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#106077 12/28/04 09:31 PM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 3,682
Likes: 3
Admin Offline OP
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Quote
These photos are from the first job I almost walked away from. I was sent to 'make the heater work.' Well, I did, but almost everything else was disconnected before I left.

The location is an industrial rental, that the tenant had "added" basic living facilities to. In the course of adding a "kitchen," he had disconnected the furnace blower somewhere.

Not clear in the photos are the disconnect circuits that were already there when I arrived. Nothing, including the panel, had a cover attached (covers were usually lying nearby). The service is a 240/120 Delta, so every third "110" circuit had 208v. Almost every wiring method was used, including the liberal use of romex adjacent to a pottery kiln.

Handy boxes typically had missing KO's. Wires were typically undersized. No GFI's, of course. And, while I MIGHT consider a short length of properly strain-relieved SO being used to connect a water heater to a nearby dedicated receptacle, his long run of loose #14 SJTO was a bit much!

- John Steinke
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#106078 12/28/04 09:56 PM
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Member
That's a mess and a half you had on your hands there, John.
I wouldn't walk away from a job like that though, I'd run!. [Linked Image]

#106079 01/09/05 01:18 AM
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 59
D
Member
Looks like an extention cord was used for the water heater. Lol...

#106080 01/09/05 01:44 AM
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,691
S
Member
What I don't get is....

If the tenant already fitted an extension cord to the heater, why didn't he just fit a plug at the end of the orange cord, jam the sucker into a light socket and leave it at that instead of futzing with the circuit breaker box?

color me confused... [Linked Image]

#106081 08/11/05 08:50 PM
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,445
Likes: 2
Cat Servant
Member
Hi, All! Please indulge me, while I bring this old thread back to life!

Things happen...sometimes slowly...but they do happen! This guy finally vacated his space (with some encouragement), and has moved his mess elsewhere.

This week I had the pleasure of entering the now-vacant space, and clearing out all of his mess. When I was done, the only thing left connected was my heater circuit!
I then went and installed a few basic circuits for the next tenant.

The water heater had been removed. Now, so has the extension cord.
Not to be out-done, this guy also had concealed/covered an open junction box by building a (plywood) "shower" atop it! And not a GFI in the place.
Another J-box was covered by the plywood duct from his pottery kiln.
In several places, he used two-screw clamps to grip individual conductors, that then floated through the wall spaces.

Soon I will post some more pics.

#106082 08/11/05 09:51 PM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 4,294
Member
Removing an installation like this.....priceless.

#106083 08/12/05 12:53 PM
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 134
R
Member
First photo - pressure valve not piped to floor.

Middle photo - pick a direction ground up or ground down. And what's with the random outlet placement.

Last photo - was he running wires or water to the switch?

The delta 208 note reminds of a story where some DIYers I met were complaining how the 'voltage at this place was messed up and fried their stuff when they hooked up a new sub panel...half the stuff was at 210 volts' DUH!!!!

After seeing this I have to go cry now....

RSlater,
RSmike

#106084 08/14/05 11:22 PM
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 57
Member
I dont think its an extension cord, though sometimes some 10-3 can look like one.
Who did this work....Uncle Billy Joe's great grandpa from Googie, Al? (Just being a little smart-alek here). [Linked Image]

[This message has been edited by lil suzi (edited 08-14-2005).]


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