Dear Mods

[Fred B]

I agree that posting and subsequent assistance for DIY should be prohibited related to non electrical workers. What seems to be missing is a stern warning (very stern) of the dangers with regards electrical work DIY as well as a suggestion that they get an electrician to check what issue they are having, not just we don't allow non electrical worker DIY input.
I've seen posted from non electricians some very dangerous suggestions of what they would like to do and that would pose hazard of injury or damage and I would have loved to scream DON'T and to Get a Qualified Electrician.
Just a suggestion that Mods somehow add this additional warning info to closure of non electrician/electrical worker postings.

 

[ActionDave]

I barely get people I'm in direct contact and have years of credibility built up with to take my advice. I doubt me telling someone ambitious enough to do their own work to go hire an electrician is going to be the eureka moment in life.

 

[ActionDave]

Tom has a different way of looking at it

Your post is a poster child why we do not allow DIY posts. Hire a electrical contractor, get a permit and inspection, it may very well save your life or building.

We don't allow DIY posts. Did you see in the instructions where it says installation by licensed electrician only? If (or when) there is a shock or electrocution and you try to sue the manufacturer, your lawsuit won't go very far.

 

[LarryFine]

I agree, and would like to add that, in my opinion, all mods should use the same pre-written response.

 

[James L]

I don't see a problem with each Mod addressing as he sees fit. Most times it seems the response was fitting.

Abrupt shutdown with a "get lost" and no explanation is good sometimes. Other instances I've seen where a bit of personal interaction serves best.

I don't think it needs a cookie-cutter approach

 

[Little Bill]

Depending on the circumstance, I will sometimes add to the "canned" response with a suggestion to hire an electrician. I agree with Action Man that most will just thumb their nose at us and do what they want anyway.

 

[romex jockey]

Some credibility is nice, we do do our time to become what we are. That said, i'm abysmally desensitized ,having had a career in a libertarian state that would allow one to construct a rocket launcher in one's back yard w/out bureaucratic oversight. The lions share of my biz here is dealing with DIY aftermath, which has proliferated the internets ,big box stores, statistical analysis, and sadly even our own codes accommodations to them all.

For those of you saddled with sorting it out in a pro chat room, i'll just say i couldn't do it, no longer have the patience or drive....that said, best of luck

~RJ~

 

[Hv&Lv]

I agree, and would like to add that, in my opinion, all mods should use the same pre-written response.

And let Tom write them...

 

[Jraef]

We have pre-written responses and most of us use them, but we are all individuals with out own choices.

In my experience, when we respond like that to DIYers, it just gets them going into wanting to argue or criticize, i.e. a waste of time. I participate in other forums and even there where they ASK an electrician for help, if they don't get the answer they want, they argue with responders about how they know better, or that electricians are just trying to rip everyone off. It usually doesn't end well.

 

[romex jockey]

We have pre-written responses and most of us use them, but we are all individuals with out own choices.

In my experience, when we respond like that to DIYers, it just gets them going into wanting to argue or criticize, i.e. a waste of time. I participate in other forums and even there where they ASK an electrician for help, if they don't get the answer they want, they argue with responders about how they know better, or that electricians are just trying to rip everyone off. It usually doesn't end well.

Not sure where or when the line is drawn here Jraef, for ex we had this HI frequent the place, he seemed sincere in his asking , was kinda hard to ignore.....~RJ~

 

[Fred B]

We have pre-written responses and most of us use them, but we are all individuals with out own choices.

In my experience, when we respond like that to DIYers, it just gets them going into wanting to argue or criticize, i.e. a waste of time. I participate in other forums and even there where they ASK an electrician for help, if they don't get the answer they want, they argue with responders about how they know better, or that electricians are just trying to rip everyone off. It usually doesn't end well.

I wouldn't suggest not closing down a thread for DIYers, but I personally feel there is an obligation to warn of the dangerous nature of doing untrained electrical work. That danger can extend beyond that individual to others that maybe living or entering in the building that they are suggesting to perform unqualified task. We (electricians) are trained to deal with and mitigate the risks, make it safe and for the most part are also carrying liability insurances as a result of the inherent risks (nobody is perfect), but we also try to exercise due diligence because we don't want to see anyone injured or property damaged as a result of an oops. We also continue to educate ourselves for that very same reason.
We cant stop someone from doing stupid stuff, but I feel obliged to at least say something when I see someone in essence standing in front of an open fire with a gas can with their arm recoiled ready to toss it onto the fire, to tell them to stop, it dangerous. Untrained electrical work can be just as dangerous. (Just my opinion).

 

[romex jockey]

I wouldn't suggest not closing down a thread for DIYers, but I personally feel there is an obligation to warn of the dangerous nature of doing untrained electrical work. That danger can extend beyond that individual to others that maybe living or entering in the building that they are suggesting to perform unqualified task. We (electricians) are trained to deal with and mitigate the risks, make it safe and for the most part are also carrying liability insurances as a result of the inherent risks (nobody is perfect), but we also try to exercise due diligence because we don't want to see anyone injured or property damaged as a result of an oops. We also continue to educate ourselves for that very same reason.
We cant stop someone from doing stupid stuff, but I feel obliged to at least say something when I see someone in essence standing in front of an open fire with a gas can with their arm recoiled ready to toss it onto the fire, to tell them to stop, it dangerous. Untrained electrical work can be just as dangerous. (Just my opinion).

I've been member of, even a mod in DIY forums Fred. While i agree w/you, it's no easy task, and takes a LOT of patience i no longer have.

That said, there are folks that do, maybe refer them ???

~RJ~

 

[James L]

The biggest problem with DIY'ers is that there's so much partial information available, and there are so many bloggers, Youtubers, T.V. hosts, etc encouraging a "you can do anything" mentality that they won't take an honest critique from a professional. And as long as the lights come on, they think it's all good.

 

[retirede]

I wouldn't suggest not closing down a thread for DIYers, but I personally feel there is an obligation to warn of the dangerous nature of doing untrained electrical work. That danger can extend beyond that individual to others that maybe living or entering in the building that they are suggesting to perform unqualified task. We (electricians) are trained to deal with and mitigate the risks, make it safe and for the most part are also carrying liability insurances as a result of the inherent risks (nobody is perfect), but we also try to exercise due diligence because we don't want to see anyone injured or property damaged as a result of an oops. We also continue to educate ourselves for that very same reason.
We cant stop someone from doing stupid stuff, but I feel obliged to at least say something when I see someone in essence standing in front of an open fire with a gas can with their arm recoiled ready to toss it onto the fire, to tell them to stop, it dangerous. Untrained electrical work can be just as dangerous. (Just my opinion).

One problem with even giving them a warning to the effect that what they are asking about if dangerous, is that you don’t know what info they didn’t give you!

You tell them “that’s dangerous”, so they don’t do “that”, but then they do something else just as bad or worse. Then, they say “well, you didn’t tell me not to do this other thing.”.....

 

[Little Bill]

We have one response, that (I think) was written by one of the Mods, that says something like....it's not what they asked, but what they didn't know to ask.

 

[kwired]

We have pre-written responses and most of us use them, but we are all individuals with out own choices.

In my experience, when we respond like that to DIYers, it just gets them going into wanting to argue or criticize, i.e. a waste of time. I participate in other forums and even there where they ASK an electrician for help, if they don't get the answer they want, they argue with responders about how they know better, or that electricians are just trying to rip everyone off. It usually doesn't end well.

We even sometimes have so called professionals looking for the response they want to see.

 

[kwired]

I wouldn't suggest not closing down a thread for DIYers, but I personally feel there is an obligation to warn of the dangerous nature of doing untrained electrical work. That danger can extend beyond that individual to others that maybe living or entering in the building that they are suggesting to perform unqualified task. We (electricians) are trained to deal with and mitigate the risks, make it safe and for the most part are also carrying liability insurances as a result of the inherent risks (nobody is perfect), but we also try to exercise due diligence because we don't want to see anyone injured or property damaged as a result of an oops. We also continue to educate ourselves for that very same reason.
We cant stop someone from doing stupid stuff, but I feel obliged to at least say something when I see someone in essence standing in front of an open fire with a gas can with their arm recoiled ready to toss it onto the fire, to tell them to stop, it dangerous. Untrained electrical work can be just as dangerous. (Just my opinion).

But they were all fully trained by YouTube University.

 

[charlie b]

We have one response, that (I think) was written by one of the Mods, that says something like....it's not what they asked, but what they didn't know to ask.

Here is a response that I put together some years ago.

You are welcome to use this Forum to learn whatever you want to learn, but we cannot offer advice or assistance on performing electrical installation work at your own home. Our concern is that you may get only the answer to the question that you ask, and get no answer to the thousand other questions that you should have asked, but did not know that you needed to ask. The thousands of other questions are the ones that electricians, electrical engineers, and other professionals in the electrical industry would have known about, and would have understood the answers to, as part of their years of training.

“A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” The Owner and Moderators of this Forum do not wish to risk allowing you and your family to be placed in danger, by giving you too little information.{/quote]

 

[James L]

We have one response, that (I think) was written by one of the Mods, that says something like....it's not what they asked, but what they didn't know to ask.

Sometimes, you don't know what you don't know

 

[g3guy]

Sometimes, you don't know what you don't know

Because I know everything, I know that I know everything.