ECN Electrical Forum - Discussion Forums for Electricians, Inspectors and Related Professionals
ECN Shout Chat
ShoutChat
Recent Posts
Increasing demand factors in residential
by gfretwell - 03/28/24 12:43 AM
Portable generator question
by Steve Miller - 03/19/24 08:50 PM
Do we need grounding?
by NORCAL - 03/19/24 05:11 PM
240V only in a home and NEC?
by dsk - 03/19/24 06:33 AM
Cordless Tools: The Obvious Question
by renosteinke - 03/14/24 08:05 PM
New in the Gallery:
This is a new one
This is a new one
by timmp, September 24
Few pics I found
Few pics I found
by timmp, August 15
Who's Online Now
1 members (Scott35), 267 guests, and 17 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
Page 1 of 5 1 2 3 4 5
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 745
E
Member
It amazes me the garbage that the "professionals" tell people on these TV programs.

Tonight was a perfect example on HGTV on a kitchen remodeling show. The guy complained that the oven in his electric range doesn't work, so the "home improvement pro" advised him that he should replace it with a gas one. He further commented that gas is "cleaner".

How can anything be cleaner than electricity, as in zero emissions whatsoever?

Then, after the commercial, he outlines the project that includes (you guessed it) a new circuit for an electric wall oven.

Not to mention, the "pro" explained how easy it is to tap off the gas meter and do it themselves, not to mention running a circuit for the oven. "It's easy".

Can someone say BOOM? Oh, good Lord. My blood is starting to boil.


---Ed---

"But the guy at Home Depot said it would work."
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,335
S
Member
I'm with you on that. I saw a show where the handy man was wiring pendant lights over a counter. He methodically fished the wires through small holes in the ceiling then the camera cut to where the last screw was installed into the base of the last light. How much you want to bet no j-boxes were used?

There was one I saw on was done by an electrician. This may be just me and the pride of doing it right and do a good job doing it. The electrical installation appeared to be kosher. The heartburn I had was his approach to the project. He was installing a ceiling fan so it required a second switch. Instead of busting out the old box and cut the old hole out with 2 gang old work box, he cut a 12" x 12" section of the wall around the switch. No matter how good the drywaller is, those joints are going to stand out like a sore thumb not to mention the whole area will need to be painted. I do not like remodel work looking like remodel work. This case is a good example. what the sparky did cost more then just taken out the old box. Some are more pickier then others.

My wife likes to watch these remodel shows. When I am home and the just mention the word electric on the show, they change the channel. This is my arm chair quarterbacking. for the week


"Live Awesome!" - Kevin Carosa
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 745
E
Member
True that! I think that you are referring to an episode of some show that included "Jodie" and Pat (Simpson) where they cut out a huge chunk of wall for a second switch. I can't remember the name of the show, but they are all similar. If I recall correctly, they were very careful to encourage the homeowner to wrap the wire nuts with electrical tape.

It's the end of the world as we know it.


---Ed---

"But the guy at Home Depot said it would work."
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,923
Likes: 32
G
Member
You must have bad drywall guys if they can't float out a patch so it doesn't show. Actually it is usually easier to fix a big hole than a small one. When my wife was building houses she was punching holes in drywall all the time to fix various problems. When you paint you always want to paint to a corner anyway. A small color difference won't show if you do the whole wall section.


Greg Fretwell
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 680
W
Member
Quote

How can anything be cleaner than electricity, as in zero emissions whatsoever?

That coal fired plant producing electricity causes no pollution???

Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 812
Member
My drywall usually needs patched after a remote becomes a projectile during these shows...

Originally Posted by EV607797
It's the end of the world as we know it.


Now that's my line.

Ian A.


Is there anyone on board who knows how to fly a plane?
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 165
Member
Originally Posted by EV607797
...they were very careful to encourage the homeowner to wrap the wire nuts with electrical tape.

Twenty years ago, I worked with an electrician who was very consistent in wrapping wire nuts with tape. I'm not aware of any problems from these connections. What is the objection here? confused

Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 482
Z
Member
Yup, been there, seen that. I once saw a woman dropping an outlet below a cabinet in a bathroom. They showed her taking the old over-counter outlet out, and the *POOF*, the next second she was installing the outlet below the cabinet. They didn't show a single instant of fishing through, cutting in the box...nothing. Magic!

Oh, and I have a drywall guy that can make anything look beautiful, no matter what kind of damage I have done with my saw. You just gotta find the right people to make you look good :-)

Oh, and the problem with wrapping wire nuts is not the connection it's self, it's having to be the guy who comes in later to try and get into the wire joint, especially if a DIYer was the wrapper. If wire nuts just "fell off" of wire joints, making the tape necessary, I'd switch to crimps. I think a lot of the old timers wrapped wire nuts as a result of having wrapped solder joints for so long and they just didn't trust the "new" tech. A properly installed wire nut should never, ever fall off of a joint, even under reasonable stress. Except for trying to keep moisture out (and there are better methods and materials for this), there is very little call for wrapping a wire nut in tape.

Joined: May 2005
Posts: 706
T
Member
In this area, the waste from the power plants have a 20,000 year half life.

Dave

Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 165
Member
Originally Posted by Zapped
... I think a lot of the old timers wrapped wire nuts as a result of having wrapped solder joints for so long and they just didn't trust the "new" tech.

This makes sense. In my early days with the electrician, we worked on some older homes that had soldered joints. We wrapped the conductors, and continued past the end so that we had a built-up segment of tape that we folded back over the conductor ends and then finally wrapped the whole thing. The first time I saw him pull about a yard of tape off a roll, I wondered exactly how many joints he was going to wrap with it.

As far as the home improvement shows go, I stick with "Holmes on Homes" on the DiscoveryNetwork. Mike Holmes is absolutely adamant about rejecting poor work, whether by a DIYer or a contractor. It's a rare day that he doesn't call in a licensed electrician to fix the problems and code violations that he inevitably finds. Holmes is a Canadian, out of Ontario province (though he did work once on a California disaster), and I have to say I'm insanely jealous of our neighbor to the north. No matter what aspect of the house, he seems to know at least one superb specialist who can do just about anything.

Page 1 of 5 1 2 3 4 5

Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5