ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Contractor doing wiring on a job

Payback is a female dog. In my younger days, there was a GC who insisted on turning the lights on every morning, by energizing every CB in the panel. The lights were controlled solely by the CBs. We warned him to stop, as not all branch circuits were completed. He only laughed. One fine morning he was startled by a loud explosion when he energized the branch circuits, and we promised to backcharge him for all the damage. He was very pale.
What we did was to insert #12 solids until they barely touched in a "cherry bomb" fire cracker laying in the bottom part of the panel cabinet and connect the other ends to a CB and the neutral. Loud noise and smoke, but no real damage.
The same guy was later fired for having a laborer jack hammer through red concrete, and the 4800 volt service feeder. No one was hurt, but the job was delayed for a week.
Ryan - this was the South Jordan HS, not too far from Draper.

I had something like that happen, only it was between a good friend of mine and an "electrician" he knew... Friend had this guy do some work because he thought I was too busy and all, this "electrician" completely chewed up a reversing motor starter I put together, as well as mucking with some other wiring, screwing up phase rotation in the shop and causing nothing but problems.......
I had a good chat with my friend and told him my thoughts on the situation. Told him flat out I was livid, and if he wants "hack N slash" to keep doing work, thats fine, he wont be seeing me around there any more... OR I come in, fix the screw ups, and not allow "hack n slash" touch a thing in there ever again..
Fortunatly, the correct choice was made.

A.D

Joey D ---

I guess you have drilled holes in joists and studs before without asking permission.

Around my job sites in any building that requires engineering you get charged for the cost of engineering your holes and repairing them as necessary.

Don't get hung up on the fact that you have a permit and someone else did some work.

[quote}Joey D ---

I guess you have drilled holes in joists and studs before without asking permission.

Around my job sites in any building that requires engineering you get charged for the cost of engineering your holes and repairing them as necessary.

Don't get hung up on the fact that you have a permit and someone else did some work.[/quote]

Since when did it require engineering to drill holes thru studs and floor joist?. ( Exception- engineered lumber floor joists aside.). I never had to have anyone repair a single hole I ever drilled in a stud or a joist before, have you? I would get real hung up on somebody messing with my installed work. Specially carpenters. Don't care how often they have watched hgtv, they still don't know what the hell they are doing since the tv guy's dont either where wiring is concerned.

It's illegal in some places to have anyone but an electrician do electrial work and both the owner and contractor would get fined.Inspection could even demand a licensed electrician inspect the building within 15 days or they can shut your down.


[This message has been edited by frank (edited 03-05-2006).]

Hey Joey,
I had a owner do wiring on a Sun in a new 6000sq ft resi. he decided he would make some changes and didn t want to pay for them. He was cheap. He was also an EE. Had a doctoriate. Anyway, I refused to work untill he talked to general and genreal said o well. Had my attorny write up a paper that said if they didn't take responsiblityby date x they would be responcable for the entire electrical project. They never signed and I finished with no worries. If it burned it was there fault, whether it was or not. O by the way he was adding recpts and lights with no knowledge of the loads i intended and the drywall was hung. He busted holes and shoved 12-2 up the walls. He told me it took him all day.LOL

Phil

My advice....don't listen to George.

Good advise.