On Wed, 18 Mar 2009 09:52:39 -0400, Mike Marlow
wrote:

On Tue, 17 Mar 2009 22:49:14 -0500, krw cast forth these pearls of
wisdom...:

On Tue, 17 Mar 2009 23:38:13 -0400, Mike Marlow
wrote:

On Tue, 17 Mar 2009 18:05:04 -0500, krw cast forth these pearls of
wisdom...:



Most will do a better job than a licensed electrician. The electrical
inspector I had when I built my garage told me that homeowners did a
much better job than the average electrician, primarily because it is
theirs, they have more time, and tend to overbuild to compensate for
any lack of knowledge.



Holy cow - I can't believe I read that. "Most will do a better job than a
licensed electrician"... sorry, but that is just pure bull.

No it really isn't. Residential electrical work is quite simple.
"Professionals" often do stupid things to cut corners. My previous
house was a perfect example.

Agreed that residential wiring is quite simple, but I think I'm responding
more to the implied notion that most electricians don't or can't do the job
properly.

Don't. They all likely can, but are under too much pressure to get it
done quickly (cheaply).

I also agree that some sub contractors will cut corners, but
often that is defined more by the way owners wish things were done, than by
any real deficency in complying with code.

"Forgetting" wiring boxes is a real deficiency. Channeling sheetrock
behind fixtures across studs is a deficiency. Directly wiring light
fixtures (no box) is a deficiency, whether it's indoors or outdoors.
Wiring the red wire to neutral in an entrance panel is a real
deficiency. Bonding neutral and ground in a sub-panel is a real
deficiency. Reversing *every* hot and neutral out of this sub-panel
(in the outlet box) is a real deficiency. Yes, I've corrected them
all, and more, done by "professional" electricians.

If your house is a perfect
example, then your local inspector is as much to blame as any electrician.

An inspector can't inspect every connection and every outlet. He
can't afford to, for his $25.

If it's done by code, then it's done right.

"done by code" "inspected to code"

Obviously, the above wasn't "done by code", but it passed inspection.

Maybe not the way you would do
it yourself, but that does not justify denegrading the work of another.

It wasn't a matter of not being done the way I would do it. It was
damned dangerous (my MIL was getting shocked off the drier because its
case was wired to 120V).

Over building
has nothing to do with doing it the right way. Overbuilders think more is
better when they have no clue what is required in the first place.

It certainly does have a *lot* to do with it. Skimping on materials
("forgetting" boxes, etc.) isn't good. Using the best materials
because the difference isn't significant does matter. All many
"professionals" care about is cost and time.

Skimping on materials is a subjective statement when it stands all by
itself.

"Forgetting" boxes (stated in the paragraph you quoted) is not
"subjective".

Did it pass code inspection?

Do you *really* believe an inspection will catch all faults?
Electricins know *exactly* what they can get away with. I've had them
tell me how to get the inspector to ignore what I want them to. How
do you think they know how to do that?

If so, then unless you have a
crooked inspector, it seems hard to imagine skimping on materials.

Stom imagining a perfect world. It doesn't exist. If you want
something done right you're better of doing it yourself, if at all
possible. Electrical work is simple (work, but simple). Wiring a
200V circuit for a saw is usually simple. A sub-panel is simple.
Sure, it takes time and some amount of work.


What
does using the best materials mean? It could mean a lot, but it could also
be very subjective. Can't tell from the limited information.

$2 outlets, rather than $.29 outlets, for instance. Copper wire,
rather than aluminum. A generous number of breakers. Splitting loads
across circuits. Some of that is subjective, some not. The point is
that you can always do the subjective better than a "professional"
(the point of the threadlet) and even the objective better than they
often do.

Happens to hit a pet peeve of mine - broad brush statements (especially
those that denegrade others) that all too often are based on preferences
rather than factual, objective critique.

I stated a few of the issues in my first article. Seems you have a
twitchy knee. Electrician?

Many times homeowners feel overkill is factually better because it builds
in some protections, or affords greater flexibilities. Many times this
belief is based on a limited knowledge they have of the particular task.
While this can instill a certain confidence in the homeowner, it does not
mean that other ways are somehow less adequate.

There isn't a lot of knowledge needed to do residential wiring. There
are some tricks but they're generally time-savers; less important for
most homeowners. There is no reason a homeowner can't to a far better
job than the average "professional". There is no reason he can't do
it better than *any* "professional". It certainly will take more
time, though no more money, and he'll get what he wants.