So what would you do? - 05/03/06 01:52 AM
Went to a job yesterday to fix a few things in K&T that the boss saw.
I get there and start pouring through it all and notice that (one, some or all) 3 guys on a job had tied neutrals of different circuits together.
Half the house is in 3-wire K&T circuits. (Yes, a rare bird done in the mid 60's) And a lot of the walls are closed.....
After significant tracing I find that there are a 3-wire and 2-wire with neutrals tied together, the 3-wire circuits original neutral has been removed! (This is all modified K&T) 1/2 way through troubleshooting that, and one of the 3 gooses (the one there at the time) tells me the M.Bed AF circuit trips after I tell him to check everything. (Because I was worried about everything else I was seeing) I come to find that the AF circuit is also tied into the first mess.
So in total 3 phase A, (1 AF) 1 phase B, and 2 neutrals (1 AF).
So, I ask the one that I have on hand, "Which one of you jerks was running the show down here?" - "Uh, nobody really, we were each just doing our own thing." Come to find that this guy didn't know he was in charge!?
I had to go take myself for a little "time-out", I was about to snap!
So, tommorrow, I get all three geese together. So what would you do?
[This message has been edited by e57 (edited 05-02-2006).]
I get there and start pouring through it all and notice that (one, some or all) 3 guys on a job had tied neutrals of different circuits together.
Half the house is in 3-wire K&T circuits. (Yes, a rare bird done in the mid 60's) And a lot of the walls are closed.....
After significant tracing I find that there are a 3-wire and 2-wire with neutrals tied together, the 3-wire circuits original neutral has been removed! (This is all modified K&T) 1/2 way through troubleshooting that, and one of the 3 gooses (the one there at the time) tells me the M.Bed AF circuit trips after I tell him to check everything. (Because I was worried about everything else I was seeing) I come to find that the AF circuit is also tied into the first mess.
So in total 3 phase A, (1 AF) 1 phase B, and 2 neutrals (1 AF).
So, I ask the one that I have on hand, "Which one of you jerks was running the show down here?" - "Uh, nobody really, we were each just doing our own thing." Come to find that this guy didn't know he was in charge!?
I had to go take myself for a little "time-out", I was about to snap!
So, tommorrow, I get all three geese together. So what would you do?
- Can't sak 'em - we need bodies! As help is hard to find after the new certification law, all 3 "Certified"...... (Means they read english essentially... Never had to worry about this with the Chinese guy I could barely understand, but did fantastic work fast, but could not take the test.)
- The one who didn't know he was in charge, got his wings clipped today. Now, well known he was moved too far, too fast.
- Brow-beat the bejesus out of them.... Rub nose in crapola....
- Quietly sit them down and go over BASIC circuit design....
- Call it "Too many cooks in the kitchen" and just deal with it.
- Any, all or some of the above, or other?
- Abandon ship....
[This message has been edited by e57 (edited 05-02-2006).]