Prof James
New member
- Location
- Tampa, Florida
Just like to open a discussion of peoples experiences with clients about electrical issues and diagnosis. The contractor and trades industry in Florida has become very corrupt- seeing contractors/electricians scam people some licensed some not licensed both sides doesnt matter- a daily news topic on channel 8, 9,10. So clients "should" be more educated with the internet and digital information?
However, recently helped a client referral out with some dings they got on a buyers home inspection. The red flags or dings were electrical issues. One was the GFCI in the downstairs bathroom was red flagged for the gang box being misaligned was out of square not flush. No notes of the GFCI working or tested and passed.
Helping this client I did test not only that gfci, the circuit and informed her that none of upstairs GFCI were functioning- no current/voltage to these loads.
Conclusion. This person rented this condo. She was getting ready to sell. She was sure the renter never did any electrical work and confimed (verbal confirm no electrical testing) the bathrooms all worked fine in the receptacles. However I asked this hasnt been lived in for severl months so things happen electrically. She said how did this pass inspection before me when I bought - I said electricity can work behind walls with poor splicing its whats happens when it starts to unravel!
As a courtesty, I went through further testing with all my electrcian tools. Bottom line she has an open OL circuit in the upstairs bathroom, an illegal romex/nm wire in the powder room and to top it off the tracer found a wire behind a wall that was disconnected which went to an OVER fill gang box (cover plated-junction) that had 12 wires #12awg in 14 cu in single gang with metal screws going through the box ( yes I have read some code allowing/interpetting if you put silicone over the screw head or tape- my standards are higher than NEC I would never allow a carlon plastic gang box with screws through it).
The client was baffled and said" how is this possible? the electrcity always worked, my renter never complained of any issues" she was flustered and frustrated and the distrust started settling about contractors, electrcians, inspectors. Even after all the pictures, facts, science and reasons I gave her of why this happens. Explaining in detail.
So whats your customer story of : I cant believe my electricity doesnt work it worked before? I would be interested in how you hande the disbelief even when the facts are presented.
Cheers!
However, recently helped a client referral out with some dings they got on a buyers home inspection. The red flags or dings were electrical issues. One was the GFCI in the downstairs bathroom was red flagged for the gang box being misaligned was out of square not flush. No notes of the GFCI working or tested and passed.
Helping this client I did test not only that gfci, the circuit and informed her that none of upstairs GFCI were functioning- no current/voltage to these loads.
Conclusion. This person rented this condo. She was getting ready to sell. She was sure the renter never did any electrical work and confimed (verbal confirm no electrical testing) the bathrooms all worked fine in the receptacles. However I asked this hasnt been lived in for severl months so things happen electrically. She said how did this pass inspection before me when I bought - I said electricity can work behind walls with poor splicing its whats happens when it starts to unravel!
As a courtesty, I went through further testing with all my electrcian tools. Bottom line she has an open OL circuit in the upstairs bathroom, an illegal romex/nm wire in the powder room and to top it off the tracer found a wire behind a wall that was disconnected which went to an OVER fill gang box (cover plated-junction) that had 12 wires #12awg in 14 cu in single gang with metal screws going through the box ( yes I have read some code allowing/interpetting if you put silicone over the screw head or tape- my standards are higher than NEC I would never allow a carlon plastic gang box with screws through it).
The client was baffled and said" how is this possible? the electrcity always worked, my renter never complained of any issues" she was flustered and frustrated and the distrust started settling about contractors, electrcians, inspectors. Even after all the pictures, facts, science and reasons I gave her of why this happens. Explaining in detail.
So whats your customer story of : I cant believe my electricity doesnt work it worked before? I would be interested in how you hande the disbelief even when the facts are presented.
Cheers!
