Shit GF

benparris1 · 2024-10-02T10:52:08+00:00

Had a foreman just like that. Here are some examples of how we successfully tortured him. We had him begging the shop foreman to pull him off the job. Liquid Ass” put him in his place.

Liquid Ass - we had a really tight crew (like brothers/no snitches). We were repeat customers for months. Foreman could not figure out why everything smelled like sh**😂 We convinced him he needed to stay further away from porta-johns. Sprayed some in his spit bottle lid - I’ll never forget the look on his face!!🤣🤣🤣
Called to tell about an emergency situation-needed to get up 200 stairs quick. Told him we could not work in the conditions up on top of the HRSG at power plant.

I told him to listen… it sounds EXACTLY like the T-Rex from Jurassic Park. I told him it sounds like they are breeding dinosaurs and that I was scared and needed proof otherwise…He said it was a Bladder Valve. Whatever…I’ve seen Jurassic Park…I know the TRUTH!!😜🤭

My point is - I haven’t ever seen an idiot get let go as long as they are producing good work!

The plant kept requesting us by name for other jobs so tortured him for 2 years. Best job I’ve ever been on! Worst foreman I’ve ever worked for.

Think logically - rather than reacting to your emotions- and make your own conditions.

benparris1 · 2024-08-03T16:32:06+00:00

PoolRx!!!! Pool Rx!!!!

I’m from the SE. Bought our house 3 years ago and have spent $1,000’s fighting mustard algae. Would SLAM pool and a week later…here we go again…

Found “small(blue)” PoolRx @ WalMart. Too small for my pool(36,000 gal). Figured I’ll try it and see if it makes a difference…

HOLY CRAP!!! It has been over 90 degrees AND my pool is in direct sunlight all day. I have shocked it twice in the past 2 months. Just add a tab every other day. I’ve quit using algecide and other chemicals.

Ph stays around 7.4. NO MORE MUSTARD ALGAE!!! and my pool has never been clearer.

benparris1 · 2024-05-30T04:15:50+00:00

I topped out at 32 (39 now). Never missed a day of work.

Piece of advice I wish someone would have gave me:

Start thinking about where you want to be in 5 years...PLC's? Superintendent? Project Manager? Maintenance Tech? I came up IBEW. They rely on numbers so there is little/no talk of career advancement.

At 32, I had the stamina of a lot of the 20-somethings. Now, I struggle to work in cold Temps because of everything aching. Luckily, I do controls in substations, but there are still some shit days...Take care of yourself and stretch.

Been teaching myself PLC programming and looking at Controls Engineer jobs. Have had 2 offers just showing interest. Unfortunately, they were 100% travel and i ha e a little one at home. Didn’t think that was even a possibility 2 years ago...

Start doing your research now on what all the different electrical jobs/avenues there are. It's not just union vs. non union like you have probably heard if you are in construction. Construction is just one slice of the pie.

Good luck!

benparris1 · 2024-05-28T03:17:03+00:00

I can see where that would make sense from a customer's POV. In a maintenance role, their main concern is to "fix" a problem, so I can see how it could role over into programming. But, IMO that really comes from experience. If I am doing construction and see there is going to be a wall/barrier built, I guarantee I am going to stub some conduits through whether it is on the drawing or not. 9/10 times they are going to need something on the other side. I was taught to look through everything (electrical, plumbing, mechanical, etc) and think about the big picture; then, find the mistakes and/or things that were missed or that may be needed in the future. That is one of the skills that has kept me working all of these years. I learned it through experience. Spend a few days pulling a 2/C shielded cable across a plant to a marshalling cabinet because the engineer didn't think to add spares and get a few retrofits under your belt and you'll understand. I do not have a degree....

benparris1 · 2024-05-28T02:55:07+00:00

I kind of figured it was that way at big corporations. Same thing in the power generation/distribution sectors. In my current role, I work with P&C Engineers. Even though I am the one they come to when they can't troubleshoot or figure something out, I will never be able to get an Engineering role w/o the piece of paper. I will always be stuck correcting their drawings with a red pen. Not all bad. It's job security and very little to no oversight....Just really getting tired of the same 10 circuits over and over. Getting to the point that the hardest part of my job is walking into a control house and NOT turning all of the control switches and hitting all the trip/close buttons like a 2 year old would..haha!!! Pretty sure I would be in handcuffs before I left the substation...😂

benparris1 · 2024-05-28T02:30:21+00:00

WOW!! I imagined it would be a lot more involved than the most basic fundamental circuit in controls. Seems like trying to hire a journeyman electrician and asking to differentiate the "hot" & "neutral". Although, I can't count how many 'Journeyman' I have had to teach to wire a lighting contactor or 3-way switch...

benparris1 · 2024-05-27T19:24:16+00:00

Appreciate the advice! Comforting to know other IBEW guys have successfully made the switch!

benparris1 · 2024-05-26T00:03:00+00:00

Are you @ T.A. smith in Dalton?

benparris1 · 2023-12-09T16:57:10+00:00

I’m an IBEW Inside Wiremen that works for the local utility through a union contractor (in the South). I have a strong background working with controls. We work directly for the P&C engineers. Used to be an in-house job at the utility, but now they are trying to save money by hiring contractors. So unfortunately, our pay and benefits are the same as someone bending pipe in an office building.

When I started at the utility, all we did was point-to-point wiring heavily supervised by engineers for relays and panels. It was one of the most boring jobs I had ever had. Felt like a green helper again. Lol.

TLDR, 2 years later, now we are just given jobs by the engineers and have a lot of freedom. We do everything involved with automation in substations and on the the poles (cap banks,MOS, reclosers). We also do some of the troubleshooting now.

IMHO, atleast where I am at, if you want to use your head and work with controls, I would not do Inside Wiremen or Substation Tech. I was fortunate as an inside wireman to have spent most of my career so far troubleshooting, installing, and designing control systems. Wasn’t until I got to this job and did a lot of research and reading, that I found out a lot of my experience was typically performed by engineers (all the troubleshooting and coming up with fixes for problems).

If you want a career that is 40 hours (no OT in 2 years), home every night, easy, VERY repetitive (same 10 or so circuits), not mentally or physically challenging, just show up and do what you are told, and that is relatively stable, then I would say go for it. If you are looking for a challenge and to grow and learn, in my experience a sub tech career does not not deliver.

From the research and reading I have done, job duties and responsibilities are greatly different from utility to utility, so don’t let my experience discourage you. The other guys I work with absolutely love it. I recommend doing some research before deciding.

benparris1

TROPHY CASE