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Get this, I’m putting a bonus room in an attic, the house is seven years old, one of a string of cookie-cutters built at minimum cost and sold at maximum. Anyway, about two weeks into the project the lights in the house start flickering, all of them, (this should have been a clue, but I’ll get to that later) Now, I’ve roughed in the wiring, but the only change I’ve made to the existing circuits was to place a junction box where the builders had put the stairwell light switch two inches above the sub floor, (thanks a lot if your out there!)
So my clients are looking at my with raised eyebrows, I’m going nuts checking every single connection in the house trying to prove my innocence, the main breaker box was fine, EVERYTHING was fine but the flickering was getting worse, one night all the lights went out! I don’t think I slept at all that week.
I show up this morning and the owner meets me at the door, “You missed all the excitement last night” she said, “we had the fire department here, CPL, and city management!” (At this point I’m ready to gather up my tools and head for Canada) I think she saw the color drain from my face and added quickly “It wasn’t your fault”
Seven years ago someone ran the main line up to the outside junction box, set the wires on top of the terminals, shut the box and called it a day. Seven years later I’m moving a ton of sheet rock into the attic, (as well as a quarter ton of me) and it’s just enough to jiggle that wire off the terminal. She said when they opened that box up the sparks were a’ flying and the kids thought the fourth of July was right there in their junction box.
Good Luck out there guys, and be safe!
Just us Koshiol
Running Pug Construction
Replies
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Exciting work isn't it? Cpl years ago, entered the rear of a business to continue on a store remodel. 100 yr old, 3 story, mainstreet,bldgs all next to each other. Bam, heavy smoke smell, similar to a campout in the rain. Felt the same as you, what did I do? Seems there was a fire in a student apt. 3 bldgs over. From the smell, you'd of thought it was just in the door. Boy, the heart was beating as I went around all parts of the bldg I was working on. Store owner arrived half hour later to take the suspense outta it. Whew.
*Had that same feeling a few weeks ago installing cabinets in an older home. I drove a screw into the wall to mount a wall cabinet when I heard a sizzling sound inside the wall. The breaker finally did trip but not immediately.
*Had that same feeling a couple years ago. I was replacing the corner of a roof and the fence that the falling tree had taken out. The ground was still damp and puddly after the rain. I occasionally noticed a faint buzzing popping noise out in the middle of the empty yard and finally ended up on my hands and knees trying to track it down.I located the noisy patch of ground, brushed some wet leaves and dirt back and found a depression in the ground making the noise. Still baffled, thinking maybe hornets nest or bumblebees, I pick up a stick and poke the area a little. (Well it b seemedlike a good idea at the time...)Then I see the torn 12-2 romex popping and spitting. Seems the homeowner laid the cable about 3 inches deep when they ran it out to the shed, and the falling limbs found it pretty easily.
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Get this, I'm putting a bonus room in an attic, the house is seven years old, one of a string of cookie-cutters built at minimum cost and sold at maximum. Anyway, about two weeks into the project the lights in the house start flickering, all of them, (this should have been a clue, but I'll get to that later) Now, I've roughed in the wiring, but the only change I've made to the existing circuits was to place a junction box where the builders had put the stairwell light switch two inches above the sub floor, (thanks a lot if your out there!)
So my clients are looking at my with raised eyebrows, I'm going nuts checking every single connection in the house trying to prove my innocence, the main breaker box was fine, EVERYTHING was fine but the flickering was getting worse, one night all the lights went out! I don't think I slept at all that week.
I show up this morning and the owner meets me at the door, "You missed all the excitement last night" she said, "we had the fire department here, CPL, and city management!" (At this point I'm ready to gather up my tools and head for Canada) I think she saw the color drain from my face and added quickly "It wasn't your fault"
Seven years ago someone ran the main line up to the outside junction box, set the wires on top of the terminals, shut the box and called it a day. Seven years later I'm moving a ton of sheet rock into the attic, (as well as a quarter ton of me) and it's just enough to jiggle that wire off the terminal. She said when they opened that box up the sparks were a' flying and the kids thought the fourth of July was right there in their junction box.
Good Luck out there guys, and be safe!
Just us Koshiol
Running Pug Construction