c/electricians

The DIY electrical messes in my neighborhood are getting out of hand

I've been an electrician for a long time, and the DIY jobs around here are scary. Last month, I had to fix a bathroom outlet where someone used lamp cord instead of proper wire. It was melted and could have started a fire. Another time, a friend's house had their panel wired wrong, tripping breakers every day. People watch a video online and think they can do it, but they miss the basics. I notice this stuff all the time, and it keeps me up at night. When will folks learn that electricity is not something to play with? It's just not worth the risk to save a few bucks.

Unpopular opinion: We spend too much time on solar panels and not enough on upgrading outdated home circuits for efficiency. Your take?

Drawn-out panel upgrade made me rethink hurry-up culture

I raced through installations before, but waiting on inspections for weeks changed my approach. Now I schedule with padding for delays.

My view on the electrical work in some overseas hotels

Booked a room in an old inn in Ireland and the bathroom had a light switch right next to the shower. Not even a GFCI in sight. That's not character, that's a code violation waiting to happen. I think we should call out these hazards more often.

Serious question, does every new neighbor instantly ask you to check their breaker box?

It's getting to the point where I dread mentioning my job at block parties.

That blown fuse from overloading a circuit was a wake-up call.

Upgrading the panel fixed it for good.

Just realized my take on GFCI outlets in old homes was off after a local incident

A nearby shock scare made me see they're worth the hassle.

Can we talk about the glare from new LED streetlights?

They put in new LED streetlights last month, and now at night, the light gets into houses. I thought it might be from bad covers or how they set them up. Have you done city jobs where you had to change how the light shines?

Hot take: Explaining job timelines to bosses keeps everyone sane

Had a project manager last week who thought we could rewire a whole basement in one day. I pulled out my phone and walked him through the steps, like pulling permits and testing circuits. He had no idea it took that long. We ended up adding two more days to the plan. Now the client is happy and we didn't rush. Always break down the work for non-electricians in charge. It stops crazy deadlines before they start.

Saw a GFCI get skipped to beat a deadline. Where do you stand?

Watched it happen on a job. Do you call it out for safety or keep quiet to avoid trouble?