I used to be one of those so called "handy men"...I, like those people you are refering to, used to attempt jobs that I had no business fooling with !...one in particular comes to mind as it was my only attempt at unqualified electrical work, but it's a doozie and anyone considering doing the same should beware !!!
The guy owned a gift shop downtown in a heavily populated strip on the main drag...lots of older buildings,and terrible electrical panels...anywho, they told me that they had bought several sticks of NEON from another store owner and would like it hung around the front of the building. Well, I knew everything so I said I could do it. I went to work that day by running down the street to see how others had their neon hung and went to get the needed supplies. I bought stand-offs, caps and wire. I began mounting the stand-offs (or insulators) and neon sticks, wired all of the sticks in series and capped the ends like the folks down the street. I must have made a mistake in measuring the needed wire to make the circuit because I found my self 3 feet short of the other side of the neon transformer which I mounted on the roof...in the open air...no overhead protection, box or insulation underneath. The owner stated that he had some more neon hook-up wire in the store and gave it to me along with a wire nut !!!
Well since I knew everything, I wire nutted the 3 foot piece of wire in and connected it to the transformer. I laid the wire on the old flat roof and went down to screw in the 60A fuse...waa-laa !!!...worked like a champ !!!...
Until the first rain storm...the owner called me and told me that during the day it rained, the neon was flickering and making a loud buzzing noise then just stopped working after about 4 hours !
I was in the area that day and stopped by to see the most incredible electrical display that I have ever seen...the bright blue and white light comming from the rooftop was amazing !...the wire had burned in half at the wire nut, (due most likely to the inch of water on the roof) and the wire end was arc welding what was then, a 6 inch hole into the top of his store !!! Thanks to the higher power of your choice, that place didn't burn to the ground and no one was injured. I learned alot that day and never forget to admit when I don't know what I'm doing...a lesson that could have killed someone !!!
Just a reminder to those who think they know "everything"...like I did..or in this case didn't ! How much will your next mistake cost ?
Be safe and work smart !!!
Mike
