Pronstar’s “living with the in-laws” adventures

[bbbass]

No....two breakers, each on a separate leg. Might help to mention that I was raised by a RCA Field Engineer who left to open his own hardware store and be home more. I grew up working in that store - rewired a vacuum cleaner for a customer at the age of 12 - obviously, dad inspected my work before releasing it to the customer....but by the time I was 14 I was helping rewire houses - and I NEVER had an issue with my work, primarily because my dad wouldn't let me do anything he hadn't trained me to do personally - and I could tell him in detail every step required to do the job. To this day, I won't wire a 120 vac outlet with anything less than #12 - as dad always said - you have to protect the homeowner from their own special level of stupid! LOL Might also add that I worked on 3-phase, as well - and had to educate more than one "electrician" on what an "Open Delta" circuit was. I also know that you test 3-phase on leg to leg, lol!!

So, you're saying you did unlicensed elec work as a kid? :-o

Remember when "everybody" could do low voltage electrical w/o a license? I miss those days.

#14 was never used for outlets in any of my wiring projects. Might as well build in some extra! I think the only time I used it was for my shop with dedicated flourescent lighting circuits.

I've seen 3 phase but never got into it.

 

[TexasRedneck]

So, you're saying you did unlicensed elec work as a kid? :-o

Remember when "everybody" could do low voltage electrical w/o a license? I miss those days.

#14 was never used for outlets in any of my wiring projects. Might as well build in some extra! I think the only time I used it was for my shop with dedicated flourescent lighting circuits.

I've seen 3 phase but never got into it.

Hell - I was welding natural gas lines at 14! Had to pass the test for that one - guy that inspected it didn't GAS about my age as long as my welds were good. And we passed electrical inspections all the time - again, the guys inspecting only cared that it was done right - and they figured out real quick that I'd learned what I needed to know. Made electronics school a breeze when I went into the Navy - had to learn stuff, but the basics were already drilled into my thick skull.

 

[gdr_11]

It used to be that skilled tradesman, like police officers, teachers and big rig truckers were professionals who knew their stuff, took pride in their work and were in that profession for the right reason.

I saw the change start to take place about 1999 when it began to be hard to fill the trades positions in my workforce. I was a Facilities Director at two major universities, one Federal National Laboratory and one Native American nation with a total of about 800 skilled craft employees at those locations. I interfaced with IBEW and other unions to upgrade apprenticeship programs and put some of my best master trades people into training programs so they could better mentor and evaluate new workers. In spite of all that, it became increasingly difficult to hire quality electricians (especially) with each passing year. In some cases the result was shoddy work that led to equipment failure or damage but in one case it resulted in the death of a co worker and in another a co worker left with major burns.

I left that world in 2001 and spent 12 years consulting with engineering companies doing project management and inspections. I was shocked at how bad the quality of much of the work in the private sector was and my minimal exposure to residential construction left me speechless.

So, when you see an electrician, consider that he is like the police officers, teachers and truck drivers....many of whom have no business in those professions. If you find a good one, use him, pay him well and refer him at every opportunity.

 

[bbbass]

Hell - I was welding natural gas lines at 14! Had to pass the test for that one - guy that inspected it didn't GAS about my age as long as my welds were good. And we passed electrical inspections all the time - again, the guys inspecting only cared that it was done right - and they figured out real quick that I'd learned what I needed to know. Made electronics school a breeze when I went into the Navy - had to learn stuff, but the basics were already drilled into my thick skull.

Well, when the Coast Guard sent me to any Navy aviation electronics school, I didn't have to take the test cuz that would screw the curve for the usual caliber of squids. ;-)

 

[bbbass]

On a general note of the lack of quality of so-called professionals, I was selected to be one of 8 experience/trained home inspectors that built the program to certify private home inspectors when the Realtors got the state of Oregon to pass a law regulating us.

Long story short... a few of the guys with commercial interests blocked much of what the committee wanted to do. At first we wound up with only the need to pass a written multiple choice test and no required trades/education/experience background in order to qualify to take the test. It was the only thing that particular committee could come to an agreement on.

Problem was when we started getting shit from inspectors saying they "don't test well". Wait a minute, you can't read/write/understand and express thoughts in writing but you want to analyze home conditions and write a report to clients. Somethin didn't make sense. Then we got shit from Realtors complaining to Legislature that we had shitty "Certified" by the State home inspectors that didn't know shit and weren't worth a damn.

It took several more years and several iterations, and I've retired so I don't know if they ever really fixed the problem.

 

[General Zod]

On a general note of the lack of quality of so-called professionals, I was selected to be one of 8 experience/trained home inspectors that built the program to certify private home inspectors when the Realtors got the state of Oregon to pass a law regulating us.

Long story short... a few of the guys with commercial interests blocked much of what the committee wanted to do. At first we wound up with only the need to pass a written multiple choice test and no required trades/education/experience background in order to qualify to take the test. It was the only thing that particular committee could come to an agreement on.

Problem was when we started getting shit from inspectors saying they "don't test well". Wait a minute, you can't read/write/understand and express thoughts in writing but you want to analyze home conditions and write a report to clients. Somethin didn't make sense. Then we got shit from Realtors complaining to Legislature that we had shitty "Certified" by the State home inspectors that didn't know shit and weren't worth a damn.

It took several more years and several iterations, and I've retired so I don't know if they ever really fixed the problem.

And the answer is...no.

 

[popper]

Got one GK going for journeyman next month, the other is pulling wire at commercial jobs. I keep telling them to pay attention. There are idiots out there.

 

[TexasRedneck]

Well, when the Coast Guard sent me to any Navy aviation electronics school, I didn't have to take the test cuz that would screw the curve for the usual caliber of squids. ;-)

I can believe it - your test results woulda dropped the average by a good 90%......lol

 

[TxStetson]

To bing this thread back on topic, wasn’t the re-inspect scheduled for today?

 

[pronstar]

Final inspection Wednesday.

These futhermuckers are back to putting shit in our refrigerator “because theirs is full” and I can’t even…

It’s pretty sad that I’ve become this petty but gawdam

 

[General Zod]

Final inspection Wednesday.

These futhermuckers are back to putting shit in our refrigerator “because theirs is full” and I can’t even…

It’s pretty sad that I’ve become this petty but gawdam

Petty is overstuffing their fridge and deciding it's ok to start stuffing yours with the overflow. Anything tasty? It's yours by right of conquest I'd say.

 

[pronstar]

Petty is overstuffing their fridge and deciding it's ok to start stuffing yours with the overflow. Anything tasty? It's yours by right of conquest I'd say.

Oh it’s better than that LOL

Remember a few posts ago, when I moved all of their stuff to their refrigerator?

It was so much stuff I had to really pack it in…and they “haven’t had time to go thru it yet”.

If this is the worst thing I have to complain about, I must be doing something right.
I keep telling myself that anyway LOL

 

[TexasRedneck]

Oh it’s better than that LOL

Remember a few posts ago, when I moved all of their stuff to their refrigerator?

It was so much stuff I had to really pack it in…and they “haven’t had time to go thru it yet”.

If this is the worst thing I have to complain about, I must be doing something right.
I keep telling myself that anyway LOL

They best be glad I'm not involved....anything in MY fridge from them would be headed to the trash can as they put it in.

 

[bbbass]

These futhermuckers are back to putting shit in our refrigerator “because theirs is full” and I can’t even…

It’s pretty sad that I’ve become this petty but gawdam

Oh, NOW WAY!!!

My fridge is OFF LIMITS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My bathroom is too!

They can bring coolers or whatever, but if I have to put a lock on my fridge, somebody is getting hung and gutted.

 

[Mowingmaniac 24/7]

Pron,

Me: I'd start eating whatever I find in 'MY' fridge...or starting chucking it out.

If questioned about the 'missing' items your answer is a shrug of your shoulders and then state: I have no idea what happened to those or that stuff...then look forward to having your 'fridge space' back...

 

[General Zod]

Pron,

Me: I'd start eating whatever I find in 'MY' fridge...or starting chucking it out.

If questioned about the 'missing' items your answer is a shrug of your shoulders and then state: I have no idea what happened to those or that stuff...then look forward to having your 'fridge space' back...

Absolutely. They've got their own fridge. That means anything they put in yours is fair game.

 

[Daley_G]

They've got their own fridge. That means anything they put in yours is fair game a donation.

 

[no2gates]

Today's the day for final inspection, right?
Make sure you let us know how it went.

 

[Tnhawk]

Today's the day for final inspection, right?
Make sure you let us know how it went.

Hope it goes well.

 

[General Zod]

If you need to borrow some shovels, plastic tarp and lime, just let us know...we'll pretend we know nothing.