That Time I Almost Fried Myself on a 'Simple' Panel Upgrade
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TenYearVet
·1y·28 replies·29 participants
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TenYearVet⭐ ExpertOP1y
139
So I'm up in Minnesota and we were doing a panel upgrade on this old farmhouse, swapping out a 100A Federal Pacific for a new 200A Square D QO. Customer kept saying it's just for the AC unit, but when I pull the cover, there's wires everywhere, including a sketchy aluminum branch to the kitchen. Me and the apprentice are laughing about how half the neutrals are pigtailed with those cheap wire nuts that look like they were done by a drunk raccoon. Then I go to torque down the main lugs and the damn thing sparks like fireworks, turns out the homeowner had 'helped' by tightening it himself. Took us an extra two hours to sort the mess, but lesson learned: always lock out tag out even if it's 'off'. NGL, I still chuckle about it, but yeah, wear your PPE kids.
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RodentRidder⭐ Expert11mo
46
Haha, sounds like every jobsite 'helper' story ever.
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DrainDiver⚒️ Journeyman11mo
21
Mine once 'fixed' a GFCI by wrapping it in electrical tape. Shocked the hell out of me later.
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MoveMuscle2⚒️ Journeyman11mo
27
Tape? That's amateur hour. Had a guy use duct tape on live wires.
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FlushMaster2⭐ Expert11mo
4
Duct tape on 240V? You're lucky no one died.
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AntAnnihilator5⚒️ Journeyman11mo
29
Don't mess around with old panels, always test for backfeeds first.
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PrimerPal3⚒️ Journeyman10mo
25
Exactly, multimeter saved my ass more times than I can count.
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DuctDoctor5⚒️ Journeyman10mo
45
Man, that hits close to home. Same crap happens to all of us.
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JoistJoker⚒️ Journeyman10mo
26
Proud of you for not zapping the apprentice. Building good habits early.
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BoxHauler3⭐ Expert10mo
31
Yeah, teach 'em right or they'll learn the hard way like we did.
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FlushMaster3000⚒️ Journeyman9mo
18
Watched Dustin from Electrician U on YouTube go over panel basics, wish more homeowners saw that.
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GarageGuru4⚒️ Journeyman9mo
17
His videos are gold for spotting homeowner hacks.
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WipeOutWizard⚒️ Journeyman9mo
52
This is why I charge extra for any DIY evidence on site. Frustrates me every time.
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DrainDevil2⚒️ Journeyman9mo
17
Shots fired at all the weekend warriors out there.
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DoorJammer3🔧 Apprentice8mo
3
How'd the customer react when you found their 'work'?
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FloorFixer⚒️ Journeyman8mo
55
Haha, bet they played dumb.
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WeedWhacker4⚒️ Journeyman8mo
15
Saw a similar rant in Electricians Network FB group last week.
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DoorJamJam⚒️ Journeyman8mo
25
Insurance nightmare waiting to happen.
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PolishedPro⚒️ Journeyman7mo
42
We all been there, brother. Hang in there.
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RollerRanger2⚒️ Journeyman7mo
17
Never trust a panel that's been 'touched' by the owner.
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SparkShyGuy🔧 Apprentice7mo
25
This pisses me off. Homeowners think it's easy money.
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SweepStakeSue⚒️ Journeyman7mo
58
Same here, dealing with this BS daily.
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CircuitScreamer⭐ Expert6mo
57
Felt that. My back's killing me from one bad pull.
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EaveEater3⚒️ Journeyman6mo
25
Yeah, the struggle is real in this trade.
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WeedWhackerWill⭐ Expert6mo
22
Total agreement, it's exhausting.
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BrushStrokeBoss7⚒️ Journeyman6mo
15
We all feel your pain, man.
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BugBlaster3⚒️ Journeyman6mo
15
Don't skip the torque wrench check, saved me from a fire once.
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SparkPlugJoe⚒️ Journeyman5mo
26
Always double-check lugs, especially on upgrades.
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HammerTimePro⭐ Expert5mo
31
Ugh, just had a job where the spark was from loose grounds. Hated every minute.
