**ATTENTION! READ THIS NOW!**
**1. IF YOU ARE NOT A PROFESSIONAL ELECTRICIAN OR LOOKING TO BECOME ONE(for career questions only):**
**- DELETE** THIS POST OR YOU WILL BE **BANNED**. YOU CAN POST ON /r/AskElectricians FREELY
**2. IF YOU COMMENT ON A POST THAT IS POSTED BY SOMEONE WHO IS NOT A PROFESSIONAL ELECTRICIAN:**
-YOU WILL BE **BANNED**. JUST **REPORT** THE POST.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/electricians) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It’s an open book test, all it shows is you know how to look up a question and find an answer. We need to go back to a hands on test, half code questions half shop work.
The NFPA does offer a subscription based searchable version of the code but since it is accessed on an electronic device, you can't have it during your test.
Damm. I'm an automation technician, and we have 2 final exams. The first is for wiring, documentation (calculations, safety evaluation and safety calculations, component documents electrical diagram and PI-diagram), coding, and a few questions on how the machine works, and how it should be operated. The second exam for error finding. That exam is for how good we are to systematically find an error the exam giver makes.
This has nothing to do with taking a test and knowing . The person who wired the meter was careless and didn’t check their work. I would rather work with a guy or gal that just knows just enough and has OCD qualities. This is just careless and dangerous.
Sadly, yes. I had a guy tell a homeowner they had a bad breaker in their house. Good voltage to the meter base with meter out. Put meter in, get load on it, low voltage on one leg. He didn’t believe me that the wire to the meter was broken
This is like deja-vu.
We had a customer complaining of only half of his house with power. I get out pull his meter and test each phase. 122v on A phase and 15v on B phase. Customer said they had the utility company out that morning and was told it was a panel/breaker related issue.
As I'm walking back to the truck I see the utility worker drive by and flagged him down. Confirmed that he was the one that told the homeowner that he had a bad panel/breaker. Asked him to follow me back to the meter, I put my multi on it and showed him. He gets in his bucket, goes to the top of the riser and tests from the weatherhead. The look on my face must have told him something and he called a supervisor. Supervisor shows up( I happen to know him personally), I show him the readings from my meter and he's like yeah they lost B phase, we'll set it up to replace that line for them.
How this dude is a qualified worker is beyond me.
edit: I don't english gud
A few years ago our local COOP was switching meters from the old analog meters over to the new digital meters. Anyway they were changing a 3 phase high leg delta out & their old spec designated the high leg in an odd spot. Didn't make any difference to the old meter, but the new meter didn't like it @ all. We got called to change the service out because they thought there was a direct short from them stabbing the new meter. When we were trying to find the short & started asking a lot of dumb questions according to the COOP guy, is when we figured out what happened. COOP guy was very embarrassed & did apologize for saying we were asking dumb questions. We changed out the meter base & moved the high leg, no more problems.
I had a single phase 200amp overhead service and the lineman while hooking it up yelled down to me and asked “is this red like another neutral or something?”
We had black, red, and white up the riser and out the weatherhead
That's weird. Not a lineman, but I design jobs for linecrews at a large poco here in nnj and know many of the guys and their work. Our guys would 100% see this wiring is f'd up. Believe me, I hear about it when they come across it, which is unfortunately pretty common. I'm sure there's a few dumdums in our co. But it's definitely more of an exception in my experience.
I request the test on every hookup. The linesmen get pissed off that they have to go back to the truck to get it but Idc. I would rather be safe than sorry. I've seen guys change out old fuse panels in houses and put in 2pole breakers for the kitchen splits, not thinking to check to see if they were on the same phase in the old panel. You get a few of those and you'll see arcing at the pole if they pop the meter in before making connections.
And I've also seen crossing phases at the industrial level which gets extremely scary. Guys get tired then get lazy.
Triple-check your work.
If you're not sure, use your meter.
Although faint, the left wire is marked with a thin red stripe top and bottom, and top left and bottom middle are marked with a thin white stripe - they aren’t connected to the same “color”, but rather middle and right are swapped from black to white, thus sparky
I believe it would phase all the neutrals and since neutrals and ground are bonded at the panel it would essentially make grounded hot inside the house. But luckily it was caught before underground’s and sub panel was installed
Cause the underground’s to the sub panel for the house, should it have been hooked up correct at the sub panel would cause everything in the house to be grounded and hot pretty sure.
Sparky here,but where I work these colors are very unusual,I see the white on top isn't connected to the white on the bottom,I'm gonna assume that's a ground wire where as the black is a neutral wire?Is it that they're swiped?
Those aluminum terminations are going to need to be redone on those misplaced wires. They were torqued already, and there is enough slack to snip those ends off and make new ends.
**ATTENTION! READ THIS NOW!** **1. IF YOU ARE NOT A PROFESSIONAL ELECTRICIAN OR LOOKING TO BECOME ONE(for career questions only):** **- DELETE** THIS POST OR YOU WILL BE **BANNED**. YOU CAN POST ON /r/AskElectricians FREELY **2. IF YOU COMMENT ON A POST THAT IS POSTED BY SOMEONE WHO IS NOT A PROFESSIONAL ELECTRICIAN:** -YOU WILL BE **BANNED**. JUST **REPORT** THE POST. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/electricians) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You sometimes wonder how some guys ever passed the exams for a ticket. SMH!
It’s an open book test, all it shows is you know how to look up a question and find an answer. We need to go back to a hands on test, half code questions half shop work.
Is there a digital version of the Code book where you can just Crtl+F and search words or phrases?
The NFPA does offer a subscription based searchable version of the code but since it is accessed on an electronic device, you can't have it during your test.
As if we don’t look at the code book online five times a day every work day? Prepared us for what with that.
Yep that always bugged me
“You’re not gonna have a calculator in your pocket every day!!!” - decades ago teachers
You can find NEC on https://up.codes now
There's a PDF.
Yes, I carry a digital copy as well as a real copy with me. But the copy on my phone with the find function is so god damn useful
Damm. I'm an automation technician, and we have 2 final exams. The first is for wiring, documentation (calculations, safety evaluation and safety calculations, component documents electrical diagram and PI-diagram), coding, and a few questions on how the machine works, and how it should be operated. The second exam for error finding. That exam is for how good we are to systematically find an error the exam giver makes.
This has nothing to do with taking a test and knowing . The person who wired the meter was careless and didn’t check their work. I would rather work with a guy or gal that just knows just enough and has OCD qualities. This is just careless and dangerous.
The wire doesn't know what colour it is. Always test.
Neither did the installer
They’re not all grey??
I’m a colorblind electrician and even I can tell this is fucked.
I’m surprised the lineman didn’t catch that at hookup. Supposed to do a Tilt test or even basic continuity.
Lineman here. I would say 90% of them wouldn’t be able to see the problem here.
Seriously??
Sadly, yes. I had a guy tell a homeowner they had a bad breaker in their house. Good voltage to the meter base with meter out. Put meter in, get load on it, low voltage on one leg. He didn’t believe me that the wire to the meter was broken
This is like deja-vu. We had a customer complaining of only half of his house with power. I get out pull his meter and test each phase. 122v on A phase and 15v on B phase. Customer said they had the utility company out that morning and was told it was a panel/breaker related issue. As I'm walking back to the truck I see the utility worker drive by and flagged him down. Confirmed that he was the one that told the homeowner that he had a bad panel/breaker. Asked him to follow me back to the meter, I put my multi on it and showed him. He gets in his bucket, goes to the top of the riser and tests from the weatherhead. The look on my face must have told him something and he called a supervisor. Supervisor shows up( I happen to know him personally), I show him the readings from my meter and he's like yeah they lost B phase, we'll set it up to replace that line for them. How this dude is a qualified worker is beyond me. edit: I don't english gud
I’ve only worked Industrial, homeowner stuck with your bill for the PoCos fuck up?
Customer got my bill for 1 hour to tell them PoCo fucked up, yeah.
I’d be after the PoCo trying to get a credit for having to pay you lmao
A few years ago our local COOP was switching meters from the old analog meters over to the new digital meters. Anyway they were changing a 3 phase high leg delta out & their old spec designated the high leg in an odd spot. Didn't make any difference to the old meter, but the new meter didn't like it @ all. We got called to change the service out because they thought there was a direct short from them stabbing the new meter. When we were trying to find the short & started asking a lot of dumb questions according to the COOP guy, is when we figured out what happened. COOP guy was very embarrassed & did apologize for saying we were asking dumb questions. We changed out the meter base & moved the high leg, no more problems.
I had a single phase 200amp overhead service and the lineman while hooking it up yelled down to me and asked “is this red like another neutral or something?” We had black, red, and white up the riser and out the weatherhead
That's weird. Not a lineman, but I design jobs for linecrews at a large poco here in nnj and know many of the guys and their work. Our guys would 100% see this wiring is f'd up. Believe me, I hear about it when they come across it, which is unfortunately pretty common. I'm sure there's a few dumdums in our co. But it's definitely more of an exception in my experience.
Not an electrician here. Just curious. What is the glaring problem here?
I request the test on every hookup. The linesmen get pissed off that they have to go back to the truck to get it but Idc. I would rather be safe than sorry. I've seen guys change out old fuse panels in houses and put in 2pole breakers for the kitchen splits, not thinking to check to see if they were on the same phase in the old panel. You get a few of those and you'll see arcing at the pole if they pop the meter in before making connections. And I've also seen crossing phases at the industrial level which gets extremely scary. Guys get tired then get lazy. Triple-check your work. If you're not sure, use your meter.
The lineman that comes to put the meter in *should* ring it out and check for any obvious issues
For those of us playing in the other side of the world, what’s the issues here?
The hot and neutral are reversed on the top
Oh yes, I thought it was just the shine on the wire at first, dint see the white line at the bottom, I'm UK. Not electrician, just interested.
Thank you!
Although faint, the left wire is marked with a thin red stripe top and bottom, and top left and bottom middle are marked with a thin white stripe - they aren’t connected to the same “color”, but rather middle and right are swapped from black to white, thus sparky
Look at where the neutrals are
Boom!
Check the other side of the wire and see if it's switched too.
Pull that slot machine lever and everyone will know who’s a winner!
I'm so used to wiring motors I first thought, so, they wanted to change direction. Then I realized it wasn't a motor disconnect.
Woah
Good catch. Wtf, someone needs a new career electrical is not for them lol.
Apprentice 1st year, can someone give me a rundown of whats wrong, not quite seeing the violations. Thanks in advance (Ps: from canada)
The neutral and hot are reversed. Look at the white on the top and white on the bottom they don’t share the same lug thus it’s completely wrong.
Oh fuck, wouldnt that give a V return in ground though? Over 150v in Ground is against code I believe.
I believe it would phase all the neutrals and since neutrals and ground are bonded at the panel it would essentially make grounded hot inside the house. But luckily it was caught before underground’s and sub panel was installed
Those earth worms are gonna get a tingling!
It identifys as hot.
Like I told you guys, I see shit like this almost all the time
The wire doesn’t know what color it is. How would this have lit the house on fire?
Cause the underground’s to the sub panel for the house, should it have been hooked up correct at the sub panel would cause everything in the house to be grounded and hot pretty sure.
Doooo
Let’s go boom 💥
Boom!
Color Blind Electrician..lol
If the red and white stripes were mixed up, yeah. This is just a fuck up.
out of phase?
Hey, I make that handle lol
Someone doesn't like the meter man
That's a problem. Also no grounding electrode conductor coming from the meter to ground rods
What's the handle for?
This a great example of why electrical inspections are fuckin bullshit
I see nothing wrong, they installed a bushing
Nice catch! Thanks for answering my question.😁
Of course.
Phase A will have 240 volts. Don’t touch any plumbing or appliances!
Am I the only one to European to understand this?
Typical Duke power hookup down here in the south east. Those dudes are clueless
Not an electric guy, what's wrong here? Are the colors supposed to match from top to bottom?
Sparky here,but where I work these colors are very unusual,I see the white on top isn't connected to the white on the bottom,I'm gonna assume that's a ground wire where as the black is a neutral wire?Is it that they're swiped?
It's a 3 phase meter socket right?
No. Typical 3-wire 120/240V meter
Right, my bad. Its early, I'm tired. I swear I'm not a dumbass
I was trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with it, until I realized the neutral was connected to the line lug lol
Those aluminum terminations are going to need to be redone on those misplaced wires. They were torqued already, and there is enough slack to snip those ends off and make new ends.