c/electricians

Showerthought: My apprentice's 'quick fix' in a historic theater basement

We were rewiring a 1920s stage light panel in the old Majestic Theater, and my apprentice decided to use a zip tie to hold a hot conductor against a terminal because he stripped it too short. The zip tie melted in about 30 seconds, filled the whole crawl space with that awful plastic smell, and we had to explain to the theater manager why her show was delayed. What's the most 'creative' fix you've ever had to undo from a green helper?

Can we talk about using a zip tie for a temporary ground on a 200 amp panel?

Had a service call in Portland where the main ground lug was stripped. Used a heavy duty zip tie to clamp the wire tight against the bus bar just to test the system. Would you ever do this or is it asking for trouble?

Switched from aluminum to copper for a service upgrade in a 1970s split-level

Honestly, the extra cost upfront was worth it for the long term reliability, especially with the old aluminum branch circuits still in place. Anyone else prefer to just go copper for the main feeders now?

That time I had to rewire a whole floor of a 1920s building in three days

Got a call on a Tuesday about a small fire in an old office in downtown Portland. The owner wanted it fixed fast so they could reopen. We found knob and tube everywhere, plus some really bad DIY fixes from the 70s. Had to pull all new wire through plaster walls with no real access, just fishing rods and a lot of patience. Anyone else ever get stuck with a crazy deadline on a full rewire?

A journeyman in Spokane called me out on my wire pulling method

About three years ago, I was pulling 4/0 aluminum for a feeder. I was using my old way, just soap and muscle. The guy I was working with said, 'You're fighting it. Let the lube do the work and feed it smooth.' He showed me how to apply the lube more evenly and keep the wire straight off the reel. I changed my grip and slowed down. Now every pull goes easier with less strain on the wire. Anyone have a favorite brand of wire lube they stick with?

Realized I'd been stripping 12/2 Romex with lineman's pliers for years, not my knife. A journeyman in Boise just shook his head and handed me his.

Why do so many guys not torque their main lugs to spec?

I keep finding 200 amp main breakers in new builds around Denver where the lugs are just cranked down by feel. The spec sheet for a Square D QO panel says 50 inch pounds, but I've seen guys use a regular socket and just go tight. That can cause hot spots and melt the bus bar over time. How do you make sure your crew actually uses a torque wrench on every panel?

My journeyman told me to always check for backfeed on a 240v disconnect, and man was he right

I was swapping out an old AC unit disconnect in this 90s house over in Mesa last month. The homeowner swore he flipped the main, and I saw the indoor unit was dead so I figured it was safe. My old boss, Frank, drilled into my head for years to test both legs with a meter even if it looks dead. I almost skipped it to save a minute, but I did it anyway. Sure enough, one leg was still hot from some janky wiring the last guy did. I mean, it could have been real bad. Now I test every single time, no matter what anyone says. Anyone else have a close call like that where an old tip saved your skin?

Saw some wild conduit work at the new library in Springfield

I was checking out the new public library in Springfield yesterday and noticed the exposed conduit runs in the reading room. They used 2-inch EMT in these crazy sweeping bends that follow the curve of the ceiling, maybe a 15-foot radius. It looks cool, but I'm curious if anyone has done a big exposed install like that and how you handled box placement without messing up the clean lines.

Honestly, rewiring a 1920s house in Portland made me stop trusting old junction boxes.

Tbh, I found a cloth wrapped neutral spliced with modern 12/2 inside a metal box that was basically dust, and now I just assume every old splice is a fire waiting to happen.

Had a talk with an old timer at the supply house about wire nuts

I was grabbing some reds and yellows last week, and this retired guy, Frank, was there. He saw my bag and said, 'You know, I never twist my wires before I put the nut on.' I must have looked confused because he explained that if you just hold the wires together straight and screw the nut on, it does the twisting for you and makes a better connection. I tried it on a job the next day with some 12-gauge, and it felt weird at first, but the pull test was solid. It actually seemed faster once I got the hang of it. I've been doing the pre-twist for ten years, so this was a big shift. Has anyone else switched to this method, or is it just an old-school thing?

That week in 2012 when we had to rewire an entire 1920s theater in Bellingham with the original cloth insulation still in place.

Vent: My cheap voltage tester nearly cost me a job in Austin

I bought a generic voltage tester for about $25 last year thinking it would be fine for quick checks. Last week on a kitchen remodel, it showed a circuit as dead when it was actually still live. I almost started cutting into a wire. My journeyman caught it with his Fluke. That could have been a serious injury and a massive liability claim. I spent $150 on a proper tester the next day. Has anyone else had a close call with faulty test gear?

Remember when we had to guess how many wires would fit in a box?

I was cleaning out my old work van and found a box fill chart from 2008. Back then, we'd just eyeball it or cram them in, hoping for the best. Now, with the 2023 NEC changes and those new compact devices, I can fit three more circuits in a standard 4-inch square box. The math is easier, but honestly, the biggest shift was when inspectors around here started actually checking with gauges about five years ago. Anyone else notice their local AHJ getting way more strict on box fill in the last few years?

Got called out for my old wire stripper method at a job in Clearwater

I was helping a buddy on a kitchen rewire and he saw me using my old pair of pliers and a utility knife to strip 12-gauge Romex. He tossed me his Klein auto-adjusting strippers and said 'try these for a day.' I went from maybe two clean strips a minute to doing a whole box in under five. The crimp on the insulation was perfect every time, no more nicked copper. Anyone else have a tool that seemed like a gimmick but actually changed your speed?

I finally got to rewire an old theater downtown

Last month, my boss gave me a solo project at the old Grandview Theater. The place was built in the 40s, and the wiring was a mess of old cloth-covered stuff. I spent two days just mapping it all out before I even pulled a new wire. The cool part was finding the original stage light junction boxes, all cast iron and still solid. I had to run about 500 feet of new 12/2 MC cable for the updated circuits. It was tough work in the crawl spaces, but seeing those old marquee lights come on clean was worth it. Has anyone else worked on a historic building and found something neat like that?

Bought a $400 thermal camera for a panel check and it found a hot leg I would have missed

I was doing a routine service call on a 1980s split-level. The panel felt warm, but all the breakers felt fine by hand. I used the camera to scan the bus bars and saw one phase connection at the main lug was glowing at 140 degrees. It was tight, but the aluminum had degraded. Without the camera, I'd have just logged it as normal. Has anyone else caught a hidden fault like this with thermal imaging?

Wiring a 1940s house in Denver, I went with armored cable instead of conduit for the first floor.

The BX saved me about 8 hours of labor on that job and the inspector had zero issues with it. Anyone else find certain older methods are actually more practical for specific renos?

Just finished my 500th service call for a tripped AFCI breaker

It was always a loose neutral on a backstabbed outlet, every single time. Anyone else feel like they could diagnose that in their sleep now?

Ran a 200-foot underground feed with aluminum for a shed install versus copper... the cost difference was over $800.

Rant: Bought a cheap voltage tester that gave me a false reading

I was doing a panel swap in a 1980s house and my old trusty tester died, so I grabbed a $15 one from the truck stop. It showed no voltage on a line that was definitely hot, and I almost got lit up. Lost half a day's pay fixing my own mistake and replacing it. What's a good, basic tester you guys actually trust?

TIL I was stripping wire wrong for years and a guy in Omaha called me on it.

I was doing a panel swap in a house last month, and the homeowner's brother, who used to be a lineman, was watching. I went to strip a 12-gauge wire with my Klein strippers, and he just said, 'You're gonna nick the copper pulling it out like that.' I'd always pulled the wire straight out after squeezing. He showed me to twist the strippers a quarter turn before pulling. Tried it on the next wire and the copper was perfect, no scoring. How many of you twist versus just pull?

Just read a report that said 30% of electrical fires start in the kitchen

I was looking at the NFPA's website for some safety stats and that number really jumped out at me. It makes sense with all the high-draw appliances and potential for grease buildup, but I didn't think it would be that high. Do you guys do anything specific when wiring kitchens to help mitigate that risk?

Heard a guy at the supply house say 'wire nuts are wire nuts, just crank them tight'

That's how you get callbacks for flickering lights or melted connections. I've seen a 15 amp circuit fail in a month from that. What's the worst hack advice you've ever heard someone give?

I chose to rewire a 1950s panel myself instead of a full service upgrade for a client on a budget, and it's been solid for 2 years now.

Everyone pushes for a full 200-amp upgrade immediately, but after mapping the actual load and replacing the old cloth wiring with modern 12/2, the existing 100-amp service in this Portland bungalow has handled everything just fine, including a new mini-split, so when is an upgrade truly necessary versus just the safe, recommended default?