Is there any interest in a Electrical education thread?

[Dadnatron]

IMHO there would need to be a master electrician that would monitor such a forum and a daily basis and he would need to delete any bad advice or at least explain and correct that content.

So... you are of the thought that some knowledge will cause someone to do something they otherwise would not?

People will do what they are going to do. This nanny scared crap is what is stopping people from being able to buy a cup of coffee without a hazard warning. It perpetuates the thought that only a person with a piece of paper is capable of performing something which previously was done by everyone around. Sure, expertise is a great thing... but it is not the only thing. I'll be damned if I am going to call an electrician to do some common wiring. And I **** sure won't be suing someone because he gave me some information that I took and tried.

People need to grow up. If they can't do something, DON'T. If they can, DO. If they are unsure, TRY or hire it out. But don't abdicate your ability and RESPONSIBILITY simply because you are afraid.

 

[buickanddeere]

I remember pennies in the old home fuse boxes.......ya gotta do what ya gotta do!

You gotta do what you gotta do does not justify an electrical fire . The fuses are blowing because there is a fault . Repair the fault .

 

[CobyRupert]

Or because of an overload.

 

[jerrybob]

You gotta do what you gotta do does not justify an electrical fire . The fuses are blowing because there is a fault . Repair the fault .

I agree.........those pennies were a long time ago..........I don't recommend the practice.

 

[PILOON]

I know of a recent insurance inspection that insisted that a fuse panel had to be replaced by breakers B4 they would issue a policy.
But then some inspectors do get carried away. Another case was where an extension cord was stapled to the outside of a building simply for convenience (using a plug inside at the outlet). That install IMHO was logical as an extension cord lying on the ground was for more dangerous than stapled to the wall.
(Think he had a bad day or was simply **** retentive.)
He also demanded that the metal roof be repainted. (not rusted but simply somewhat flaking a bit)


LOL, on my own DIY home the inspector noted that the wood stove was too close to the structure but when I was able to show him that the alcove was solid concrete (like hit with a hammer) he backed off and passed me.

 

[ultrarunner]

A lot of policies here were to be cancelled unless the fused MAIN was upgraded to Circuit Breaker... no requirement to upgrade sub-panels...

A new Main equaled a new Service... did a lot of them and overriding reason was Insurance.

 

[outinthetalgrass]

Here is my take on this, I worked for 30+ years as an "electrician" in a large commercial facility. I have worked on everything from cat5 wiring, 12 volt control systems, 120, 220, 208 3 phase, and 477 3 phase. Things have changed a lot in codes and the way things are done.
I retired 2 years ago to enjoy life but got bored just playing around the house and barn. I missed the 48-60 hour weeks and being on rotating call to take care of problems with systems/lines that always seemed to happen. So I decided to return to work.
I got a very part time job in the electrical department in a national "big box" home improvement store.
I get some of the strangest questions from customers, it is clear there are those that have no business working on electric systems.
I would never give electrical advise except to contact a licensed electrician, I wouldn't feel qualified to try and teach those that have no idea what a meter is used for or how to wire things. (Think, I changed out the 3 light switches for my family room light with single pole switches, and now they won't work, or blow the breaker when I turn on one of the switches what should I do?)

 

[Dadnatron]

People tell people how to plow a field, thoughts on tractors, burn a brush pile, how deep 'they' put their poles in the ground for a barn, etc etc etc.

Electricity is no more dangerous than any of those. Roll the tractor, burned by the brush, roof falls in a wind storm.

But for some reason, those damnable 'magic pixies' make everyone lose their marbles.

 

[CobyRupert]

I get some of the strangest questions from customers, it is clear there are those that have no business working on electric systems.

I would never give electrical advise except to contact a licensed electrician

Good points.
People on both sides of the transaction forget that when someone pays a professional, the professional isn't just accepting money for their material & labor (including experience & expertise), the pro is also accepting money to assume some of the liability.

I think that what is forgotten is that when you represent yourself as a professional, but then give away your advice for "free", you've actually assumed a lot of the risk that you may pay for later.

That's why there's no way in he// that a website should represent itself as, or designate a master electrician to be, the final word in all questions electrical.

 

[California]

... when someone pays a professional, the professional isn't just accepting money for their material & labor (including experience & expertise), the pro is also accepting money to assume some of the liability.

....when you represent yourself as a professional, but then give away your advice for "free", you've actually assumed a lot of the risk ...

... there's no way in he// that a website should represent itself as, or designate a master electrician to be, the final word ...

Any advice posted here, electrical or otherwise, should take the form of 'here's what worked for me, you might like to review what I did to help you explore your own solution'.