using scrap wire

[electricmanscott]

If other ECs are bidding jobs so low that they need to splice 8/3 nmb on new installs to raise there job profit there is something wrong in our trade.

Must be new to the trade.

 

[mcclary's electrical]

I would vote against unneeded splices, and so would most homeowners if they knew. What if they decide to finish there basement eventually and the splice boxes have to be cleaned up. Would you do it on your own house. What if a plumber started spliceing plastic water lines to use up his scraps. If other ECs are bidding jobs so low that they need to splice 8/3 nmb on new installs to raise there job profit there is something wrong in our trade.

That type of bidding has been going on for the past 3 years


Often, I see jobs go so cheap that I'm convinced they ride around at night and steal material

 

[hardworkingstiff]

Just out of curiosity, what is the average run of cable we're talking about? 50'? 75'?

 

[mcclary's electrical]

Just out of curiosity, what is the average run of cable we're talking about? 50'? 75'?

We haven't covered hard numbers, but when I read the op,,,I pictured about 100' homerun, and him using 2 or 3 boxes. Which will never, ever in hundreds of years, (f done properly) cause a problem


Think of a receptacle and lighting circuit. By the time you get to the end, how many splices has it travelled through?

 

[hardworkingstiff]

While it would be code compliant, IMO it is second class work.

I would like to retract the second class work comment. After thinking about this some more, I can understand the OP thinking about doing it.

 

[hardworkingstiff]

We haven't covered hard numbers, but when I read the op,,,I pictured about 100' homerun, and him using 2 or 3 boxes. Which will never, ever in hundreds of years, (f done properly) cause a problem


Think of a receptacle and lighting circuit. By the time you get to the end, how many splices has it travelled through?

I don't do residential work anymore, but I really don't ever remember going on a call where the range or dryer circuit had a problem in the cable, but I can remember calls on receptacles where the connections failed.

I can picture the connections heating/cooling and if they are aluminum, maybe failing. I wonder, if you went on a service call and found 2 or 3 splice boxes in the range circuit (because of a trouble call) what you would think. Would you tell the homeowner they needed a new cable installed? This is of course a question that should have been answered prior to this thread.

 

[okeefe]

If it was for example a 100' run, I would do one spice in the middle of the run, if I had two 50' new extra lenghts kicking around the shop.

 

[zog]

Which is a world that has absolutely nothing to do with OPs question.

Again, the cables you are speaking of have nothing to do with the OP.

All the building wire I work with comes from the factory with open ends, I guess the factory is unprofessional and is hoping for insulation failures.

Moisture will enter any wire or cable, but there is a difference between 2 ends and 20 ends in a run.

You have no idea how the vast majority of electrcal work is done.

Well I was an electrician in the navy for 9 years and we did similar work, and I was IBEW for 5 years so I think I have a good idea about most electrical work. I just apparantly am naive to some of the methods used by some EC's.

You are entitled to your opinion, but that is all it is.

Right, that is all it is, that is why I started a poll to see what others (Who have "an idea how most electrical work is done") opinions are.

 

[WinZip]

Lets say you wired this new custom home an you had a 100 foot run to a range or oven an you have 3 pieces of cable that would work providing you use 2 splice boxes , now one year later when the warranty has run out you get a call from happy home owner my range doesn't work maybe it's the circuit breaker can you come out for a service call an check this please.

You arrive with a smile on your face check a few things then take a look under the crawl space an you see one of the splice boxes you installed a year ago an find that one connection had burned through the connection for what ever reason , so you fix the problem an present happy home owner with a bill for $190.00 which he pays.

Now two months later you get another call from unhappy home owner my range has stopped working again , you pay him another visit an check box #1 everything is fine so now you remember adding a second box an you proceed to checking it's connection an to your surprise that connection also had burned through it's connection for what ever reason , now you find that you don't have the materials to make the repair at splice box #2 an have to run to supply house or home depot to get what you need for the repair and then present unhappy home owner another bill but for $235.00 this time , an he looks at you an says why do I have to pay you again for what you said you repaired the last trip , now because your an honest person you say to him I used two junction splice boxes under the crawl to use up some left over wire when we wired the house from the start , unhappy home owner is standing there steaming mad with eye balls rolling around in his head an popping out.

All you had to do from the start is take a whole run from point A to Point B

End of story

 

[quogueelectric]

Well I live in the power system world where we don't do that sort of thing. When you have an open end of a cable moisture will creep in and will eventually develop into water trees and then electrical trees, causing insulation failure. If cables are exposed to a moist environment they need to be pruged with nitrogen bewfore installation. Guess that shows why guys who do residential (And would use spliced scraps) have no place installing power cables.



I naver said it was illegal or a code violation, just that it was unprofessional.

I have asked this already but everyone ignored me so I will ask again. Would you do an insulation resistance test on this spliced scrap wire? Do you test any wire you install?

What about everyone else?

By my count I am not alone here, about half of the people responding think this is an unprofessional practice.

What about modular homes where almost all of the branch circuits are spliced at the house seam.

 

[roger]

All you had to do from the start is take a whole run from point A to Point B

End of story

Or make better splices.

Roger

 

[roger]

What about modular homes where almost all of the branch circuits are spliced at the house seam.

Good point. I wonder if they are using wire from partial spools at times during manufacturing?

Roger

 

[rodneee]

just out of curiosity, what is the average run of cable we're talking about? 50'? 75'?

somewhere between 80 to 110 feet

 

[mcclary's electrical]

Lets say you wired this new custom home an you had a 100 foot run to a range or oven an you have 3 pieces of cable that would work providing you use 2 splice boxes , now one year later when the warranty has run out you get a call from happy home owner my range doesn't work maybe it's the circuit breaker can you come out for a service call an check this please.

You arrive with a smile on your face check a few things then take a look under the crawl space an you see one of the splice boxes you installed a year ago an find that one connection had burned through the connection for what ever reason , so you fix the problem an present happy home owner with a bill for $190.00 which he pays.

Now two months later you get another call from unhappy home owner my range has stopped working again , you pay him another visit an check box #1 everything is fine so now you remember adding a second box an you proceed to checking it's connection an to your surprise that connection also had burned through it's connection for what ever reason , now you find that you don't have the materials to make the repair at splice box #2 an have to run to supply house or home depot to get what you need for the repair and then present unhappy home owner another bill but for $235.00 this time , an he looks at you an says why do I have to pay you again for what you said you repaired the last trip , now because your an honest person you say to him I used two junction splice boxes under the crawl to use up some left over wire when we wired the house from the start , unhappy home owner is standing there steaming mad with eye balls rolling around in his head an popping out.

All you had to do from the start is take a whole run from point A to Point B

End of story

What are you wrapping them together with rubber bands? If you pretwist and cap off with big blues, they will last JUST AS LONG as the house does. If you don't trust your wirenut joints more than that,,,,I would not be in this business

 

[WinZip]

Just making a point was all.

 

[mcclary's electrical]

Just making a point was all.

I don't call that a point, I call that an unrealistic, hypothetical, situation purposefully (mis)worded to steer people into voting a certain way. The bad thing is most on here would do the same thing the op mentioned, but don't have gonads to admit it due to Zog bad mouthing them about a field he's not even competing in.

 

[WinZip]

Maybe someone could email Mike Holt and ask him what he thinks about it on a professional level install.

 

[mcclary's electrical]

Maybe someone could email Mike Holt and ask him what he thinks about it on a professional level install.

Why,,,,does he compete in this field?

Get real. That just as misguided as the poll.

There is nothing wrong with what the op mentioned.

I don't do it, so I have no reason to defend it, other than YOU GUYS NEED TO BE REALISTIC.

The splices will last as long as the house.

 

[roger]

Why,,,,does he compete in this field?

Get real. That just as misguided as the poll.

There is nothing wrong with what the op mentioned.

I don't do it, so I have no reason to defend it, other than YOU GUYS NEED TO BE REALISTIC.

The splices will last as long as the house.

And I agree.

Roger

 

[bpk]

Does anybody add extra couplings to pipe runs to use up short pieces of conduit. Say if you need a straight 10' stick to use up 2 5' pieces? I know its a little off topic but the workmanship issue is still there. FWIW I have been guilty of this in an area that is normally out of sight, but I would'nt add J-boxes in somebodys new house.