San Jose, CA
- Location
- San Jose, CA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
For you or the customer?
It would be for the company I work for.
- Location
- Wisconsin
- Occupation
- PE (Retired) - Power Systems
How do you know the wire was not oversized to reduce voltage drop and/or losses?
The engineer who did this print put an asterisk next to any circuit oversized due to voltage drop.
Last edited:
curt swartz
Electrical Contractor - San Jose, CA
- Location
- San Jose, CA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
If your company agreed to follow the plans provided for a price its not up to your company to make changes to save money. If I was the customer and you made a change like this I would be asking for a credit or require it be changed to to what the plan shows.
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
Many jurisdictions inspect based on the code not the drawings. Some may ask for a revised drawing if they actually compare what's installed to what was in the design. Many of our contracts have a value engineering clause where the guys paying the bills wants suggestions as to how to save money.
I do not disagree. On the other hand say you bid a job all in emt then run mc for jumpers here and there should you keep track and reimburse the customer the difference? I’ve never bid a job so I’m not sure of the nuances.
I mean you could take that philosophy to the extremes. If you bid time and material and then ANY difference in time or material price you should come back to the customer and reimburse them based on that logic. And conversely charge them what went over on time and material. Realistically no one is doing that. Just because it’s conductors and it’s more important they are sized correctly doesn’t make it any different from that line of logic.
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
The client hires a design company including engineers. Often they over design and the clients only want the minimum allowed by code to keep costs down. We'll VE the project by reviewing the design and making suggestions to save money.
Of course. The liability issue is not worth the minor savings. Just install the conductors per the drawings.
I would add... if you see a clear violation or something dangerous, bring it to attention.
honestly at the company work for each individual electrician has their own standard when it comes to code compliance and installation integrity (not that I agree it just is the truth). A lot of guys just want to look good for the boss and save money to look good on paper. Not a very well oiled machine to be frank. But yes obviously I wouldn’t allow a violation of any kind regardless of how far up the chain it goes.