Billy bob and bubba?

old-9

Well-known Member
There have always been a lot of electrical questions here. As a retired electrician I shudder at many of the replies . The last few years of my career were in a small shop setting. Most of these local shops will give you an estimate for free and you might be surprised at the price. They will also point out any other problems you might have. joe
 
FYI to my way of thinking Billy Bob and his brother in law Bubba are the dudes with no electrical training whatsoever but who wired their own garage while downing a case of beer and by golly everything still works despite the fact they violated 100 sections of the NEC, but if you dare question them they make themselves out to be smarter then any of the NEC experts or professional electricians SO THERE LOL

Hey Ive been here since 1998 and read all kinds or horror stories but still try my best to help anytime I can and maybe save a life IF BILLY BOB WOULD EVER LISTEN

John T Long retired electrical engineer
 
That's why I recently hired an electrician to wire a backup generator to one side of a double throw switch on my meter pole. I was perfectly capable of doing it myself, but it's nice having the onus on him.
 
Wise choice weedhopper .........I'm sure you have heard me talk about the difference in Generators that have a floating versus a bonded Neutral and how they need to be wired and configured differently subject to the method of transfer but that's just too deep to cover here so I should prob just give it up lol What may take books and experience to understand just cant be covered in a paragraph here but I still try at times grrrrrrrrrr

John T
 
Richard, thanks for the kind words, now if the first wife only appreciated me more at times lol lol but she seldom asks electrical questions ...............

John T
 
Agreed, John.

I too am a retired electrical engineer but I was never an electrician and was never familiar with local codes.

I built two new pole barns in the last six years and after considering wiring both myself for about 30 seconds, I hired a competent practicing electrician each time.

Aren't Billy Bob and Bubba brothers or maybe cousins?

Dean
 
On the plus side Billy Bob and Bubba stick to their gun's no matter what. Must be womenfolk (or my son in law) writing the NEC cause they change their minds all the time. LOL
 
Not everyone wants to pay the price of someone doing work at their place. I too worked as an electrician. I know what works, what doesn't work, what can create hazards and why. I don't know anyone named "Billy Bob" or "Bubba." To allude to the idea that anytime someone wants to save some money, or perhaps do something relatively safe but not code-compliant as "Bubba" is an insult to quite a few people. I will also note that I have seen master-electricians make some pretty "stoopid" mistakes.
 
(quoted from post at 13:46:13 01/05/17) Agreed, John.

I too am a retired electrical engineer but I was never an electrician and was never familiar with local codes.

I built two new pole barns in the last six years and after considering wiring both myself for about 30 seconds, I hired a competent practicing electrician each time.

Aren't Billy Bob and Bubba brothers or maybe cousins?

Dean

According to Mr Thinker , he mentioned in an article that Billy Bob was Bubba's brotherinlaw and cousin.
 
If I was this guy, I'd have a bone to pick with some of you arrogant code-lovers.
a247327.jpg
 
Agreed, JDEM, and my post below was in no way intended to be disrespectful to competent do-it-yourselfers.

Dean
 
I'll just throw in and tip my hat too to the electrical experts on here! Thanks for all of the advice that you give to us DIY nuts.
 
Well John, my first wife and I still get along fine after nearly 43 years. But I do all the electrical. I let her do the cooking.
Richard
 
I try not to think about. Floating and bonded neutral.Gives me nightmares. 45 years dealing with it was enough.The two phase system was bad enough.
 
There still are a few of those two phase systems around. South Philadelphia below snyder ave. Hooking up a Hobart mixer with 4 or 5 wires. Called Hobart and they had a heck of a time telling me how to.
 
(quoted from post at 15:01:41 01/05/17) I'll just throw in and tip my hat too to the electrical experts on here! Thanks for all of the advice that you give to us DIY nuts.

The thanks we get for trying to keep you and your family from shocks, electrocution of fires, for free.
 
My first wife and I do get along fine. Just today she called and asked how or who could help with a malfunction outside faucet now that freezing weather is here. I called a plumber and helped as much as I could. All the while I was helping as best I could My present wife was rolling her eyes, commenting this is ridiculous, you have been divorced for 25 years. Did not help that first wife and I share birthdays which happens to be today as we both wished the other a happy birthday.
 
I think most electricians are knowledgeable, conscientious, ethical workers and are worth their pay. A lot of it is just hard work and a lot of it is done in some gloomy, creepy places.
On the other hand, residential wiring is not brain surgery. Most of it is just common sense and Bubba, et al. can do the job as well (read safely)as any electrician can.
Industrial wiring may be different but residential wiring does not require any special skills.
I just stood a rough in inspection 3 weeks ago for the addition we're building. The inspector wanted me to use more black tape on the white wire on my switch legs. I had just flagged them with a couple of wraps. Some inspectors don't even require that you flag it. Other than that he passed all 4 new circuits. I ain't extra smart or blessed or cunning. Just a regular Joe who isn't afraid of electricity, isn't awed by electricians and find it one good way to save a lot of dough by doing it myself.
 
I have a Son that went threw the IBEW apprenticeship program, and a very close friend who is retiring after many years in the union. This is a great program and when they become Journeymen, they don't have 4 years of college debt to pay off. When I have electrical issues, I consult them. I always ask if I can just run a longer extension cord? They roll their eyes and fix all issues. Blessed!
 
I did not intend to insult anybody,just trying to point out a safe (and cheap) alternative to get the SAFEST answer to a problem. Many of these questions many of us could answer in a very short time if we were there. I could take the simplest of testers, remove a panel cover, or just open a disconnect, see how the building is wired and come up with the simplest, safest way to solve the problem. Very hard to do with limited information over the internet.
As to giving advice on this site on a subject that could kill someone or burn down his/her home/ shop, I don't want that liability. I am reminded of a real case when " an electrician GAVE advice to a friend along with the WARNING to TURN OFF the Main breaker. The "friend" did not turn off the power, was killed. The widow sued and won taking the electrician to the poor house.
That is why I am reluctant to give advice any where. I think of the workers at Lowes and other stores giving advice to every customer that walks in the door. I want to keep what I have. joe
 
In Texas it's a crap shoot to find a conscientious electrician. Recently I was involved in a home remodel where a master electrician allowed his license to expire and when ahead and accepted the job of doing electrical work on a residence. He was suppose to change out and upgrade a breaker box which was on the outside of the house and started by removing the meter base with a smart meter. He neglected to notify the utility company or get a permit to do the work. Then when he was about 90% done the electric company showed up and wondered if someone had stolen the meter since the power was turned off and found what had been done. Since there was no permits or anything they turned the power off until the work was inspected by a licensed electrician and filed the proper permits. The power ended up being out for a month before the guy arranged to get his license back and played by the rules. He should have know he couldn't skirt the permits with a smart meter involved. I questioned him about it and he said he didn't have to notify the utility company, he was a master electrician.
 
AH, the two phase systems, Schmidt brewery in St Paul still had two phase stuff working about 16 years ago, was fun to deal with, can't be much of that stuff left now days, but it's still in the code book.

The bonding jumpers in the generators we deal with are usually pretty good size, last one was 13,800 volt delta with A, B, C, and ground, no neutral, think it was 2.5 MW, glad I don't have to buy the fuel, computer room has two 13,800 utility feeds, two generator feeds, and two UPS feeds, you don't want to drop a ratchet in that switchgear.
 
(quoted from post at 20:12:08 01/05/17) I think most electricians are knowledgeable, conscientious, ethical workers and are worth their pay. A lot of it is just hard work and a lot of it is done in some gloomy, creepy places.
On the other hand, residential wiring is not brain surgery. Most of it is just common sense and Bubba, et al. can do the job as well (read safely)as any electrician can.
Industrial wiring may be different but residential wiring does not require any special skills.
I just stood a rough in inspection 3 weeks ago for the addition we're building. The inspector wanted me to use more black tape on the white wire on my switch legs. I had just flagged them with a couple of wraps. Some inspectors don't even require that you flag it. Other than that he passed all 4 new circuits. I ain't extra smart or blessed or cunning. Just a regular Joe who isn't afraid of electricity, isn't awed by electricians and find it one good way to save a lot of dough by doing it myself.

So you are intimidated by electricians, admire electricians, wish you were an electrician and try to imitate imitate electricians ?
 
(quoted from post at 06:58:03 01/06/17) B&D,
If you try real hard you can misconstrue
anything and everything a person says.

Ain't that the truth.

I've asked some questions here. Sometimes I get a thoughtful, polite, informative answer. Other times I get insulting answers that advise me I'm too stupid to possibly understand anything. I'm pretty sure that any licensed electrician coming to my place would tell me the entire farm has to be rewired from the entrance to the last outlet. The place has been here since 1890 something and there are traces of knob and tube here and there along with everything from armored cable to aluminum to the latest stuff available. There are things I want to change. It costs a lot of money to do that and far, far more to hire it done. THAT is the limiting factor that keeps me and Bubba and Billy Bob trying to do this as close to right as we can. And for the record, I don't drink, so there's never any beer involved in my pitiful attempts to replace bad with better.
 
Very good point you raise, as both an Attorney and an Electrical Engineer I can tell you liability cases can depend a lot on whether or not the advice giver holds himself out as an expert and charges for advice versus someone offering opinions at no charge, especially if they aren't experts. Has to do in part with the doctrine of justifiable reliance..........If you were to hire someone who is a professional expert and he tells you to do something that causes injury I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE YOUR CASE LOL While some years back I was hired as an expert in civil court cases I'm wayyyyyyy to rusty and couldn't be qualified nowadays grrrrrrrrrrr

John T BSEE, JD
 
I've been an electrician for 35 years, but I usually try to avoid the electrical posts - there are the usual responders, such as John T. that are very helpful and knowledgeable and will answer the questions thoughtfully.
However, it's one of those topics that tends to bring out the responders that like to prove how much smarter they are than others as well - it's just part of participating in a public forum - there's all kinds...
Pete
 
(quoted from post at 08:52:19 01/06/17)
(quoted from post at 06:58:03 01/06/17) B&D,
If you try real hard you can misconstrue
anything and everything a person says.

Ain't that the truth.

I've asked some questions here. Sometimes I get a thoughtful, polite, informative answer. Other times I get insulting answers that advise me I'm too stupid to possibly understand anything. I'm pretty sure that any licensed electrician coming to my place would tell me the entire farm has to be rewired from the entrance to the last outlet. The place has been here since 1890 something and there are traces of knob and tube here and there along with everything from armored cable to aluminum to the latest stuff available. There are things I want to change. It costs a lot of money to do that and far, far more to hire it done. THAT is the limiting factor that keeps me and Bubba and Billy Bob trying to do this as close to right as we can. And for the record, I don't drink, so there's never any beer involved in my pitiful attempts to replace bad with better.

I agree.. as an engineer, In many posts, all we get is sarcasm and crapola from some, and thoughtful answers from others. Some good at the code(thanks), others good at reality (thanks), and some good for nothing.
 
John T., I would love to "have" a cup of coffee with you sometime. We could talk tractors and have a few laughs , I'l buy. joe
 
Count me in.........Ive met several TY ers at tractor shows like Florida Flywheelers or Half Century of Progress or John Deere Expos etc etc good bunch of gents

John T
 
(quoted from post at 10:58:03 01/06/17) B&D,
If you try real hard you can misconstrue
anything and everything a person says.

I think lawyers get paid big bucks for this! LOL
 
(quoted from post at 05:58:03 01/06/17) B&D,
If you try real hard you can misconstrue
anything and everything a person says.

Sometimes sarcasm, dry humour or "leg pulling" can make a point or provide some comic relief.
 
(quoted from post at 18:52:50 01/07/17)
(quoted from post at 05:58:03 01/06/17) B&D,
If you try real hard you can misconstrue
anything and everything a person says.

Sometimes sarcasm, dry humour or "leg pulling" can make a point or provide some comic relief.

kinda like poking him in the eye with an icepick...Some comments that are NOT helpful..... could be held
 
(quoted from post at 20:23:01 01/07/17)
(quoted from post at 18:52:50 01/07/17)
(quoted from post at 05:58:03 01/06/17) B&D,
If you try real hard you can misconstrue
anything and everything a person says.

Sometimes sarcasm, dry humour or "leg pulling" can make a point or provide some comic relief.

kinda like poking him in the eye with an icepick...Some comments that are NOT helpful..... could be held

If somebody has a sign on their back saying "kick me", don't be too surprised at what happens.
 

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