ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area First Time I ever saw this!

Went to look at a 200 amp upgrade job today and found two 2 wire (with ground) Romexes being used as multiwire circuits. The black and the white were the two lines and the bare was the neutral. Looked like it was done at construction, 30 year old house out in the sticks.

I've definitely never seen that before!

Another reason why I hate multi wire circuits!!

O.k., brace for a "blast" from iwire!!

Not that I ever think that was code, what were the loads they were feeding?

This sort of thing happens when a guy screws up the rough and finds it at trim. Instead of admitting it and eating the backcharge for drywall and paint they cheat.
My wife caught some 3 ways wired the same way, using the bare as a current carrying conductor.

I don't like any mis-wired circuit.

Really wondering how you would wire a electric dryer or range?

Those are both multiwire branch circuits.



[This message has been edited by iwire (edited 01-03-2007).]

It would not surprise me if some of the projectors you use require multi wire branch circuits.

An electrician who is uncomfortable running MWC's -- Kind of like a doctor who is afraid of using his stethescope. It must be very un-nerving dealing with that great big service entrance MWC while doing a panel changout. Probly not wiring many large homes either. I'd like to see some of the home runs in said installations, and the bid...

When I was young, wet behind the ears, and had just moved out "on my own," I rented a room in a house that housed several such as I.

My 'introduction' to the trade came when a very upset man appeared one day, looking for one of the other residents. He had hired the guy to do some electric work in his new home, he said, and the guy did something wrong, that 'blew up' hs TV set.

Later, in the course of my work, I was introduced to properly trained, real electricians. The bits and pieces I told of the story made no sense to them.

With hindsight, of course it was not something the 'real' guys had ever dealt with; they had been taught right, and had not done what this self-taught self-appointed "electrician" had done - they had never left an open (or loose) neutral.

Much as I value saving money myself, I draw the line at 'cheating.' I don't hire the local 'aw shucks' guy to do my brakes; nor do I try to do my own haircuts! So many of the problems we encounter (and the pictures we post) are the result of someone trying to 'beat the system.'

It is one thing, in dire circumstances, to try to "McGyver" something; quite another to make such "self-reliance" one of your lifes' basic principles.

Well said Reno