Everyone is an electrician

[kiddrock]

How come the most potentially dangerous trade is the trade that unqualified and unlicensed people are so eager to put there hands on? I'm speaking of HVAC guys, Plumbers, handymen, homeowners ect. My biggest beef is with HVAC and handymen(yes you can get an uppercase H when you get licensed). I don't think we as Ec's really realize how much work these unlicensed people are doing. Most of the work that Iv'e seen by this kind has not been code compliant and at the least very dangerous for the customer. What say you?

 

[Ken9876]

This trade over the years has been made to seem too simple. Take a look around, the local HD has how to demos, electrical supplies are easily obtained. My biggest complaint is the home improvement shows, which in one frame the project is started and 20 seconds later all done. But really the biggest problem is electrical work doesn?t have to be done right to work, if the lights come on all must be good. But some advice I?ve recently obtained from this site. These people are too cheap and don?t care to get the job done right, so it?s best not to let it get to you and find and educated customers who care and are willing to pay for a good job.

 

[LarryFine]

One of my non-permitted-nor-inspected trouble calls involved a service "upgrade" (only from the load terminals of the 100a meter base on, which melted a line-side lug) which was part of an equally-poor central-AC installation.

For example: The AC compressor feed was tapped through the wall from a baseboard heater. Unbelievable!

 

[GUNNING]

right hand doesn't want to know what the left is up too.

right hand doesn't want to know what the left is up too.

I saw were a handy man ran 3 x thhn #12's, to new fans mounted without boxes ,5 of em, in a house. I found out when he had me fixing the bell line for the new storm door he was installing. I literally tripped over em in the attic. They wrapped around my feet and legs. He got the wire cut at the local big box store, they went in like a spring. Then he put new insulation over them and called me to fix the door bell.

It was being paid for by the local Gov weatherizing program. The locals that issue permits and do the inspections. No permits or inspections for the handy man, I had to pull one for the dryer plug I moved over 2 feet. Last one I did for that program.

 

[brian john]

H. What say you?

1. Electricity is a lot more forgiving in many cases than we give it credit for, otherwise there would be a lot more fires.

2. I see a lot of hack work installed by licensed electricians.

 

[goldstar]

The way I see it, it's all about $$$. You know - us electricians get paid in gold bullion. At least that's the word going around. God forbid someone should pay us to do a job right and code compliant. With the national economy on a downgrade you'll see more and more homeowners looking to save a buck and will try doing their own electrical work or repairs. Hopefully, it won't be at the expense of burning down their houses or putting themselves or their families in a perilous situation.

I just saw a wiring display at HD the other day, RX cable all stapled nice and neat with JB's showing how to wire s/p, 3-way and 4-way switches, receptacles and GFI's. Next they'll be showing people how to do service upgrades and work live !!! It's only a matter of time.

 

[AdrianWint]

Gents,

If its any comfort, we have exactly the same problems this side of the pond.
Plumbers who think that they are 'qualified' to change an electric shower in the bathroom without filling in any paper work or completing any testing.

Homeowners who add their own additional circuits & whose only form of testing is the 'bang' test..... well if it works it must be ok, mustn't it?

General public who think they are being ripped off when you try to explain to then that the existing installation needs to be brought upto date before any new works are added ..."but their mate down the pub says that you just need to do this or that, ?50 tops and it'll be fine....no need for all that GFCI rubbish"

Its an up hill battle. You train for years, do your aprentiship, get your certificates, join your professional bodies, purchase all your test equipment, keep it calibrated ..... then Joe up the road, who knows all about 'lectric, comes along and does the job for half the price, fills in no paperwork, does no testing and never gets caught.

Makes you cry sometimes

Adrian

 

[sameguy]

Next my sister will be doing electrical work! Oh wait she is a JW!

 

[stevenje]

My favorite saying from "Mr Homeowner"....."I wired up everything, I just need you to hook'n up in the panel."

Yeah, Right. Hows February 31st fit your schedule?

 

[cowboyjwc]

1. Electricity is a lot more forgiving in many cases than we give it credit for, otherwise there would be a lot more fires.

2. I see a lot of hack work installed by licensed electricians.

Yes sir to both.

 

[jim dungar]

It's only a matter of time.

I bought my first DIY electrical parts back in 1968 from Kafura Electric, who had a retail store in the front of his shop.

 

[G0049]

How come the most potentially dangerous trade is the trade that unqualified and unlicensed people are so eager to put there hands on?

And two aisles over from the electrical section of the big box, you can buy everything you need to install the gas piping for that new appliance. So, somewhere, on a plumbing forum, are a bunch of plumbers complaining about the hack work done on gas pipe by electricians.

Human nature at work.

 

[sameguy]

Elec. run pipe all day. plumbers do not run wire.

 

[ceknight]

Every time I see one of these threads and try to savor the responses, I wonder how many of us started out in the building trades completely on the up-and-up. I'm sure there are some here that didn't have any DIY or cross-trade or hacking experience and learned how to do everything correctly and legally before they twisted on their first wire nut, but I doubt it's a significant portion of our membership.

 

[gaelectric]

My favorite saying from "Mr Homeowner"....."I wired up everything, I just need you to hook'n up in the panel."

Yeah, Right. Hows February 31st fit your schedule?

This my favorite too. Guy calls and says he's finishing his basement. I say great, be glad to look at it. He says it's already wired. How much to just come over and tie it into the box? Priceless.

 

[satcom]

Every time I see one of these threads and try to savor the responses, I wonder how many of us started out in the building trades completely on the up-and-up. I'm sure there are some here that didn't have any DIY or cross-trade or hacking experience and learned how to do everything correctly and legally before they twisted on their first wire nut, but I doubt it's a significant portion of our membership.

Most of us had respect for the trade and never thought about ways to weasel their way into it
But granted there are always a few that think they are above everyone else

 

[stevenje]

And two aisles over from the electrical section of the big box, you can buy everything you need to install the gas piping for that new appliance.

And one more aisle over from there, is where the fire extinguishers are located.

 

[renosteinke]

How many of us have pulled out splinters or wrapped a sprain with an Ace bandage? Probably more than are doctors (MD, DO, or whatever). But, you say, that's "first aid."

How often have we heard someone say "Joe wired his whole house, he knows as much as any electrician?" Let's admit it: the skills and knowledge required to wire a house are but a fraction of the trade.

In my apprentice classes, it's amusing to see the guys just starting their 3rd year assert "we're practically electricians already- we just have to put in two more years." It's even more amusing to see them graduate later, shaking their heads as they realize how now is but the start of their education!

I think that's what we're up against when it comes to 'hack' work: an ego issue. Someone so ignorant that they have no idea how little they know - but have picked up plenty of contempt for any form of learning. What infuriates me is that this contempt is often taught to them.

They're told they don't have to bother learning anything - they're smart enough to figure things out. Or, they're taught that tradesmen are the misfits, those not 'good enough' for college. It's no surprise that someone with a DDS just assumes they're automatically somehow blessed with competence in electrical work.

 

[ceb58]

Bottom line is. It happens and there is not a lot we can do about it. You can report people doing the work with out license, whether it will do any good or not is another thing. So you just keep doing what is right and move on. I have and I am sure a lot of us here have made good money from these clowns. So pick up the tools and keep going.

 

[satcom]

Bottom line is. It happens and there is not a lot we can do about it. You can report people doing the work with out license, whether it will do any good or not is another thing. So you just keep doing what is right and move on. I have and I am sure a lot of us here have made good money from these clowns. So pick up the tools and keep going.

There are plenty of electrical contractors not just complaining about the problem but doing something about it, in my area the EC,s stick together and police for guys working without permits in their area, they call the construction officials in day time hours and report it to an enforcement official who takes action and if they are working nights or weekends they call the police and file a complaint, all this can be done in some states with licensing laws.