jumper
Senior Member
- Location
- 3 Hr 2 Min from Winged Horses
:lol: Dat was funny.
Tips and Tricks
- Thread starter DBoone
- Start date
- Status
:lol: Dat was funny.
electricguy61
Senior Member
I can only add a couple of things to James L's post, which was excellent
1) Have a good supply of sharpened auger bits, & change them frequently. If you have to start leaning on the drill to push it through a stud, it's dull.
2) I don't think having level holes through studs can be over-emphasized for ease of pulling. Also, it makes for a much more professional looking job, which usually makes the inspector a little less critical.
3) Use cable stackers if over three wires to a box. (We have one jurisdiction that requires this, but I do it on all our jobs)
4) I agree about the clean jobsite: safer and faster
5) I prefer 1000' rolls, as I think it pulls and staples much easier. But be sure to have enough rolls to keep everyone busy. If they're waiting to use a roll, they're wasting time.
6) Use string to line up all can lights in a room. Moving a can is a pain.
7) I don't like all metal staples. We use plastic. I believe they drive easier, and there's much less risk of over-driving a staple and damaging a wire
1) Have a good supply of sharpened auger bits, & change them frequently. If you have to start leaning on the drill to push it through a stud, it's dull.
2) I don't think having level holes through studs can be over-emphasized for ease of pulling. Also, it makes for a much more professional looking job, which usually makes the inspector a little less critical.
3) Use cable stackers if over three wires to a box. (We have one jurisdiction that requires this, but I do it on all our jobs)
4) I agree about the clean jobsite: safer and faster
5) I prefer 1000' rolls, as I think it pulls and staples much easier. But be sure to have enough rolls to keep everyone busy. If they're waiting to use a roll, they're wasting time.
6) Use string to line up all can lights in a room. Moving a can is a pain.
7) I don't like all metal staples. We use plastic. I believe they drive easier, and there's much less risk of over-driving a staple and damaging a wire
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
Back inthe good old days, I hate houses now, the ladder never settled to level before I was up at least one rung. Most of the houses I did then would make a good sized living room now.
electricalist
Senior Member
- Location
- dallas tx
IMO houses can have a smaller profit margin . Track houses and their cousin the 5 diff floor plan track house have no money in them for should I call someone cause for the cans gotta move a little type questions. Just make a logical discion and do . No body cares . Green tags get you a check. Red tags will put you outta busness.
readydave8
re member
- Location
- Clarkesville, Georgia
- Occupation
- electrician
If I knew what you are saying I might agree. Should I call someone cause for the cans gotta move a little type questions.(?)
IMO, instead of being a fast "fast romex runner" be the best electrician.
Learn how to troubleshoot, learn the NEC, learn VFD, learn motors and transformers......
James L
Senior Member
- Location
- Kansas Cty, Mo, USA
- Occupation
- Electrician
He might already be one of the best all around electricians, and just wanting to learn how to get faster at new consruction residential work.
But in many cases, your insinuation is on target. My brother was in the trade for 6 years, wiring dorm housing and multifamily. He was thoroughly abused imho. Fastest guy in town pulling wire, but after 6 years didn't know how to make up a 3-way switch or how to lay out a simple circuit.
Shame on guys that exploit one aspect of a man's ability without turning him into a real electrician
James L
Senior Member
- Location
- Kansas Cty, Mo, USA
- Occupation
- Electrician
He's saying that new housing pays too cheap to be wasting valuable time waiting for an exact placement of a can light. 2 phone calls and a loose end that has to be tied up later.
1,000 sf house paying $2,800 for rough and finish? Efficiency is the key. Good walk thru/markout is the foundation for efficiency
No disrespect, but I think it is your brother's fault that he became the fastest romex installer and does not know how to lay out and wire a 3way switch.
electricalist
Senior Member
- Location
- dallas tx
sorry i was sitting in traffic trying to type...i mean that its not necessary to be so exact on track houses as long as it looks good and doesnt change design intentiom.....example,,,,2 cans 1 fan in bedroom, plans show a distance that will strobe when fan is on unless its smaller than a 52 in fan,,,, just put the cans where they will need to be....... switches, some show closer to door than others,,,dont try to figure it out 1 blk every door opening or nail to next stud.... it avoids the 5 in door trim not because this room or that room will get it but because its the method of not wasting time thats not necessary....run switch leg for bathrooms in wall like a S horizontal where mirror will be . and put it where it says .. if your lucky itll be right,,,, but i promise if one thing on that same wall is on back order for 1 day ,, they will find something that will go there andyou will move the light so dont waste time on them...some even put switches in bathroom same height as gfci...they wont notice the switch is lower but they will notice if one bathroom theres 3 .5 in diff in height and another is 3in diff...
James L
Senior Member
- Location
- Kansas Cty, Mo, USA
- Occupation
- Electrician
Or put in a disco ball
mjf
Senior Member
Actually, what his profile says is (quoted)
"I work for a General Contractor. We do a lot of the work ourselves including the electrical work."
Probably not the best way to train to be an electrician, but he's trying to get better/faster at it and hopefully he'll learn more and more.
Not everyone gets into this trade by way of training programs/schooling/unions. (I'm one of them). After about 4 years working for a licensed electrician I still didn't know how to wire 3-way switches. Boss wouldn't show me. But, I had done a lot of troubleshooting. I bought a "how to" book 20+ years ago and figured 3-ways out real easy.
Someday I'll figure out a 4-way
Just kidding
I do envy those of you who had a disciplined training program.
DBoone
Senior Member
- Location
- Mississippi
- Occupation
- General Contractor
How I got to this point:
I'll be 30 in January and I've been working for the same GC/residential builder since I started ( 5 yrs in March). We do a lot of the work on our homes. We form, frame, electrical etc. I am striving to start my on company as a GC. I look at each day not as just "put in my 8 and go home" but as another day to learn more towards bettering myself and starting a company.
I don't have the attitude of "that's the way I was taught so I'm going to do it that way and not seek a better way". I do a lot of studying about the various aspects of building a home so I can give my customers the best possible product. With that said I have done a lot of reading and studying about electrical theory, the NEC, installation methods etc. I enjoy reading the forums. But since I am not going to be a full time electrician I focus mainly on residential electrical work.
I asked my original question not to be satisfied just pulling cable but because I'm always looking to learn anything and everything about the residential side of electrical work.
:thumbsup:
I'll be 30 in January and I've been working for the same GC/residential builder since I started ( 5 yrs in March). We do a lot of the work on our homes. We form, frame, electrical etc. I am striving to start my on company as a GC. I look at each day not as just "put in my 8 and go home" but as another day to learn more towards bettering myself and starting a company.
I don't have the attitude of "that's the way I was taught so I'm going to do it that way and not seek a better way". I do a lot of studying about the various aspects of building a home so I can give my customers the best possible product. With that said I have done a lot of reading and studying about electrical theory, the NEC, installation methods etc. I enjoy reading the forums. But since I am not going to be a full time electrician I focus mainly on residential electrical work.
I asked my original question not to be satisfied just pulling cable but because I'm always looking to learn anything and everything about the residential side of electrical work.
:thumbsup:
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electricalist
Senior Member
- Location
- dallas tx
Mr . Boone im glad to see that even if being an electrician is not your goal atleast you can put it out there and let the peices fall where they may...the great length and detailed info james l gave is priceless, if you did it like he said you could very possibly profit without trying,,,,anyway if your goal is to be a gc,,,,,,remember there s an electrician there who could use the work....you know what right looks like,,,thanks to Jamesl
- Status