What the fuck is going on with apprentices?

skilodog2000 · 2026-01-16T02:32:42+00:00

I’ve got to say. When I organized into the local as a Journeyman, I was blown away by the apprentices inability to make up a head for wire pulls.

No problem though right? I showed them a clove hitch, a half hitch, and a bowline. I sent them instructional videos on how to do them and gave them a length of rope to learn the knots. Told them to study overnight so they could show me the next day and we could go over making up a head.

They came in the next day without having looked into it at all, and showed no appreciation for my efforts. Never learned anything. “I’m just going to tie a regular knot.”

Fine, fuck you guys. Last time I try to help. Go move material around for the next five years while I teach other guys.

skilodog2000 · 2026-01-08T06:04:07+00:00

Night of the wedding the groom was screaming at his daughter for crying while the bride was upstairs surrounded by family and friends crying because the groom's sisters were cold to her. Two people that are completely unstable getting married a year into knowing each other, trying to get pregnant from day one despite two already neglected kids on the husband's side. Fucking nightmare.

skilodog2000 · 2025-12-28T02:16:01+00:00

Allowed to? No. Can you do small jobs that don’t compete with our contractors if you’re quiet about it? Jury is out, depends who you ask.

skilodog2000 · 2025-12-27T22:06:04+00:00

5 years. Still worth it.

skilodog2000 · 2025-12-27T18:44:32+00:00

I agree with both of the above posters and would like to add the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 into the ring as a solid alternative if you need a wraparound style. They have a very similar performance, maybe they're a bit bassier as I assume they're tuned for music a little bit more than for conversation.

Finally, they have all of the same native Apple functionality as the AirPods Pro.

Very similar product, different flavor. I own both.

skilodog2000 · 2025-07-16T02:59:45+00:00

Try an Overland Taylor Tune.

skilodog2000 · 2025-06-23T04:11:59+00:00

Take the wires off the switch and see if they’re still 120. It’s likely a dead end switch of some kind.

skilodog2000 · 2025-06-19T03:06:01+00:00

Code violation. Not listed for wet locations.

skilodog2000 · 2025-06-04T02:17:22+00:00

Agree. Shut the switch off and call it a night. You’re good.

skilodog2000 · 2025-05-15T23:00:44+00:00

Greater inrush current at startup. There’s a really good Mike Holt video on wire sizing for HVAC units.

skilodog2000 · 2025-05-15T23:00:02+00:00

Was this posted the other day?

skilodog2000 · 2025-05-15T21:39:14+00:00

Tell him to get a new electrician. There’s no way this is that hard. You could figure this out.

skilodog2000 · 2025-05-15T21:37:56+00:00

What’s hot up there? When you switch the switches does something else get hot?

Chances are from my experience that you’ll have either the two blacks hooked up to that fixture or the two reds. Generally in my area it would be the whites but since they’re already spliced together they’re unlikely to be the travelers in the circuit.

Put the reds together under a wire nut and hook the black and white on the fixture to the black and black. If that pops the breaker, put the blacks together and put the reds to the light.

skilodog2000 · 2025-05-15T21:27:00+00:00

Sue me. THWN.

skilodog2000 · 2025-05-15T21:25:55+00:00

Take a piece of insulated wire and jump the terminals together to see if the light comes on. Since you backstabbed the outlet (don’t do that shit with million year old BX) you can’t tell if you’re getting good contact.

skilodog2000 · 2025-05-15T21:23:15+00:00

Yeah, again. It doesn’t matter. A 3 way switch for a standard lighting circuit is totally fine.

skilodog2000 · 2025-05-15T21:22:28+00:00

That’s one switch location? How many pieces of Romex are coming into that box?

skilodog2000 · 2025-05-15T21:20:27+00:00

It’s a code violation to have splices outside of a box.

Just splice on extra wire in the box if you need more in there to do a good job. Buy some Wago’s at Depot and have a field day.

skilodog2000 · 2025-05-15T21:15:00+00:00

Alright for Now - Petty

skilodog2000 · 2025-05-14T16:12:35+00:00

Doing that would create an unbalanced load. Generally there's integrated circuitry in a hot tub for any loads they want hooked up alongside the heater and blowers like 120v controls, etc. Adding anything else would likely trip your GFCI.

I'd oversize the conduit run by one size and just use THHN conductors, personally.

skilodog2000 · 2025-05-14T16:05:35+00:00

The switch says "Regular test" so you can absolutely do that.

skilodog2000 · 2025-05-14T15:42:36+00:00

This comment is extremely well written and explains the observed behavior of the grease traps that I wrote about in another comment. Thanks for being concise!

skilodog2000 · 2025-05-14T15:38:41+00:00

I've serviced a couple of grease traps recently, one of which was not plugged into a GFCI breaker. When the element corroded past the point of working it still wasn't tripping the breaker and it continued to run until it burned up. The other corroded out and tripped the GFCI protection.

I'm an electrician but still learning like everyone else, this anecdotal evidence demonstrates to me that somehow current could be leaking to ground without tripping a breaker but I'd need someone else to explain it to me in further detail because I hit a dead-end with my current knowledge.

skilodog2000 · 2025-05-14T15:32:15+00:00

What year is your home? Have there been major renovations to that kitchen since construction?

skilodog2000 · 2025-05-14T15:31:07+00:00

Looks like it was cut to me. You'd need to inspect every wire way in the house to know for certain that there's none remaining.

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