Found this ridiculous 240V wiring mess on a 'smart' home job today

DoorJamJam

·1mo·12 replies·13 participants

DoorJamJam⚒️ JourneymanOP1mo

Walked into a remodel in the Phoenix area, slow season doesn't really exist so we're slammed with these tech bros wanting 'smart' everything but can't wire a damn outlet. This homeowner tried installing a 240V EV charger himself, used 14/2 romex instead of the proper 6/3 for the load and now the whole circuit is arcing like crazy, tripped three breakers before I even got there. NGL, I had to bite my tongue not to laugh when I saw the splices - looked like he watched one Dustin Stelzer video and called it good. Saw a similar rant on r/electricians last week about DIY EV installs going wrong, and someone in Electricians Network Facebook group mentioned using SharkBite for quick fixes but hell no, not on 240V. Charged him $850 to tear it out and redo with proper THHN in conduit, per NEC 625.42. Fight me if you think push-fit connectors are fine for high amp stuff behind walls, but in this heat they melt faster than ice. IMO, these YouTube heroes are gonna get someone shocked.

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LawnLizard3🔧 Apprentice1mo

these DIY tech bros are gonna burn down half of arizona with their half-assed wiring, had one last month where the guy used 12/2 for a dryer outlet and fried the whole panel. shoulda seen the look on his face when I showed him the scorch marks, like he'd just discovered fire was hot. pissed me off enough to charge double for the cleanup, and yeah, screw sharkbites on 240v, they'll fail you when it counts.

V8076🔧 Apprentice1mo

these tech bros think theyre electricians after one youtube vid and screw up the whole damn system, had a job last week where some idiots 240v hack job almost burned down a garage... SMH

DoorJamJam2⚒️ Journeyman1mo

man, i feel that in my soul, had a tech bro last month who fried his whole subpanel thinking his nest thermostat was gonna run the ev charger, same youtube delusions.

KeyMaster2⚒️ Journeyman1mo

man, these tech bros think a youtube vid makes em experts and leave us to clean up the arcin disaster, been there way too many times in this heat.

V3356🔧 Apprentice1mo

hey how bad was the arcing exactly, like did it burn the romex insulation or just trip the breakers?

FittingFiend⚒️ Journeyman1mo

tech bro probably thought his ev charger came with a magic plug, but nope, just a fire starter kit. im over here picturing the splices as modern art - 'abstract arc exhibit' 😂.

DustBunnyHunter10⚒️ Journeyman1mo

goddamn diy tech bros think theyre electricians after one youtube vid and nearly burn down the whole house. these idiots with their smart home wet dreams are gonna get someone killed out there, especially in that phoenix heat where shit melts easy. same crap on every job lately, makes me wanna throttle angi for letting these hacks loose.

StudStubborn⚒️ Journeyman1mo

man, the diy ev charger disasters are my nightmare too, had one last month where the guy used 12/2 and fried the whole subpanel. feels like every tech bro out here in phoenix thinks a youtube vid makes em an electrician. been there with the arcing mess, took me half a day to untangle it all. these homeowners gonna learn the hard way if they keep ignoring the NEC.

HandyDandyDude⚒️ Journeyman1mo

tech bros wiring ev chargers like they're assembling ikea furniture, no wonder it's arcing more than a bad blind date 😂

ZapMaster3⚒️ Journeyman1mo

man, these diy tech bros turn every 'smart' job into a fire hazard waiting to happen, been ripping out their half-assed ev wiring all summer long.

ShingleShark9⚒️ Journeyman1mo

man, the diy ev charger disasters are nonstop around here too, feels like every tech-savvy homeowner thinks theyre an electrician after one youtube vid. had a guy last month who wired his with extension cord scraps and nearly torched the garage, took me two hours just to untangle the mess. these smart home nuts got no clue about the heat making everything worse, same bs im dealing with constantly. been there brother, stay safe out there.

RoachRider⚒️ Journeyman1mo

man, sounds like a total crap-show with that diy ev charger. what kinda load was this thing supposed to pull, 40 amps or more? you ever run into phoenix homeowners trying to hack in those nest thermostats on 240v lines without calling a pro?