OMG.. Previous Owners and wiring...

[MagicMarker]

So decided to look in the attic space above the garage. Not insulated.. expected that. Found an open junction box.. perfect.

I guess the garage back in 69 didn't come with garage door openers. So PO decided to open up a BX wire and splice in romex to tap power for the openers. No box, no wire nuts... just electrical tape. It just boggles my mind what people think is OK in their own house.

The next time I go up there I'll take pics, but I'm pretty sure you can "see" what I'm talking about.

 

[Caman]

Just another reason to have a full home inspection done before buying a home.

 

[rodsnratfinks]

Inspectors aren't always willing to go into attics and crawl spaces. Being a former electrical worker, I've seen a lot. One of the worst houses I ever worked on was my childhood home.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[wyliesdiesels]

That aint nothin compared to the **** Ive found over the years.

Just last week i had to fix some wiring in an attic done by someone who claimed they were an electrician.

They had skinned the jacket and insulation off a section of 10/2 NM-b wire that feeds and air conditioner and spliced in a 14/2 NM-b using split bolts. The OCPD was 40a, which was correct for the air conditioner, so can u imagine if someone started pulling more than about 20a through that #14?

 

[MagicMarker]

Just another reason to have a full home inspection done before buying a home.

We did have the inspection, but I don't recall the inspector going into the attic above the garage... he did go into the main attic.

I'm going to Home Depot and I believe I can fix what was done wrong. I'll have to ask for some advice though.

Or I'll just get an electrician in and ask them to correct. I'll try and get some pictures tomorrow.

 

[Norcal]

Just another reason to have a full home inspection done before buying a home.

Home inspectors have the same value as a screen door on the hull of a submarine.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Yeah post pics so we can see what exactly was done...

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

That aint nothin compared to the **** Ive found over the years.

Just last week i had to fix some wiring in an attic done by someone who claimed they were an electrician.

They had skinned the jacket and insulation off a section of 10/2 NM-b wire that feeds and air conditioner and spliced in a 14/2 NM-b using split bolts. The OCPD was 40a, which was correct for the air conditioner, so can u imagine if someone started pulling more than about 20a through that #14?

Yeah, until you've spent many years fixing other peoples screw ups(many are licensed hacks by the way) youll never understand just how freaking stupid people can be!
Im glad I can pick and choose what I work on anymore!

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

We did have the inspection, but I don't recall the inspector going into the attic above the garage... he did go into the main attic.

I'm going to Home Depot and I believe I can fix what was done wrong. I'll have to ask for some advice though.

Or I'll just get an electrician in and ask them to correct. I'll try and get some pictures tomorrow.

Home inspectors in general are their own version of hacks in my experience,He probably wouldn't have known what was wrong anyway.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Home inspectors have the same value as a screen door on the hull of a submarine.

very true!

 

[RustyGoat]

When I bought my house the detached garage had literally dozens of wire splices/ connections with just wire nuts and no boxes. Luckily they were pretty much all located in the open rafters so it was easy to locate and repair everything.

 

[sberry]

This is why I don't get too lathered up over the air compressor wiring.

 

[alfredeneuman]

Home inspectors have the same value as a screen door on the hull of a submarine.

.....a submarine without Flexseal

I have no use for Home Inspectors

 

[Mustang51js]

I had a call for a ceiling fan not working, found a 14/2 with casing stripped back, then each wire had about a inch of insulation taken out leaving the bare wire without cutting the wire. From that they took another 14/2 to power the fan and just wrapped the wire around the exposed copper, no tape,and insulation just thrown on top of it. I'm pretty sure the homeowner did it even though he wouldn't admit to it

 

[383 240z]

I decided to reno the downstairs 1/2 bath. pulled down the 3/8" drywall, to find VERY nice, flat crack free plaster. Well except where the PO pound the drywall nails in. After he found that pretty frustrating, he used Liquid Nails to hold the rest up. No saving that plaster! Now the main reason I tore into this project was my wife wanted an outlet next to the sink. The only power in the room was the overhead light and the switch controlling it.

However I pull the last walls drywall down, now this wall always had a bit of a curve to it, and I find an outlet, with the cover still attached. I stop bashing the 1.5" combo of drywall/plaster/lathe grab my neon test light, yep its hot!! The simple ***** liquid nailed, drywall to a perfectly nice plaster wall over a HOT outlet and didn't even remove the outlet cover!! When I dropped the dinette ceiling (10'x12') I found 4 open junction boxes. My wife measured as I pulled 22' of extraneous wire out, removed all the hidden junctions, rebuilt the circuit, ADDED NO WIRE, and everything still worked. About 1/2 of the splices had wire nuts, none of which were taped, the rest were just taped, and on most of them the neutral and ground were spliced together. I am now in the process of gutting ALL the electrical and redoing it all.

 

[Wanna Ride]

I had a call for a ceiling fan not working, found a 14/2 with casing stripped back, then each wire had about a inch of insulation taken out leaving the bare wire without cutting the wire. From that they took another 14/2 to power the fan and just wrapped the wire around the exposed copper, no tape,and insulation just thrown on top of it. I'm pretty sure the homeowner did it even though he wouldn't admit to it

Does it really matter who cobbed it together? All that really matters is that you repaired it and the check didn't bounce.

If there were no problems, and the customer knew how to do everything, then the pros wouldn't have jobs. Some people ***** about the very spoon that feeds them, and don't realize how appreciative they should be that someone trusts them enough to bring them into their home, and pay them for their services. Helpful hint on professionalism; don't ***** about, or make fun of the people that support you.

 

[Bigbandguy]

I have found the the topic and the contributions to it interesting. I expect the professional who fixed that awful ceiling fan probably was reasonably diplomatic as no doubt he enjoys making a living which one does not do by ******* off the customer.

At the same time he probably wanted to let the guy know that the hack job could very well burn down his house. Keeping a customer alive to call another day would seem to me like a very savvy thing to do... I guess anyone who was not there could criticize, but I won't. Like everyone else I was issued with an orifice and an opinion. This is an interesting topic and I'm here to learn and not dampen anyone's keyboard.

 

[MagicMarker]

Here are the pics...

This is the open box... is this as easy as turning off the power, adding a wire nut and covering it?

This is the major one... he spliced romex into the BX. Do I turn off the power and add some kind of junction box? The romex he added powers both garage door openers.

 

[Kirkski]

My wife wanted different lights in downstairs bath and when I changed the light fixtures I found something wrong with wiring.

So I ended up taking the paneling down, I found this gem. He loved it so much he signed it...

 

[AndyCBR]

That guy could certainly get a job in a Brazilian shantytown as an electrician!

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

.....a submarine without Flexseal

I have no use for Home Inspectors

 

[404]

On the first pics I suggest taking off ALL the wire nuts and putting on new ones. Lord knows what is underneath.

In the second pic, I suggest getting rid of that armor cable and putting in modern wire if possible.

In my house the guy used masking tape. I guess electrical tape was too expensive. Wire nuts? Forget it.

I wish there was a special place in hell for these hacks. A wire nut is 5 cents?

 

[94EG8]

About 1/2 of the splices had wire nuts, none of which were taped

Everything else is wrong, but wire nuts aren't really supposed to be taped. If they need to be taped then they weren't installed right or too much insulation was stripped/not enough excess copper cut after wires twisted together.

 

[383 240z]

Everything else is wrong, but wire nuts aren't really supposed to be taped. If they need to be taped then they weren't installed right or too much insulation was stripped/not enough excess copper cut after wires twisted together.

I know they don't NEED to be taped, but to my eye it just looks a bit more professional. I have a serious love/hate relationship with this place. But for being 198 years old, what did I expect?

 

[---]

That guy could certainly get a job in a Brazilian shantytown as an electrician!

Viva Brazil!

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Viva Brazil!

It was a temp job,saturday night and there **** call center was down.Me and Tampa had to improvise with what they had at the corner 6-10.

 

[Mustang51js]

Does it really matter who cobbed it together? All that really matters is that you repaired it and the check didn't bounce.

If there were no problems, and the customer knew how to do everything, then the pros wouldn't have jobs. Some people ***** about the very spoon that feeds them, and don't realize how appreciative they should be that someone trusts them enough to bring them into their home, and pay them for their services. Helpful hint on professionalism; don't ***** about, or make fun of the people that support you.

I am also a fireman,so if I don't get called to fix there screw up, I get to go there when it's burning down too,people like you look into everything to far

 

[Mustang51js]

Here are the pics...

This is the open box... is this as easy as turning off the power, adding a wire nut and covering it?

This is the major one... he spliced romex into the BX. Do I turn off the power and add some kind of junction box? The romex he added powers both garage door openers.

First pic,yeah all you need is to put a wire nut and a plate cover and nail box to stud. The second pic you may need two boxes if there's no slack on the bx wire. You should get two metal boxes,some ground screws and plate covers.

 

[MagicMarker]

^^Thanks... I think there is enough slack in the BX. Newb question... if there isn't enough slack, why would I need two boxes? Use romex to extend it a bit? If so, how do I know what kind of romex?

Thanks for the help.

 

[MagicMarker]

Also.. in the first picture, anyone know what the red wire is for?

 

[acer66]

One time someone used a 12/2 to wire the travelers of a 3 way set up.
The wire came out thru a hole in the dry wall and was connected to another wire coming the same way out of the wall.
They did not even bother to wrap some tape around the bare ground but the drywall work looked good, at least compared to the electrical work.

 

[eweber2112]

In defense of the Home Inspector you must understand that there is a difference between a professional licensed inspector and some guy who decides to do it on the side while his other business is slow. A professional inspector will have a contract laying out exactly what he will inspect and how it will be done and what his report will cover. All inspectors should go into attics but to go under a house is usually a separate cost item. additionally a detached building may not have been covered. Another factor is that an inspector is actually going through a property that you dont own so he has to be careful of the actual owners property. One of the big caveats of an inspection is that they will not move personal items or damage items to complete that inspection.

The best advice is to be on site when your inspector is going through the building and you will see what he sees and ask questions so your are forwarned before your purchase. A good inspector can save you thousands and a bad one can cost you thousands.

 

[Mustang51js]

^^Thanks... I think there is enough slack in the BX. Newb question... if there isn't enough slack, why would I need two boxes? Use romex to extend it a bit? If so, how do I know what kind of romex?

Thanks for the help.

Yeah,you would have a box,then a foot or two of rx between then the other box. If you can't figure out the size of wire by looking at it then just get a small piece of 12/2. More than likely it's 14/2 but if you get 12/2 it will cover you for either size. Your allowed to have a oversized wire but not an undersized. You have to figure you need to strip back 6-8 inches of the metal cover on each wire so your not struggling with splicing two inches of wire in the box,so it's easier to do two boxes sometimes

 

[Mustang51js]

I just noticed on the picture of the j-box, the metal casing is not into the box all the way. You want that in the clamp or you may loose your ground down stream

 

[MagicMarker]

I just noticed on the picture of the j-box, the metal casing is not into the box all the way. You want that in the clamp or you may loose your ground down stream

Thanks for the advice.... Another question, how do I cut back the metal sheathing on the BX if I need to? Do I need a special tool?

 

[94EG8]

Thanks for the advice.... Another question, how do I cut back the metal sheathing on the BX if I need to? Do I need a special tool?

You cut it at a 45° angle to the coils with a hacksaw and then snap the outer sheath off. Make sure you use anti-short bushings when you're installing the cable.

 

[Mustang51js]

I usually bend it over and twist,then cut. They do make a tool for it but I don't know what I did with it. You could also grab the end with pliers,pull and spin at same time and it will unravel,then cut it. Like said above it needs to be cut straight and use the bushings made for bx wire

 

[SLYDIT]

went to a house that had had a room added on. the owner had put EXTENSION LEADS through the walls and under the floors so you could "plug in" the room from another bedroom....

 

[Fishplate]

Renovated my basement. First thing I found was a loose wire on a receptacle, that had scorched the case. OK, could happen to anybody...

Then I found the bathroom fan junction...oops, he forgot the junction box...but that was in an exposed space, where you could see it relatively easily. OK, could be done by any idiot...

Then I pulled down the paneling. He had installed a three-way switch for the lights with 14-2 wire.

Plus a single conductor traveler.

Which was a few feet too short.

So he added a section with a wire nut. Buried the junction in the wall, and nailed the paneling over it. Good to go...

I tore everything out, and completely rewired it. I have to sleep up above it.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Thanks for the advice.... Another question, how do I cut back the metal sheathing on the BX if I need to? Do I need a special tool?

U need a BX/mc cutter. Theres different sizes.

The hacksaw trick works too but it takes a little practice.

Heres a roto split for larger sizes:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000..._3_1?colid=YXJUWXNFWYC3&coliid=I17AXNP3TSGA9G

http://seatekco.com/rf-120b/