$$ Online Electrical Tips for DIY'ers........

[Dr.Sparks]

I was surfing the internet this morning (work related of course...) and I came across this website that just got my blood boiling! It is a Q&A site dedicated to teaching Do It Yourselfers on how to perform various tasks. Which IMO is fine to a certain degree, but that degree should not include work that you need proper training and a license for. On this site, these so called experts charge a fee for answering questions and then have the audacity to ask for a BONUS or tip........I read a few of the responses from the experts and was immediatley apalled that this site is allowed. I would love to have anyone that reads this and feels the same way I do, innundate their website with negative responses. This kind of thing is going to get someone killed!!!

Here is the link: http://www.justanswer.com/home-improvement/electrical

 

[480sparky]

"A man's home is his castle".

What a person wants to do to their own home is up to them. We, no matter what we say or do, cannot change the fact that DIY is a part of life. True, we 'lose work' (read: lose money) because of it, but if someone wants to do their own electrical, there's not a lot we can do to stop them.

Some jurisdictions have permit, inpsection and testing requirements that you may be able to have changed in your favor. But if a HO decides to go down to Big Blue/Big Orange and buy the stuff he needs, there's nothing to stop him from doing so.

Don't bother trying to 'save the world' from itself. I get enough work from folks who are scared to death of electricity to keep me busy. Those who are fearless will never be a customer of mine, so I don't waste time on them.

 

[iwire]

"A man's home is his castle".

What a person wants to do to their own home is up to them. We, no matter what we say or do, cannot change the fact that DIY is a part of life. True, we 'lose work' (read: lose money) because of it, but if someone wants to do their own electrical, there's not a lot we can do to stop them.

Some jurisdictions have permit, inpsection and testing requirements that you may be able to have changed in your favor. But if a HO decides to go down to Big Blue/Big Orange and buy the stuff he needs, there's nothing to stop him from doing so.

Don't bother trying to 'save the world' from itself. I get enough work from folks who are scared to death of electricity to keep me busy. Those who are fearless will never be a customer of mine, so I don't waste time on them.

Very well said.

 

[petersonra]

is there a piece of advice there you feel is wrong?

 

[Dr.Sparks]

is there a piece of advice there you feel is wrong?

I agree that a homeowner should be allowed to maintain his investment and save money by doing work himself but I really feel strongly about the advocation of doing electrical work without the proper knowledge and skillset.
My beef is certainly not with the HO, it's the so called EE's and ME's on this website that are proffiting on advice that is completely unmonitored for accuracy. Building permits and inspections are to prevent unqualified people from performing tasks incorrectly with an enormous emphassis on safety. I feel that a site like this is not only teaching people to circumvent the rules but offering a false sense of confidence that they can do it themselves.

 

[Rockyd]

I suspect that after their first lawsuit, they will discover why the market place is what it is. Bet they don't last a year....

 

[480sparky]

I suspect that after their first lawsuit, they will discover why the market place is what it is. Bet they don't last a year....

And I'm not going to be named in that lawsuit, so I don't care.:wink:

 

[weressl]

"A man's home is his castle".

What a person wants to do to their own home is up to them. We, no matter what we say or do, cannot change the fact that DIY is a part of life. True, we 'lose work' (read: lose money) because of it, but if someone wants to do their own electrical, there's not a lot we can do to stop them.

Some jurisdictions have permit, inpsection and testing requirements that you may be able to have changed in your favor. But if a HO decides to go down to Big Blue/Big Orange and buy the stuff he needs, there's nothing to stop him from doing so.

Don't bother trying to 'save the world' from itself. I get enough work from folks who are scared to death of electricity to keep me busy. Those who are fearless will never be a customer of mine, so I don't waste time on them.

I am just curious, how are answers given here differ from the answers given there? Besides that this forum tries not to answer to 'unqualified' questioners I often vince at the questioners being obviously out of their depth.

 

[480sparky]

I am just curious, how are answers given here differ from the answers given there? Besides that this forum tries not to answer to 'unqualified' questioners I often vince at the questioners being obviously out of their depth.

Isn't there a disclaimer somewhere when you sign up in effect warning people about the advice given here? I didn't look too hard, but I didn't see one there.

 

[iwire]

Isn't there a disclaimer somewhere when you sign up in effect warning people about the advice given here? I didn't look too hard, but I didn't see one there.

From the forum rules

We do not vouch for or warrant the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any message, and are not responsible for the contents of any message. The messages express the views of the author of the message, not necessarily the views of this forum or any entity associated with this forum. Any user who feels that a posted message is objectionable is encouraged to contact us immediately by email.

 

[480sparky]

From the forum rules

And here's the OPs link's version, buried in the TOS:

11. Exclusion of Warranties
JUSTANSWER SERVICES AND RELATED DOCUMENTATION ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY OF ANY KIND EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO INFORMATION, WHETHER ORAL OR WRITTEN, OBTAINED BY YOU FROM US THROUGH THIS SITE SHALL CREATE ANY WARRANTY, REPRESENTATION OR GUARANTEE NOT EXPRESSLY STATED IN THESE TERMS. JUSTANSWER DOES NOT REPRESENT OR WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE, THAT DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED, OR THAT THIS SITE OR THE SERVER THAT MAKES IT AVAILABLE, ARE FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS. JUSTANSWER DOES NOT WARRANT OR REPRESENT THAT THE USE OR THE RESULTS OF THE USE OF THE MATERIALS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE SERVICE, FROM THIRD PARTIES OR A LINKED SITE WILL BE CORRECT, ACCURATE, TIMELY, RELIABLE OR OTHERWISE. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL JUSTANSWER BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE CAUSED BY A USER'S RELIANCE ON INFORMATION OBTAINED THROUGH THE SITE, FROM THIRD PARTIES (SUCH AS EXPERTS OR OTHERS) OR A LINKED SITE, OR USER'S RELIANCE ON ANY PRODUCT OR SERVICE OBTAINED FROM A THIRD PARTY OR A LINKED SITE.

12. Limitation of Liabilities
IN NO EVENT SHALL WE, OUR PARENTS, SUBSIDIARIES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES OR OUR SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS OR LOSS OF BUSINESS) ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH OUR SITE, OUR SERVICES OR THIS AGREEMENT BASED ON ANY THEORY, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THE NEGATION OF DAMAGES SET FORTH ABOVE ARE FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS OF THE BASIS OF THE BARGAIN BETWEEN US AND YOU. THIS SITE AND THE INFORMATION WOULD NOT BE PROVIDED WITHOUT SUCH LIMITATIONS. IN NO EVENT WILL OUR LIABILITY, AND THE LIABILITY OF OUR PARENTS, SUBSIDIARIES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND SUPPLIERS, TO YOU OR ANY THIRD PARTIES IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCE EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNT OF FEES YOU PAY TO US IN THE 12 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACTION GIVING RISE TO LIABILITY, OR (B) $100. Some States do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you.

13. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify, defend and hold JustAnswer, any and all parent, subsidiary, or affiliate organizations, officers, agents and employees, harmless from any claim, demand, or damage, including reasonable attorneys' fees, asserted by any third party that are in any way due to or arising out of your use of or conduct on the Service. JustAnswer shall provide you reasonable notice of such claim.

Legalese for "Don't blame us!"

 

[charlie b]

I am just curious, how are answers given here differ from the answers given there?

Very good question! My answers are,

1. Here, the answers are free.
2. Here, the questioner is going to get paid for doing the work that is related to the question, and the responder is not.
3. Here, the expectation is that the questioner will understand the answer.
4. Here, the expectation is that the questioner already knows the answers to the thousands of other questions that must also be asked, in order to do the job safely and correctly.
5. Here, you are likely to get more than one answer, and they won’t always agree.
6. Here, you will often get code article citations that back up the responder’s point of view.

I often wince at the questioners being obviously out of their depth.

So do I. In fact, the moderators had an internal discussion on this topic, not long after the creation of this forum. Our consensus was that if a person is a paid member of the electrical trade, then it is not up to us (the forum moderators) to pass judgment on whether the person has enough background knowledge and experience and skills to do the work being addressed in the question. By our chosen definition of “DIY,” an electrician is never a DIY, regardless of whether that person is delving into an area in which they have no prior experience.

 

[electricmanscott]

I was surfing the internet this morning (work related of course...) and I came across this website that just got my blood boiling! It is a Q&A site dedicated to teaching Do It Yourselfers on how to perform various tasks. Which IMO is fine to a certain degree, but that degree should not include work that you need proper training and a license for. On this site, these so called experts charge a fee for answering questions and then have the audacity to ask for a BONUS or tip........I read a few of the responses from the experts and was immediatley apalled that this site is allowed. I would love to have anyone that reads this and feels the same way I do, innundate their website with negative responses. This kind of thing is going to get someone killed!!!

Here is the link: http://www.justanswer.com/home-improvement/electrical

Are you even a real Dr?

 

[iwire]

are you even a real dr?

lol :d

 

[peter d]

"A man's home is his castle".

What a person wants to do to their own home is up to them. We, no matter what we say or do, cannot change the fact that DIY is a part of life. True, we 'lose work' (read: lose money) because of it, but if someone wants to do their own electrical, there's not a lot we can do to stop them.

Some jurisdictions have permit, inpsection and testing requirements that you may be able to have changed in your favor. But if a HO decides to go down to Big Blue/Big Orange and buy the stuff he needs, there's nothing to stop him from doing so.

Don't bother trying to 'save the world' from itself. I get enough work from folks who are scared to death of electricity to keep me busy. Those who are fearless will never be a customer of mine, so I don't waste time on them.

I'll add another "amen" to the list.

I'll also say that I'm a DIY and I reserve the right to do any type of work in my own home. This includes plumbing and HVAC work, which I have done and will continue to do. So far be it from me to tell someone else that they can't do their own electrical work. As 480Sparky said, there are still plenty of people who are terrified of electricity and know nothing about it who will gladly hire an electrician.

 

[ultramegabob]

I'll add another "amen" to the list.

I'll also say that I'm a DIY and I reserve the right to do any type of work in my own home. This includes plumbing and HVAC work, which I have done and will continue to do. So far be it from me to tell someone else that they can't do their own electrical work. As 480Sparky said, there are still plenty of people who are terrified of electricity and know nothing about it who will gladly hire an electrician.

Ditto........

 

[Greg Swartz]

I'll add another "amen" to the list.

I'll also say that I'm a DIY and I reserve the right to do any type of work in my own home. This includes plumbing and HVAC work, which I have done and will continue to do. So far be it from me to tell someone else that they can't do their own electrical work. As 480Sparky said, there are still plenty of people who are terrified of electricity and know nothing about it who will gladly hire an electrician.

Make that 3...

 

[Greg Swartz]

I think I am going to join that website as an EXPERT and make some money!!!

 

[electricmanscott]

I think I am going to join that website as an EXPERT and make some money!!!

I ain't admitting anything but be prepared for some of the worst questions ever asked.

 

[George Stolz]

Are you even a real Dr?

Just don't mention that there are forums similar to this one that serve DIY'ers for free!