Inspector "I want..."

[quogueelectric]

Because its not peanuts were arguing about... Its usually our money! How would you feel if you installed every receptacle one direction, yet the inspector would not accept it, would you bow down and change them, or fight it?

This wouldnt have happened in a hospital or medical center per chance??

 

[e57]

So you think you can make a cat fly??

Hows that quote go? "If the milks sour, I'm not the kind of pussy who'll drink it"

Anyway back to the OP...

1. #4 Cu must go to the neutral bar where the neutral is connected not the bar on the opposite side of the panel. "What if the bonding screw comes loose, you will lose your ground, you can't rely on just that screw"...."
"Just jump the two bars with a #6 and you're good"

Was this a CH panel or another type with two neutral bars - one on each side? And I'm assuming he was talking about the bonding screw listed for use with the panel?

2. Install GFCI receptacle at panel. Or "if you want to use the existing basement receptacles to count as the "Required receptacle" you have to change them to GFCI."

Required? What - at the panel? On that floor? Unfinished basement?

3. GEC has to connect to the street side of the meter. "I'll make it easy for you, just add a jumper around the meter and you'll be ok"
The GEC hit the pipe within 5' of entry and jumped across water meter already.

Less than 10' of water pipe buried before the meter?

 

[electricmanscott]

1. Murray panel. Listed bonding screw installed just as it should be in this installation.

2. He "require" a rceptacle to be installed on a service upgrade because you are required to have a receptacle in the bsement.

3. Copper water pipe. No reason for his desire to have the wire hit the street side befor the meter other that he thinks it is required.

 

[electricmanscott]

I dont know why people want to urgue with the inspector over peanuts.

It is not peanuts, it is principal and self respect.

I don't get the mentality that you guys have that an inspector is somehow holier than thou.

Many of these guys are failed tradesmen ( I know not all of them blah blah blah...) And the ones that are not are old coots that have not worked in the trade in years and spend most of the day in front of the TV.

No way in hell am I going to let some yahoo who probably hasn't seen a codebook in who knows how long let alone actually read it, dictate nonsense to me. I go out of may way to open the book every single day and take alot of time studying and keeping current with the code and trade.

Perhaps if inspector "I want" did the same we wouldn't have topics like this.

But hey, if you guys like working for free.....And you are if you do a code compliant job and then have to go back and make phantom corrections. Unless of course you bill the customer for that time in which case you are rippping them off.

 

[wbalsam1]

It is not peanuts, it is principal and self respect.

I don't get the mentality that you guys have that an inspector is somehow holier than thou.

Many of these guys are failed tradesmen ( I know not all of them blah blah blah...) And the ones that are not are old coots that have not worked in the trade in years and spend most of the day in front of the TV.

No way in hell am I going to let some yahoo who probably hasn't seen a codebook in who knows how long let alone actually read it, dictate nonsense to me. I go out of may way to open the book every single day and take alot of time studying and keeping current with the code and trade.

Perhaps if inspector "I want" did the same we wouldn't have topics like this.

But hey, if you guys like working for free.....And you are if you do a code compliant job and then have to go back and make phantom corrections. Unless of course you bill the customer for that time in which case you are rippping them off.

1):.....Many of these guys are failed tradesmen ....
2):.....are old coots that have not worked in the trade in years and spend most of the day in front of the TV......
3):.....who probably hasn't seen a codebook in who knows how long let alone actually read it, dictate nonsense to me.......

Have you been vacationing in northern New York?.....

 

[JohnE]

It is not peanuts, it is principal and self respect.

I don't get the mentality that you guys have that an inspector is somehow holier than thou.

Many of these guys are failed tradesmen ( I know not all of them blah blah blah...) And the ones that are not are old coots that have not worked in the trade in years and spend most of the day in front of the TV.

No way in hell am I going to let some yahoo who probably hasn't seen a codebook in who knows how long let alone actually read it, dictate nonsense to me. I go out of may way to open the book every single day and take alot of time studying and keeping current with the code and trade.

Perhaps if inspector "I want" did the same we wouldn't have topics like this.

But hey, if you guys like working for free.....And you are if you do a code compliant job and then have to go back and make phantom corrections. Unless of course you bill the customer for that time in which case you are rippping them off.

Wow Scott, I couldn't agree more. Have you been eavesdropping on my conversations for the past 10 years?

 

[ITO]

Arguing over peanuts with an inspector is like running in the special Olympics, even if you win, you’re both still retards. Sorry, my principles are making money, keeping my guys busy, and gainfully employed. While pissing off the inspector by showing him how smart I am and how dumb he is has never really paid off that well for me and the bottom line is they have the final say.

When I got married the fist time my Grandfather told me to just give in, let her be right and do what she says, and it only took me three marriages and 18 years to figure out how good that advice really was. The same applies to inspectors, if you can talk with them and reason with them, then good for you, but don’t count on it so be prepared to just get the work done their way and move on to the next job or they will make your life hell.

Around here Ufer grounds have to be cad welded to the rebar in the slab, when you start getting all high and mighty on principle and one-ups-manship with the inspector, you might find yourself busting up concrete so he can verify you installed the Ufer as per local code. Yeah you can be right all you want, but it wont work like you think it should.

 

[peter d]

Perhaps if inspector "I want" did the same we wouldn't have topics like this.

There are a few other negative consequences to this as well.

1) EC's just avoid inspections alltogether

2) EC's add in extra time/materials to a bid price for the "I want" inspectors preferences, thus costing the customer extra money unnecessarily.

 

[cowboyjwc]

I'm an inspector and even I say "question the inspector."

Heck if I knew everything I would just pick the winning lottery numbers and not have to mess with you guys.

1. Failed contractor? Possible
2. Old coot. Not so much anymore
3. Haven't seen a code book? I've been to 5 update seminars this year alone. You?

Inspectors are no different than contractors, everyone has quirks and ways they like to see things. Like I've said before, a contractor asked me one time when we were all going to call it the same and I told him probably the same day you guys all install it the same.

Fly kitty fly. Oppps

 

[electricmanscott]

Final thought: I will never move to Texas.

 

[HighWirey]

Hmmm
[reads 90.4]
[looks at the inspector right in the eyes]
[says]"Yes sir I will get that taken care of, thanks for the heads up on the AFIs."
[gets back to work making the necessary revisions to the work to get a green tag]

It has never been profitable to argue or play one-ups-man-ship with the AJH, or and inspector. I don't care if they want my feeder conduit painted pink, if that's what is takes to pass inspection, then I will send out a case of pink paint and get my men started.

Took me a while to get over the 'pride thing - I'm correct, you are not'. I like the 'pink paint' analogy.

You must temper your response to an inspector's barbs vs the size of the project.

Smaller project: 1 quart
Larger project: 1 gallon
Big project: 100 gallons
Any size project with 'smoke shoveler' intervention: priceless . . .

Best Wishes Everyone

 

[ITO]

To be fair we have some good inspectors who will reason with you, and who in my opinion are very professional, and then we have my "favorite inspector" who likes to read "approved and permitted" plans to make sure I am not making any deviations from what was "approved and permitted".

When I first started out I had the same pride thing, it took a lot of cash and busted concrete to figure it out.

 

[HighWirey]

To be fair we have some good inspectors who will reason with you, and who in my opinion are very professional, and then we have my "favorite inspector" who likes to read "approved and permitted" plans to make sure I am not making any deviations from what was "approved and permitted".

When I first started out I had the same pride thing, it took a lot of cash and busted concrete to figure it out.

Yes sir,

Most of my inspectors were great.

The first step on any project should be to have a coffee 'sit down' with your inspector, talk about the project scope, explain that you are here to build a safe, spec and code compliant project. If you see me doing anything that upsets your sensitivity, lets speak before you write it up. (we all know that a squalk will migrate to half the folks on our planet)

That 'coffee' hour will pay dividends . . .

 

[peter d]

I sure am glad that inspectors here look for code compliance and nothing else.

 

[billsnuff]

post 25

post 25

i can't believe this got by without comment........

thats worse than a house wired in UF

Was it an EARTH HOME?????????:grin: :grin:

 

[HighWirey]

I sure am glad that inspectors here look for code compliance and nothing else.

I am not especialy perceptive, but think you are being factious here. No?

 

[peter d]

I am not especialy perceptive, but think you are being factious here. No?

Not at all.

Here, inspectors enforce the NEC and nothing else.

Enforcing plans and job specs is up to the building representative, architect, or engineer or any combination of those.

So, for a real life example, let's say the job specs call for all feeders to be in EMT, and the EC goes ahead and substitutes MC cable instead. The inspector will not fail the job as long as the MC cable is run and sized in code compliant manner. However, the arch./engineer or whoever can make the EC rip out all of the MC feeders and replace them with EMT to meet the job spec.

 

[hardworkingstiff]

From an inspectors point of view, the thread tiltle is one that somewhat makes the hair on my neck stand ... I just hate when an electrician asks "well, what do YOU want?" as if I have a special Code. I have spent many a year explaining that I "want nothing". I am there to see that the job complies with the NEC. If there is a question, we will look at the book, the National Electrical Code book, not MY book.

I work in areas that the inspectors are well educated and in areas that inspectors are, well let's just say I wouldn't let them wire anything for me. I have found that most all of them are just trying to do their job to the best of their ability. If they know more than I do, they teach me. If we disagree, we learn together. I try to install better than or to the NEC minimum. If I am ignorant on something and the inspector teaches me, I feel blessed.

 

[LarryFine]

So, for a real life example, let's say the job specs call for all feeders to be in EMT, and the EC goes ahead and substitutes MC cable instead. The inspector will not fail the job as long as the MC cable is run and sized in code compliant manner. However, the arch./engineer or whoever can make the EC rip out all of the MC feeders and replace them with EMT to meet the job spec.

Of course, the inspector will wonder why he has to reinspect something he's already passed. :-?