Electrical wiring for dummies?

[DTro]

It's not all that difficult, if you can follow instructions and codes carefully and if you have a lot of spare time. I spent a whole winter finishing my basement some time ago and wired the whole thing. I learned quite a bit and ended up doing some things two or three times more than I needed to. I saved some money, and I had the extra time.

On a side note, I've ran into some wiring jobs at places that I could've sworn WAS done by a monkey

[JohnMickish]

I'll admit that installing receptacles and switches is pretty easy, to bad it's less than 2% of the job. I'll even say that finishing a basement is pretty basic stuff, but I'll also guarantee if I (or any other class A journyman electrician) did it I'd have it done faster with alot less material used, and I don't do houses.

To set the record straight, there is no such thing as a legal side job. It's 100% illegal to have anyone but the homeowner do the work (not their dad, neighbor, the tennent or with a JW with the homeowner looking over their shoulder). Not only do you have to be the owner you have to physically live there as well. If you have a Master electrician do it they also have to have a contractors lic. # along with pulling the permit. Even if they hold the license for a shop they cannot legally pull the permit thru the shop and do the work on the side. There shall also be a bond placed with the state.

State statute 326.242 Spells this out very clear. I believe you can find it online thru the state if you want to read it.

I don't understand why some people get jelouse of anothers trade, education and the wage that comes along with it. There is years and years of practice and memory that go along with this trade. Not everything is cut and dried easy to do, there are many rules that change with the circumstances surrounding it. For example, if you have a counter top in your basement it has one set of rules, if you have a sink it has amendments to that set of rules and if there is a penninsula attached to it you have another set of rules that gets added.

Let me put it this way, your not paying me to backstab 14ga wire onto receptacles, your paying me to get it done so you can install receptacles.

It's real easy right? How about some simple "everybody knows this" questions.

How many of you homeowners know what size aluminum feeders to run for a 150 amp panel? How about copper? How about what size ground do you run to that 60 am MLO panel in your garage? (Run in EMT) What kind of wire do you use to direct bury from your meter on the pole to the panel in the basement? How deep? Can you run your feeders in RMC down the pole for protection? If so, any special instructions? Ok one easy one, can I put my bathroom lights on a 15 amp AFCI breaker?

This electrical stuff is easy, anyone can do it.

[harvey lee]

So, the master electrician that did our car shop had insurance, is bonded,has contractors license and applied for a permit. He wired the shop and called the state inspector. Was he wrong in what he or we did??

I thought we did everything on the up and up.

[Valv]

Ok, Ok, guys, easy on the subject please.

To set the record straight we all believe electrical work is not as easy as it seems, same for carpenter work, concrete work, computer work, accounting , heck even farming needs a genius anymore.

The person that started this argument is being taken care of, no need to get hot again, let's keep this subject on a smooth level, just like reeling in a lindy rig, smooth and easy, right ....?

[JohnMickish]

Tom that was probably on the up and up, but if he was bidding against the shop he works for I don't think they would be to happy with that.....

[harvey lee]

He works for his dad and along with his son.

[drowned minnow]

go to mn department of labor and industry they now cover the former state board of electricity. you can find the state statues for who can and can not do the work and what the penalties are for those who violate the laws.

i have been a electrician for 34yrs. and a electrical contractor for 22yrs. and am licensed and worked in several different states and seen my share of poor and dangerous wiring some done by moonlighters some by home owners and yes even some electricians but sad part is the next owner who has to deal with a hazardous installation or the friend or relative that gets electrocuted. so please don't take this as a slam but imo if you can afford a second piece of property and new building you should be able to hire a licensed electrical contractor. compare the bids apples to apples, the lowest isn't always including what you mite think is a complete job so you should get it in writing as to what they are including ( permit fee, size service, #of outlets, #lites, #switches, hanging of fixtures, well, appliances(stove, water heater, ect.). hope this info. helps you and others.

[sparcebag]

Nicely stated dMinnow,I've seen elec. work that should've started fires that homeowners did,I've also seen electricans cut corners,I was in the trades almost 30 yrs.No elec.tho BI lisence in Cal.& MN.I do have to say in Mn. the plumbing trade was the smartest when unions were forming,They wrote into state laws NO plumbing can be done by homeowners,yet homeowners yet do it and get away with it but not when permitting is mandatory.

[MNmikew]

My shack is in Wisconsin so the codes may be a bit different. I talked to the Electrican again this morning and he's going to let me do some of the grunt work with him and save some $$. Like pulling wire, hanging boxes,ect. So I'll save about $500 and learn something in the process.

I'm picking up all the fixtures he has me on the hook for tomorrow and headin up Sat. Should take about a day he said. Oh, and I have to BBQ and provide beverages for afterwards.

Again, thanks for everyones advice.

[waskawood]

At the risk of being shot, I will chime in here. I can see both sides of this debate. I have wired rooms in my home and had them inspected by my state inspector. They turned out fine. That being said I am a lineman for a power company and I have seen some horrific wiring done by home owners that had no business attempting such a project. If you feel compelled to try it yourself and feel that it is within your skill level PLEASE read all you can before you start and HAVE it inspected when you are finished. House wiring isn't rocket science but it also shouldn't be attempted by a monkey. Or maybe a Norwegian. Remember that you will have to take a days vacation from your job to meet the inspector and if you have to make changes you will have to take another day to meet him again after the changes have been made. That of course depends on how valuable your time is worth. Good luck with your project and happy hunting this fall.

[Down2Earth]

I'm a Norwegian and find that VERY OFFENSIVE. You might have to be "Taken Care Of". I think maybe some cement boots will do. Just Kinding!! Very well stated.

[sparkyaber]

Quote:

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It's real easy right? How about some simple "everybody knows this" questions.

How many of you homeowners know what size aluminum feeders to run for a 150 amp panel? How about copper? How about what size ground do you run to that 60 am MLO panel in your garage? (Run in EMT) What kind of wire do you use to direct bury from your meter on the pole to the panel in the basement? How deep? Can you run your feeders in RMC down the pole for protection? If so, any special instructions? Ok one easy one, can I put my bathroom lights on a 15 amp AFCI breaker?

This electrical stuff is easy, anyone can do it.

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OOH, OOH, OOH, PICK ME! PICK ME!

Wow this got a little crazy in the last few days. Any one that has done residential (wiring) for a living (aka a JOB) knows it is fairly strait forward. But a doctor that does vasectomies for a living may say it is a strait forward procedure, does that mean any one can go south of the waistline with a scalpel.........

Now if we want to get real tough fellow sparky's, we could bring up heavy industrial, or control work, just to show how "easy" our job is.

[chunkytrout]

MCC's maybe? Terminating 7200 underwater coax? Or perhaps some simple 4160 switchgear to start with? OK, this horse is dead and to the OP I'm sorry it got way off track. Might have been alot of my fault. I do hope you get your project done right. Good luck, take care and see you on the water.

[MNmikew]

Well, we got her wired up last weekend. Took a day and half for everything. Man pulling cable is work. Saved myself about 700 doing the manual stuff. Had Electrician do rest of it. Getting inspected today. Time for an insulation thread.

[Shack]

Sounds like time for a miller?

[chunkytrout]

Congrats man. Glad you got it done. It can pretty hard work at times. Good luck on the insulating. WEAR A MASK!

[JohnMickish]

Saved 700 but how much did that day and a half vacation cost? Don't forget to factor that into the total "savings". But yes, good job getting it done right. I'm sure the inspection should go very well.

[MNmikew]

Only 1 day of vaycay. Managed to get a round of golf in so it wasent all work.