# Almost forgot to take a picture.



## daks (Jan 16, 2013)

Going from one job site to the next stop off for a quick troubleshooting job. 

Scenario 1930-1940's house, getting new floors on the top floor and 3 outlets are not working, no tripped breaker. 

Go into room.
Plug tester, not a light.
Tic tester, lights and warns of power. 
37V to neutral and bonded box.

Pop off the first receptacle and see two white wires under a screw and a third under the second screw. Same with the blacks.
Darn, not a simple failed backstab,
But we have evidence of hackery!
Shut off the breaker after seeing there is 120V there. 

Bathroom is next door to the dead receptacle room, figure maybe they tapped off there. Open 'er up.
Hmmm top screws have a white and a black wire but bottom screws only have the white!

Ok I thought, black wire broke.
Look a little close in this 1110 box recessed in the bathroom wall... It's a piece of T90 running through a knockout.... hmmm more hackery. 

Here it is, I'm still thinking this is a casual handyman ******edness and that a black wire has fallen into the wall... Take a pic with my cellphone inside the hole from the 1110 box...









Ok at this point I figure the black wire has fallen into the wall and at least I can use this white T90 to fish up some romex.

Have the homeowner clean out their bathroom cupboard. (Always a good idea to get them to do it). 

Look in the cupboard and see... a ground clamp around the copper pipe. 

My first thought tbh was "Someone was smart and bonded something here in the bathroom" 

But then I paused, had one of those "Spidey Sense" feelings... and thought I'd get in there and take a closer look. 

The arc marks on the copper pipe,
the burnt white T90,
and the scorched spray foam,

Just had me just turning red, since there is only three of us in the house I had the breaker turned back on quickly. 

Yep there is your problem!

Some &^%$# *&^hole ***^$tard ***et ******ed moron lost neutral upstairs and then connected to the copper pipes in the house! 

I started ripping this abortion out while explaining to the homeowner that he is not going to have power in that room for awhile. I figured I'd take a pic. or two. 
















I pulled the wire from the breaker, told the homeowner that I had to finish going to another appointment but that he has us or somebody else go through that house.


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## Black Dog (Oct 16, 2011)

daks said:


> Pop off the first receptacle and see two white wires under a screw and a third under the second screw. Same with the blacks.


This tells you all you need to know, it is DIY/handyman butcher work..:no:


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## jza (Oct 31, 2009)

daks said:


> My first thought tbh was "Someone was smart and bonded something here in the bathroom"


What?


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

Black Dog said:


> This tells you all you need to know, it is DIY/handyman butcher work..:no:


I have seen electricians do worse than this


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## butcher733 (Aug 4, 2012)

Black Dog said:


> This tells you all you need to know, it is DIY/handyman butcher work..:no:


I didn't do it!


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