One dimensional electricians

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I worked with a guy who was a good commercial electrician. He was doing some renovation work on his own house and posted a few questions here. Crucification shortly followed. It seems he had never wired a residence but had 15 years in commercial work. He told me that guys who do large commercial work rely more on everything being spelled out for them, either by the prints, a layout man or a foreman.
 
electricalperson said:
as an electrician you should know at least the basic codes required for different buildings. my company i work with will take a job from anyone. one day we can be fishing in plugs in someones house and the day after we can be in a health care facility the next. so i think any electrician that reads and understands teh code can do residental if they are just a commercial electrician.
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I agree, this is a good point, what happens when the "commercial" JM or "Residential" WM wants to test to a higher grade license say master and wants to start his business then what, somtimes when barley starting in business, might have to take on a residential job or a commercial job is offered that just can give that edge to grow the business , then what turn it down because all I know is " RESIDENTIAL" my feeling is try to learn all phases of the electrical trade and you will be more successful.JMO
 
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I agree, niches are good things, you cant know everything about electrical systems. I work on 15kV and above, some 480 substation stuff. I have had to work with other electricians on jobs that great electricans but clueless on power systems.

Now when it comes to my house, i call an electrician. Last time when the guy showed up I asked to see his union card. He asked why and I showed him mine, he asks why arent you doing this yourself. I said, you call me for a TTR test on your next 500MVA transformer job or to test your SEL relays, I'll call you for this stuff.

My point is all electrical is not the same, some is apples and oranges.
 
i do mostly residental,but some light commerical(build outs or small strip buildings).in res.i can move faster.i know what i can and cant do and dont have to think much.:grin: it is just natural for me.its easier to run romex than pipe(at least for me).
when i do commerical i have to think more about what im doing.how many wires in a pipe,derating and the like.it also tends to load the pick up down when youve got romex and plastic boxes for res. and metal boxes and mc for rcommerical.( before i get attacked by the wet romex police i have a hard top covering the bed)
as far as industrial.only did one job at a soy bean plant.went in one of their electrical rooms. two lines of distrubition pannels.no fronts or backs on them,2x4s holding wires as big as me in them.(know this isnt normal).that place scared the #@$ out of me.
 
yes but it is all about he money isn't it, know the code to where it applies to you and what you do.

Hint for the future - don't send a pipe man to wire a house or a wire puller to trouble shoot the dimmer panel on a bid job
 
Tori said:
Our trade is so vast it is inevitble that guys all know something better than the next about a differant aspect
you :roll:
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Tori,

As a SEABEE you should know how vast this trade can be. They covered from power generation to distribution to interior wiring. I don't have a problem with people knowing particular phase of our trade. I have an issue with people thinking because it is residential wiring, as was implied in the OP by the Jman ,that some how it is easier.
I have been fortunate enough to do perform many tasks in this trade and each requires a different set of skills.

This is indeed a Vast Trade.

Joe
 
I think I have a fairly well rounded expierence. Though I have to help a friend wire an addition and I need to brush up on the NEC for this.

Commercial, Office, Schools, Stores, Hospitals, Light Industrial
Residential
Residential Service And the
Commercial Service
Electrical testing.
ATS service tech, generation.
Battery (UPS, telco) Service/Maintenance tech.
Involved in Power Quality and Grounding investigations.
Independent inspections and legal (I avoid the term expert) witness.

Some of the most knowledgable eletricians I have worked with would not know a 3-way from a single pole. But that's more than OK, by me.
 
brian john said:
Some of the most knowledgable eletricians I have worked with would not know a 3-way from a single pole. But that's more than OK, by me.
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Knowing what I know those things are so amazing, but I completely get it. I would be utterly lost in their field.
 
Then you know what it means

Then you know what it means

zog said:
I agree, niches are good things, you cant know everything about electrical systems. I work on 15kV and above, some 480 substation stuff. I have had to work with other electricians on jobs that great electricans but clueless on power systems.

Now when it comes to my house, i call an electrician. Last time when the guy showed up I asked to see his union card. He asked why and I showed him mine, he asks why arent you doing this yourself. I said, you call me for a TTR test on your next 500MVA transformer job or to test your SEL relays, I'll call you for this stuff.

My point is all electrical is not the same, some is apples and oranges.
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To raise a breaker right?? I didnt know until I worked in a utility plant.
 
I like to consider myself prettly well rounded, I stared my career doing new residential for a few years and moved on to commercial and industrial. My weakness are I never really worked on a really large project or motor controls for any extended period of time.

Last week i went to the NJ Pact Center with my wife and saw a concert there. I remember how cool it was when all the sconces (hundereds of them)were dimmed all together. I thought how cool all that equipent must be and would have loved to seen it all.
I would Imagine it would take someone a loooooong time before they can really be considered a master electritian.
 
tonyou812 said:
Last week i went to the NJ Pact Center with my wife and saw a concert there. I remember how cool it was when all the sconces (hundereds of them)were dimmed all together. I thought how cool all that equipent must be and would have loved to seen it all.
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I have friends that wired that place up :smile:




tonyou812 said:
I would Imagine it would take someone a loooooong time before they can really be considered a master electritian.
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It would take several lifetimes in NJ :grin:
 
The aspect of how one learned the trade, how one relates to the trade, how one applies the trade, is as varied as the characters here!

I frankly would not like the thought that I'm going to be in?hab?it?ed in appling my vocation.

I frankly had to say in a inteview that went south, "What do I need to know to crawl in a access"? (( Is that clear enough))

I like what I do, I'm not here to do it twice!
 
That kinda guy just doesn't have IT

That kinda guy just doesn't have IT

You have to have a desire to do this work. Its not just about punching the clock. Experience goes a long way when working in specific araes, but you gotta protect your business and surround yourself with people who can take on a challange and get it done right. I'm no code expert but a little understanding of all areas of the code goes a long way. I'm always surprised how many liscenced people looked surprised and confused when dealing with the code. I often think it would be smart for a contractor to have their new untested employees work with one of their trusted performers to make sure their getting what their paying for. After all, we are in the buisiness of making money, right?:smile:
 
The worst part of the original story here is that the guy probably either lied about his housewiring experience, thinking he could wing it, or he was led to believe it was just simple stuff only for idiots by all the hotshots who talk residential work down in the commercial / industrial arena. Side note, I once hired a guy for a commercial job who couldn't bend a 90 to save his life, (and admitted it), but had worked his whole career in a shop that built control panels. We taught him pipe bending soon enough, but anyway he sure came in handy figuring out jet loading bridge ladder diagrams and stuff like that. I was sorta just ok with ladders up to that point, but he used to coach me and I got good at it myself after a while. The employee taught the employeer. The point here is if they are just honest about the experience that they have, even if it doesn't meet your target, sometimes you get a real golden gem out of the deal.
 
as others said, no one could know everything, its alot to know. I consider my self pretty well rounded, I do mostly commercial work. However once in a while i do residential. Its been a while since ive done industrial, but i can hold my own pretty good. I would like to learn PLC'S I have yet to have a chance to work on those.
 
I think it is inevitable that we begin to specialize, and as we do, our knowledge of the broader range of techniques, standards, etc. begin to fade.

With that being said, the "professional" will always try to keep up with all facets of the trade... but as things keep changing, it sure gets hard to do. One of the BIG benefits to this forum is that it makes you think about things that you don't normally run into.

I grew up with this trade (5 years old putting switch and plug plates on for .25 cents/hour :) ), and I remember asking my father when I was 21, how long it would take to become a "qualified" journeyman. His answer, about 10 years after you finish an apprenticeship. I though that was a crock at the time and was little mad, too. 20 years later, I can say he was just about right.

- Greg -
 
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