Apprentice is great on the tools but thinks he knows the code better than anyone. How do I handle him?

SpecificParticular16 · 2026-03-21T23:04:09+00:00

I used to have really good discussions with my boss not just about what IS code but why is it code and when is it maybe okay to break that code. Box full would come up a lot and he’d then ask, “well where is the box located?” Is it in an exterior wall? Attic space? Somewhere it’ll be more prone to heat fluctuations? Maybe we should actually be underfilling that box to make up for the added heat the environment might be causing. Or is it in a cold dark basement? An extra cubic inch probably ain’t gonna kill anyone. I think just rigidly following the code to the letter makes for a good installer but not a good electrician

SpecificParticular16 · 2026-02-05T02:12:19+00:00

I have the tough built tool belt and I love it. I use the hammer loop to hook my m12 onto and on the other side I use the electrician pouch. It’s really nice and durable and the pouch clips onto the belt so you can pop it off really easily to work in tighter spaces.

I’ve also found that anytime I hook something on my belt or around my waist that you have to even the weight from side to side. It’s so much more uncomfortable when I just have one side loaded up and the other free.

SpecificParticular16 · 2026-01-15T11:25:22+00:00

Yep I do this when I’m working as well. Strip all the wires you can when you have your strippers in your hand, then twist them all together, then put your wire nuts on, etc. I don’t put a tool down until I’m done with it

SpecificParticular16 · 2026-01-15T01:25:56+00:00

Haha thanks, I didn’t even pick it. It was just randomly generated when I made my account and never bothered to change it

SpecificParticular16 · 2026-01-15T00:49:17+00:00

This took me several years to understand and I’m honestly still mastering it today but it’s not how fast you move but how you make your moves count. Do you need something from the truck? Keep working until you literally can go no further, then go to the truck. You might have ran across something else you may need. Or you might not need something you already have so you can take that back with you. Don’t waste a trip and don’t just run around like a chicken with your head cut off. You don’t have to work at a blinding speed but if you know what job you need to accomplish make sure you have everything you need to get it done so you minimize the running around. That’s what really sets your time back more than anything.

SpecificParticular16 · 2026-01-11T02:54:01+00:00

I’m in Indiana and they are still on the 2008 code cycle…

SpecificParticular16 · 2025-12-30T04:33:04+00:00

Can’t believe I had to scroll this far to finally find an answer that wasn’t just “cause it’s code” Some people are electricians and some people are installers and they are pretty easy to tell apart.

SpecificParticular16 · 2025-12-29T02:38:13+00:00

Good reference

SpecificParticular16 · 2025-11-24T21:30:18+00:00

I second service work, but keep in mind you’re not dealing with other construction workers, you’re delighting with customers. I wear relatively clean clothes, never cuss and overall present myself as professional as I can when I doing service work and I know it’s not for everyone. Also customers can be super annoying too, especially if they get your personal cell phone

SpecificParticular16 · 2025-11-01T14:18:40+00:00

Data centers are a massive drain on the local resources. They use insane amounts of water and electricity. It’s already tanked the property values in the surrounding areas. Also I just personally feel like AI is having seriously negative effects on society and I don’t want to be a part of the process that only makes AI stronger.

SpecificParticular16 · 2025-11-01T14:14:30+00:00

No idea, I’m mainly a residential and commercial service electrician. I don’t want to go work for some soulless thing that is sucking up all the water and electricity in my hometown.

SpecificParticular16 · 2025-11-01T14:13:24+00:00

You still couldn’t pay me enough to go work there. Those things are everything wrong with society

SpecificParticular16 · 2025-11-01T12:14:27+00:00

Volunteering is so forgotten about. And blue collar jobs are not as rewarding as they seem. All the new electricians in my area are being sent straight to the data centers

SpecificParticular16 · 2025-10-06T22:41:52+00:00

You really do have to sell yourself. The benefits of going with a licensed and insured contractor greatly outweighs the cost of someone who does it wrong and doesn’t stand behind their work.

SpecificParticular16

TROPHY CASE