So hard to find good help these days . . .

[pucho812]

That is not very logical... is it providing heat and cooling or just cooling?

If making heat, condensation can accumulate on the cold outside coils.

JR

It is left off 99% of the time. I just don’t need it. This is why I am puzzled it leaked and why maintenance claimed they needed to clean out the drain line so it drains properly.

 

[JohnRoberts]

That sounds like it must be running at least some...

JR

 

[pucho812]

That sounds like it must be running at least some...

JR

Not if I can help it. I don’t need it.

 

[Matador]

I'm a bit surprised, given the background of many GroupDIY members, that more home DIY electrical work isn't done. I'n my county in California, owners can pull their own permits and do their own work, provided the work is 'after'/'downstream' of the main breaker. If it involves the utility company, then someone who is licensed and bonded has to do that work. When you pull the permit as an owner, it's inspected just like any other work, and the inspectors don't care who did it (although all of these rules vary from county to county and state to state), provided the person who did the work matches the permit (e.g. if a contractor pulls the permit, then they have to do the work. If the owner pulls it, then they have to do it).

Doing home electrical work carries all of the same precautions as working on tube musical equipment, so if you feel comfortable doing that, then electrical home wiring is vastly simpler. I think a lot of people are turned off by the complexity of the 2017 NEC codes, however 99% of the NEC is just definitions of terms, and stuff that has nothing to do with regular residential wiring. You can get a 6 page laminated set of NEC cheat sheets that cover everything needed to pass an inspection. The hardest part is understanding esoteric or seemingly arbitrary rules, like how often a cable has to be supported, and what types of wires can go in what kinds of conduit, what must be on a GFCI, etc). But the cheat sheets work in 99% of cases and are easy to follow.

 

[AnalogPackrat]

I do some 120V electrical. I did ALL of the low voltage electrical in my previous house during a massive remodel (Cat 5e, alarm wiring, and several low voltage lighting systems including three rail type from Tech Lighting). And some plumbing. I've even repaired a gas boiler (dirty flame sensor, bad igniter) and gas oven (bad igniter). Electrical isn't that hard if you understand a few basics and the safety reasoning behind most of it.

 

[pucho812]

I'm a bit surprised, given the background of many GroupDIY members, that more home DIY electrical work isn't done. I'n my county in California, owners can pull their own permits and do their own work, provided the work is 'after'/'downstream' of the main breaker. If it involves the utility company, then someone who is licensed and bonded has to do that work. When you pull the permit as an owner, it's inspected just like any other work, and the inspectors don't care who did it (although all of these rules vary from county to county and state to state), provided the person who did the work matches the permit (e.g. if a contractor pulls the permit, then they have to do the work. If the owner pulls it, then they have to do it).

Doing home electrical work carries all of the same precautions as working on tube musical equipment, so if you feel comfortable doing that, then electrical home wiring is vastly simpler. I think a lot of people are turned off by the complexity of the 2017 NEC codes, however 99% of the NEC is just definitions of terms, and stuff that has nothing to do with regular residential wiring. You can get a 6 page laminated set of NEC cheat sheets that cover everything needed to pass an inspection. The hardest part is understanding esoteric or seemingly arbitrary rules, like how often a cable has to be supported, and what types of wires can go in what kinds of conduit, what must be on a GFCI, etc). But the cheat sheets work in 99% of cases and are easy to follow.

The big truck here is two fold.
1.understand and be able to do the work.
2.get the same inspector if at all possible.
Number 2 assumes multiple visits. On a studio build, it’s likely to happen. Got lucky on the last few build and had the same inspector each time. Was so much easier. Most of what he pointed out, he glanced over on the next visit. Luckily it wasn’t electrical that was the bulk of the issues.

Changing out a wall socket or light switch is easy enough to do on your own. But like anything else be careful. We had a guy at this one place changing out some broken switches with the power live. Not a big deal till he hit the box with the live wire by accident. It was funny to watch and hear a few curse words to boot.

 

[cyrano]

It is left off 99% of the time. I just don’t need it. This is why I am puzzled it leaked and why maintenance claimed they needed to clean out the drain line so it drains properly.

I don't do HVAC usually, but in the few cases I've worked on large systems' automation, most seem to run a maintenance cycle every now and then, to avoid stuck compressors. Some even call home if you cut power to the system. In fact, I'm gonna check such a system this evening. I wonder if it's still run by the Siemens Win2K sp6a PC dating from 1986? or so. Not a Simatic industrial PC, mind you. A real office AT/PC. They were gonna replace that a decade ago, after I found out someone connected it to the internet...

My dad had an uncanny ability to find tradesmen who don't know the first thing about their trade. From the plumber who came by to fix a broken water pipe who didn't drain the water from the pipe before soldering, to the electrician that was a teacher in the tech school who got electrocuted cause he didn't know the difference between the main switch and a breaker. In the last case my dad told me he didn't want to fire that one cause he had a heart condition...

But then, my dad didn't see any use for a ground wire either. It works without that third wire, doesn't it?

 

[JohnRoberts]

If you spend enough decades paying attention you will encounter numerous incompetent "professionals" (cough).

JR

 

[Ricardus]

I'm a bit surprised, given the background of many GroupDIY members, that more home DIY electrical work isn't done.

My dad was a licensed electrician in addition to his "regular" job and he used to do lots of electrical work on weekends. I've been doing it since I was very young, as his assistant and then taking the truck and doing lots of work on my own when I was old enough.

I still grab odds and ends job when I can.

 

[JohnRoberts]

When I was a young puke back in the 1950s I helped my older brothers wire up the finished bedrooms we built into our basement. As others have said it isn't exactly rocket science. I am a big fan of GFCI/RCD current leakage protection, and have installed multiple GFCI outlets in my house because my original wiring lacks any safety ground. I even rigged up my own DIY ground wire between my primary kitchen outlet and the fuse box in my laundry room. I ground bonded the laundry room outlet and even my hot water heater chassis separately.

Some may remember my anecdote about getting shocks from my shower water when the hot water heating element rusted through. I am not up to code on the modern arc fault detectors, but they may be required to catch wiring mistakes made by who knows who....

JR

 

[totoxraymond]

I do almost everything at home. Last time i hired a plumber it cost me an arm just to reconnect two heaters (pipes were already there). I watched how he did it, next time i'll do it myself. I might need to buy one or two tools, but that would be half the price he cost me.

Here (in France) we don't need to have anyone check if we do most of the work in an existing house. I've redone all my electric installation myself. The previous owner hired some "pros" who made laughable jobs (some light switches were at 2m height, and the breakout board is a mess for example).

Few weeks ago a guy proposed me to clean my roof for 2k€. He said he hust finished my neigbour's so i check that roof. When i saw all the remaining moss, i figured i could buy a second-hand scaffolding for a quarter of the price and do it myself.

Right now i'm looking for a mason, but can't find anyone yet. (I hate masonry)

Thomas