# todays find



## william1978

In the first pic. maybe that is a isolated ground.:laughing:


----------



## B4T

What is hanging through the ceiling? :blink:


----------



## JoeKP

Black4Truck said:


> What is hanging through the ceiling? :blink:


2 large sized wires, not a freaking clue what for, i just left them there, (couldn't reach them, and they were dead.). but my dad said he thinks it was the feed to the second floor back when the house was all K+T, but im not positive, im sure we will find out when we get further in on the house.


----------



## JoeKP

Black4Truck said:


> What is hanging through the ceiling? :blink:


actually, now that im looking at it, i think it might be 2 12(or 14)/3 from a light? now i cant wait to gut the rest of that section, but sadly i may never know, i think it might just stay like that


----------



## LGLS

JoeKP said:


> actually, now that im looking at it, i think it might be 2 12(or 14)/3 from a light? now i cant wait to gut the rest of that section, but sadly i may never know, i think it might just stay like that


AIP...

Abandoned in place. Get over it. Not everything in the world has to be brand spanking new and clean...


----------



## JoeKP

LawnGuyLandSparky said:


> AIP...
> 
> Abandoned in place. Get over it. Not everything in the world has to be brand spanking new and clean...


I didn't say it had to be, it just makes me wonder what the wire is. just curiosity my friend...


----------



## JoeKP

Update: went back today, and did some more work on the house with my dad.

in reference to the pics in #2- when we got there, the bathroom ceiling was partially torn down, and I was able to check out those wires, they seem to end right there, and they ran across the ceiling down the wall, and just stopped in the middle of the wall...

in reference to pic 5- I fixed that today, here's the pic:









New pics from today;

6. The old homeowners/electrician went to put in an outlet and they hit a wood block, and had no shallow boxes...









7. The contractors fixed a 3 wire extension cord with a 2 wire vacuum cord, I'm almost glad we aren't dealing with OSHA...


----------



## thekoolcody

I dont think OSHA would aprove that, but i have seen it done by DIY and plumbers.


----------



## robnj772

:sleep1:

Wake me up when you have something that hasn't been seen 1,000,000,000 times before


----------



## hardworkingstiff

william1978 said:


> In the first pic. maybe that is a isolated ground.:laughing:


I was thinking it was for static electricity drain. 
Plastic box yaknow.


----------



## woodchuck2

Seems to be the norm when doing remodels, but i must say i have never seen a bonded plastic box. This kind of thing makes you wonder how there are not anymore fires than there are.


----------



## 220/221

Did you ground that box ^?


----------



## JoeKP

220/221 said:


> Did you ground that box ^?


no need, the box has no grounds in it, Peter D told me if I ripped all the ground wired out of 14/12-2 Romex, and scrapped it then the wire pretty much pays for itself....:thumbup::laughing:


----------



## RIVETER

william1978 said:


> In the first pic. maybe that is a isolated ground.:laughing:


To make that legal wouldn't the box have to be green?


----------



## rnr electric

no the screw would have to be. that is the most pittifful attempt to do the right thing i have ever seen, one thumb up (i think).


----------



## Rudeboy

rnr electric said:


> no the screw would have to be. that is the most pittifful attempt to do the right thing i have ever seen, one thumb up (i think).


One ground up. :whistling2:


But yeah the first pic, that's a nice one.


----------



## Marcus

here's a good one for you (I came upon this yesterday)

Scenario: 

I got a call from the builder I do some work for and asks if I want to look into a kitchen refit and the house is that old it is basically turning into a complete rewire. LOTS of D.I.Y work has been uncovered so it is a good thing we are rectifying a lot of the bad workmanship. Cabling in this house is nearly 50 years old.

Take a look at this junction box - no connectors, just twisted up & taped. You can even see where someone has cut a hard active out of the join and left the live tail floating in the breeeze. This is up in a ceiling space buried in loose fill insulation (what we refer to as 'charlie fluff') Don't get me started about the LV downlights! Enjoy


----------



## Marcus

Another few good ones I found on my phone - 









Why pay good money from AC brackets when you can just use really, really soft pine instead??


















I L-O-V-E working in hotels & pubs. hah!


----------



## JoeKP

Marcus said:


> Another few good ones I found on my phone -
> 
> 
> Why pay good money from AC brackets when you can just use really, really soft pine instead??
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I L-O-V-E working in hotels & pubs. hah!


on the bottom right area, is that an orange extension cord?


----------



## BuzzKill

Rudeboy said:


> One ground up. :whistling2:
> 
> 
> But yeah the first pic, that's a nice one.


Yeah. Never seen that. Laughed out loud.


----------



## 480sparky

Marcus said:


> Another few good ones I found on my phone -
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I L-O-V-E working in hotels & pubs. hah!


So, what exactly is this? (Besides spaghetti)


----------



## Marcus

JoeKP said:


> on the bottom right area, is that an orange extension cord?


No, our circular single phase & three phase cables are normally orange (we refer to them as 'orange circ' for obvious reasons) Flat power & lighting cables are white still.

From memory that cable went off to feed a small refrigeration unit for a coolroom.


----------



## Marcus

480sparky said:


> So, what exactly is this? (Besides spaghetti)


Believe it or not, this is a main fuse panel for a hotel. I was doing some subcontract work for a mate who does maintenance there and had to remove some fuses & upgrade to ELCB's. Not the worst one I have seen, either.


----------



## JoeKP

I went back to that job today to do some finish work, and moved an outlet, and a jbox. Both plastic completely. And they both had the ground wires bonded to the plastic box with a Sheetrock screw. I can't understand their thinking with this. Itdid give me a good laugh though.


----------



## JoeKP

was there again today, pulled down the 2 outside lights that were wired with romex running down the outside wall, through a window, then cord caps on the end of the romex. then plugged into an outlet. but saw this one was worth the picture...

http://www.electriciantalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=3212&stc=1&d=1271895407


----------



## Stub

JoeKP said:


> I went back to that job today to do some finish work, and moved an outlet, and a jbox. Both plastic completely. And they both had the ground wires bonded to the plastic box with a Sheetrock screw. I can't understand their thinking with this. Itdid give me a good laugh though.


They sell plastic boxes with a ground terminal, I assume for connecting two ground wires together. I guess the guys who did the work you are talking about were trying to copy this idea.


----------



## Stub

JoeKP said:


> was there again today, pulled down the 2 outside lights that were wired with romex running down the outside wall, through a window, then cord caps on the end of the romex. then plugged into an outlet. but saw this one was worth the picture...
> 
> http://www.electriciantalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=3212&stc=1&d=1271895407


At least they gave it some strain relief, they're trying.


----------



## JoeKP

Stub said:


> At least they gave it some strain relief, they're trying.


oh, and they over stripped the wire, there was about 1/2" of bare copper out of the wire nut on the other light


----------



## JoeKP

Stub said:


> They sell plastic boxes with a ground terminal, I assume for connecting two ground wires together. I guess the guys who did the work you are talking about were trying to copy this idea.


i don't think so, there was just 2 pigtails on the ground, one to the device, then one to ground the plastic box...


----------



## Josue

william1978 said:


> In the first pic. maybe that is a isolated ground.:laughing:


 haha :thumbup:


----------



## B4T

Notice all the Carlon blue boxes.. typical install material bought from HD or Lowes by unqualified people who think electrical work is easy. :blink:


----------



## JoeKP

Black4Truck said:


> Notice all the Carlon blue boxes.. typical install material bought from HD or Lowes by unqualified people who think electrical work is easy. :blink:


you hit the nail right on the head!:bangin:


----------



## Josue

Black4Truck said:


> Notice all the Carlon blue boxes.. typical install material bought from HD or Lowes by unqualified people who think electrical work is easy. :blink:


 COMPLETELY AGREE:thumbup:


----------



## speedfreakian

Before I met my wife, her mom hired this guy to remodel her bathroom. his credential was that he'd taken a class at home depot. needless to say, the remodeled bathroom didn't last long. last summer we had it remodeled again. I was painting the new bathroom and out of nowhere the light trips the circuit when I turn it on. so i think "hummm" I unscrewed the light off the wall and discovered the splices were just flaping in the breeze! No wire nuts, nothing!


----------



## slickvic277

speedfreakian said:


> Before I met my wife, her mom hired this guy to remodel her bathroom. his credential was that he'd taken a class at home depot. needless to say, the remodeled bathroom didn't last long. last summer we had it remodeled again. I was painting the new bathroom and out of nowhere the light trips the circuit when I turn it on. so i think "hummm" I unscrewed the light off the wall and discovered the splices were just flaping in the breeze! No wire nuts, nothing!



You only get what you pay for.:whistling2:


----------



## sparky723

Black4Truck said:


> Notice all the Carlon blue boxes.. typical install material bought from HD or Lowes by unqualified people who think electrical work is easy. :blink:


 Does it mean you are "unqualified" if you live 1 hour away from the closest supply house and you cant get there during normal business hours because you are too busy at a second job trying to make ends meet and put food on the table and clothes on your kids back? 
Just because a guy uses the "blue Boxes" doesn't necessarily mean he's a hack. Why do so many think that?


----------



## JoeKP

sparky723 said:


> Does it mean you are "unqualified" if you live 1 hour away from the closest supply house and you cant get there during normal business hours because you are too busy at a second job trying to make ends meet and put food on the table and clothes on your kids back?
> Just because a guy uses the "blue Boxes" doesn't necessarily mean he's a hack. Why do so many think that?


It is just a running joke on here just like scotchkote and the Going Rate...


----------



## Jlarson

sparky723 said:


> Does it mean you are "unqualified" if you live 1 hour away from the closest supply house and you cant get there during normal business hours because you are too busy at a second job trying to make ends meet and put food on the table and clothes on your kids back?
> Just because a guy uses the "blue Boxes" doesn't necessarily mean he's a hack. Why do so many think that?


Welcome to Electrician Talk:laughing:


----------

