Got Fired From A Recent Job!!

HallisseyDesign

I got into an argument with a home owner. He wanted me to keep the illegal lines to this secret panel. I got fired because the secret lines to this secret panel are only 6 gauge wire. He wanted me to put in a 100amp 12 pull box. Running off of 6 GAUGE WIRE. I told him I would not do it. He said you do not get paid and leave. I was laughing. When I was leaving his buddy was there who is also an electrician told him he would wire it up for him. I am still laughing, the damn house is going to burn down! So you have 6 GAUGE WIRE feeding a 100 amp box from the main lines to the house. The 100amp panel will feed 2 A/C units and 2 furnaces one down stairs and one up. This panel will also feed his pool pump along with the garage. The thing is going to burn down the house. What are your guys/gals thoughts on this?

Edit- Sorry forgot to put in there the 6 Gauge lines are connected before the meter as in not going on the electrical bill!

mdshunk

Since you don't seem to be an electrician, I think you did the right thing.

Magnettica

As long as those 6 wires are protected by a double pole 60 amp overcurrent protection device, they can serve as the feeders for a panel rated for 125 amps at 120/ 240 volts. But it's a poor design for both A/C condensing units to be coming from a 60 amp sub-panel. CU's are inductive loads and draw up to 6 times the amount of current at start up.

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HallisseyDesign

The problem is- I am- I walked away because I have seen it happen to many times. I told him to replace the lines with 3 gauge into the panel. i told him I would do that and make it right but he didn't want to spend another 25 dollars in line. So it would of cost him like 100 dollars in material then 100 in labor.

HallisseyDesign

You missed the part were I said the lines were connected before the meter. I would of been fine if they were able to be protected but they are straight off the lines into this new panel.

Sorry I left out the part were the 6 Gauge wires were connected before the meter. Sorry

Mike Finley

So how are you going to close the permit you opened for him?

idoelectric

First of all, you shouldn't be doing any electrical work for a fee without an electrical license for anyone other yourself. Secondly, I commend you for having enough sense to refuse to do something that is obviously wrong. I have refused many requests by frugal HOs trying to save pennys. I never argue with them but just thank them for their time and leave. My license and knowledge is worth way more than faulty work that I would be liable for if I chose to do it and something happened.

How close are this guy's neighbors? If I knew that shabby work was going to be performed in spite of what had been advised, I go report it to the electrical inspectors in the area. Not out of getting back at him, but to protect the neighbors from a potential hazard. It's one thing if this guy don't care about his house burning but to knowingly do faulty work with no regards for the safety of others is borderline criminal. I don't feel that this situation is funny at all.

Remember, when you do any electrical work for others for a fee and someone is hurt or killed or house is burned down, you can be arrested and charged with neglient homicide or destruction of property. I don't care what you know or don't know or how easy it is, LIABILITY is a big responsibility and can get you in trouble. Want to electrical work, do it at your house and leave it at that.

HallisseyDesign

The thing is I have been doing electrical for 10 years helping my dad. He had his license in Cali. He also had a electrical license in the navy. IL will not give him a new license, they told him that he had to have 3000 hours in the state for him to regain his license here. It is not that I don't know how to do it or I will burn a house down, it was the fact that the ho did not listen and with his LICENSED ELECTRICIAN doing it wrong.Good stuff guys.

I am insured, bonded, along with a ton of other **** along with it too.

HallisseyDesign

Haha permit?

idoelectric

I can understand your situation. If there's a licensed electrician willing and knowingly do faulty work, then that's a risk he have to take and I would still make a call inspectors and report it just to get that guy off the street before he kills somebody.

te12c02w

I have to agree with the comments from electricians to this situation. It really does not matter how long you have been "doing electrical work". Unless or until you get legally qualified you should not be even considering taking on any electrical work at all. The consequences for doing unlicensed electrical work can be heavy.

Mach

I agree, I would be calling and enforcing this situation. How are you going to feel when you open the paper and see that house half burnt down and the headline says "3 children died".

I honestly hate it when I would show up at a house and the HO tells me he has all the material. yeah direct burial romex will work sir

mahlere

give the kid credit for working hard, but I remember at 20 I 'knew' I knew everything. At 25, I 'thought' I knew a lot....at 30, I 'thought' I knew something....coming up to 35, I 'know' I know nothing...

Hallisey, work hard, but learn to keep you mouth closed and your ears open...I just did a quick search...what new code only allows 12 lights?

I've learned in this world you can be absolute and you can be wrong, neither will hurt you....but when you are absolutely wrong, in public, it compromises everything you say. even when you are correct now, there will be doubt.

Not to mention, guys who really do know, will screw with you all day long when you are absolutely wrong.

good luck

mdshunk

Well, we all have our faults.

I didn't realize until just now that he was only 20. I'll give him a break, then. After all, he's been doing electrical work since he was 10.

mahlere

I guess i'm just getting cynical in my old age...but when guys with 20-30-40 yrs legitimate electrical experience (licensed contractors, licensed inspectors, etc) still have legitimate disagreements about the code....i find it hard to fathom that a 20 yr kid with '10 yrs experience' can actually even read the code book...let alone interpret it...

just my inner crotchety old man coming out I guess...

mdshunk

It's okay. Having an 'inner crotchety old man' is what keeps you sharp. Sorta like a 6th sense. You are your father's son, indeed!

mahlere

nah, he's got an outer crotchety old man

Mike Finley

That's what I figured.

Now correct me if I'm wrong here, but - it looks to me like we got a jack leg doing jack leg work being asked to do even worse jack leg work and the jack leg gets upset? So basically you're defining a line that even a jack leg won't cross?

You being upset about this customer : Isn't think kind of like when a drug dealer gets ripped off and he's upset there are criminals?

dougchips

I'll touch on this one a little. PPP, Professionals Pull Permits, it is part of our job just like:

The oil change guy has to put the drain plug on before you drive off.

The cook has to make sure you food is completely cooked before serving it.

The dentist has to make sure that he puts gloves on before he goes playing in your mouth.

When you tell other professionals that you don't play by the rules they can only assume that you are not a professional.

Good luck.

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mahlere

if you are willing to do electrical work without a license in a state that requires it...why worry about permits, they are trivial.

however, I will say that the customers who don't want permits, are not the customers that I want...they usually want it fast and cheap.