ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Stinky Can

I received a service call for a stinky can. When arrived on the site I relized they weren't joking. It accually turned out to be a dead mouse next to the can in the ceiling. Quite disgusting. I had to hold my breath to keep from vomiting. Has anyone else had an unusual service call?

Not near as icky as your story, but had to remove a dustball at the bottom of a panel in a mobile home for a new breaker to a subpanel.

As I began to remove it, discovered that it was a mouse who had climbed the pipe from under the mobile, and was trying to find his way out. Stuck his head into the gap between the buss bars and oops, he didn't survive.

Usually refer stinky can complaints to the plumber

Yes I once found the remains of a small bird inside the top part of a kitchen ceiling "cake" style fixture. There was a gap in the drywall around the box and it had gotten in there and died on top of the fixture where the insulation pad is.

I once was called to repair an outlet at a cheese factory (in NJ ???)...a (dead) little mouse was the culprit.

I just got through redoing a water pumping station that had been dormant for about 6 years. (Used to be owned by Union Oil, our co. was installing new pumps for the new owner.) Rats had chewed through alot of the 4/0 pump feeders and most of the control/PLC wiring which ran through an underground vault and a concrete channel under the MCC. We ended up repulling everything, and I found 2 of the miscreants... One still had his jaws locked into a 480V control wire under the MCC (He was pretty much mummified), the other was in the bottom of the vault)

Right now we're having problems with wild rabbits chewing on things.. Just had to repull 300' of Belden thanks to them

I know of one other pretty disgusting job I heard on here from Mark (e57) at a crack hotel... Maybe he'd like to relive that for us

Oh here you go....

Worst job to date.

These rooms are totaly coated in bug spray about 1/8"+ thick!

[This message has been edited by e57 (edited 07-05-2006).]

Man I wish I would have had my camera for this one! This rental home had three seperate panels. One was located in the basement, nailed to a support column. Another was located in one of the bedroom closets behind all kinds storage crap ie; boxes and the like. Lastly but not least, the third was located in the kitchen... opened up one of the top cabinets..and behind the canned goods and rice-a-roni, VOILA! Exposed lugs and bus with, a few breakers. What a nightmare this was! Sheesh.