Rant - I'm trying to spend money, and getting little/no help.......:)

[FinanceDude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by calmloki owner can't wire his own home? not rental, but personal residence?

Yeah, some stupid code from 30 years ago. All I would be doing is recessed can lights (12), outlets, a few 3-way switches, some dimmers, and a couple extra outlets for a microwave and a fridge. Elementary stuff, but the city obviously is supporting the local electricians.......

[bbbamI]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FinanceDude I had 3 employees watch me load 50 2X4's on a cart......that's pretty funny.......

They must have been marveling at the way you were handling the task. Perhaps they were taking notes....

I do believe you need to move to the south where you'll get a warmer reception.

[Westernskies]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FinanceDude Yeah, some stupid code from 30 years ago. All I would be doing is recessed can lights (12), outlets, a few 3-way switches, some dimmers, and a couple extra outlets for a microwave and a fridge. Elementary stuff, but the city obviously is supporting the local electricians.......

Elementary electrician:

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FinanceDude Our local codes don't allow anyone other than an electrician to do the electrical work. Kinda a shame, since my buddy helping me is an electrical engineer........

I would not assume that an electrical engineer would be qualified to do house wiring. Thought your guy may be.

While a EE will (should!) undertand all the concepts, 90% of wiring is mechanical. Some (not all) EEs are awful when it comes to mechanical stuff. I'm pretty good with mechanical stuff, but I had to do some research to understand just what some of those codes were about. You could violate tons of 'em, and the electrons would flow just fine and obey all the laws of physics, and even be perfectly safe. But.... you might make it really hard for the next guy coming along to know what you did, if he had to change something, or you might make a minor repair big hassle (bury a junction box behind a wall, for example).

Some of the codes are designed to protect you if X *and* Y both fail, and someone does some certain action, all at the same time. Even though any two of those may never create a problem. So those are actually kind of hard to visualize. But the codes have evolved over time, and that is one of the reasons that there are as few electrical injuries as there are, especially when you consider how may times a day people are coming into contact with it.

-ERD50

[travelover]

I have two Home Depots equidistant from my house. What I noticed right away was that one was staffed with people that sought you out to ask if you need help and one has employees that have that 100 mile stare (as in "I can't see you"). I also noted the bins were kept straight at the store with the helpful employees, the other HD's bins are a hodgepodge of mixed products, returns or just empty. I'm sure the difference is that one has a real manager and the other an empty suit.

On a similar vein, I'm trying to buy a new furnace and I'm amazed at the variety of attitudes out there. I don't expect special treatment, but when the economy is dead, you'd think they'd spend more that 15 minutes doing an estimate, and maybe even follow up with a phone call to see if you have questions. Oh well, I'm in no hurry and I'm sure prices are not going up any time soon.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERD50 I would not assume that an electrical engineer would be qualified to do house wiring. Thought your guy may be. While a EE will (should!) undertand all the concepts, 90% of wiring is mechanical. Some (not all) EEs are awful when it comes to mechanical stuff.

This is SO true. An EE degree is not advanced electrician's training. I must admit that I was drooling at FD's plans to install

Quote:

recessed can lights (12), outlets, a few 3-way switches, some dimmers, and a couple extra outlets for a microwave and a fridge

Sounds like some wonderful improvements. I have an EE degree and (coincidently) could do the switches and dimmers, but I would hire an electrician rather than attempt to do much more than that myself.

[FinanceDude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERD50 I would not assume that an electrical engineer would be qualified to do house wiring. Thought your guy may be. While a EE will (should!) undertand all the concepts, 90% of wiring is mechanical. Some (not all) EEs are awful when it comes to mechanical stuff. I'm pretty good with mechanical stuff, but I had to do some research to understand just what some of those codes were about. You could violate tons of 'em, and the electrons would flow just fine and obey all the laws of physics, and even be perfectly safe. But.... you might make it really hard for the next guy coming along to know what you did, if he had to change something, or you might make a minor repair big hassle (bury a junction box behind a wall, for example). Some of the codes are designed to protect you if X *and* Y both fail, and someone does some certain action, all at the same time. Even though any two of those may never create a problem. So those are actually kind of hard to visualize. But the codes have evolved over time, and that is one of the reasons that there are as few electrical injuries as there are, especially when you consider how may times a day people are coming into contact with it. -ERD50

I should probably submit that my friend has wired 7 basements before mine, including his own.

I have done simple wiring before, know how to use a voltmeter, etc......

220 AMP circuits? I LEAVE THOSE BADBOYS ALONE!!!

[FinanceDude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbbamI They must have been marveling at the way you were handling the task. Perhaps they were taking notes....

Come to think of it, they were all women..........

[FinanceDude]

Pics will be forthcoming on the process of the work......

[bbbamI]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FinanceDude Come to think of it, they were all women..........

Well now...maybe I should blow the dust off my resume and see if I can get an interview there. The job doesn't sound bad to me...no work and interesting scenery.

[Westernskies]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FinanceDude I should probably submit that my friend has wired 7 basements before mine, including his own. I have done simple wiring before, know how to use a voltmeter, etc...... 220 AMP circuits? I LEAVE THOSE BADBOYS ALONE!!!

220 AMPS? Whoa!

watts/volts=amps...

[REWahoo]

Yep. Probably a very good idea FD leaves those "badboys" alone...

[FinanceDude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Westernskies 220 AMPS? Whoa! watts/volts=amps...

I think I meant volts........

However, I grew up with one of those huge tower transmission lines across the street. After a rain they would crackle like a 500 ton box of Kellogg's Snap Crackle Pop........

The electrician told me the average dehumidifier draws almost 10 amps....that's a lot of juice......

[Westernskies]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FinanceDude The electrician told me the average dehumidifier draws almost 10 amps....that's a lot of juice......

You're making juice with your dehumidifier? That's taking LBYM a bit far don't you think?...

[FinanceDude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Westernskies You're making juice with your dehumidifier? That's taking LBYM a bit far don't you think?...

Hey, it's my way of going green...........

[joesxm3]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moemg I went into local furniture store .Granted I had just come from the gym so I had my gym clothes on but no one would help me . I was seriously interested in some furniture . I even went to where the owner was sitting and she still ignored me . They now have huge sale signs in their window maybe I'll stop in again and see what happens . Usually I would not return to a store that would ignore me but they have some really unique items.

Some five years ago when I was replacing my 10 year old Honda Prelude I went to the Mercedes dealer to see what they had. I went with the clothes I had on at work which were pretty low scale.

I waited about 10 minutes and could not be approached by a sales person so I left.

This was before I was careful managing my money so the joke was on them - I had enough in my checking account at the moment to buy two of anything they had on their lot.

Fortunately I kept to my LBYM mentality and did "splurge" on an Acura TSX. I am now on my sixth year with it and looking forward to driving it for another five or six at least. I do have a little remorse when I ride in my co-worker's Honda Civic. If I were doing it now I would give some serious thought to the Civic and $15k in my pocket.

[limpid lizard]

I worked at one of the big box stores for a little while last fall. The quality of the help is based on a couple of in store factors and control from afar.

The manager is required to implement whatever order comes down from on high. In my experience, when a lay off is pending, the people laid off are selected by time with the store by on high decree. The local manager has little to no discretion in selecting which employee to lay off.

Internally, the department managers select which employees works when. If the department is doing badly in sales due to 9 out of 10 employees being ignorant or lazy, the department manager may decide to work the good employee to death or until said employee quits. An incompetent manager sees this as a solution to doing his or her own job.

Another in store problem is that employees are valued by the amount of customer's that complement them online. Let's just say that this is an easily rigged system. LL