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That time a customer tried to tell me how to wire their basement
I had a guy last spring in Columbus who insisted his new home theater needed 14-gauge wire on a 20-amp breaker because "the internet said so." He pulled out his phone to show me some forum post, like that beat 30 years of code knowledge. I had to calmly explain that undersized wire on a big circuit is how you get melted junction boxes and maybe a fire. Has anyone else dealt with a homeowner who thinks Googling makes them an electrician?
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claireo678d ago
Google is great and all, but that guy skipped the part about amperage and wire sizing being the actual math that keeps your house from burning down. A buddy of mine works fire investigation and he's pulled melted 14-gauge out of basements more than once, always from the same "I read it online" mindset. People don't realize that a forum post won't matter when the insurance adjuster shows up and sees the wrong wire on a 20-amp breaker.
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grant8268d ago
Had a buddy swap out a 15-amp breaker for a 20 without changing the wire. Lucky for him the smoke detector woke him up before things got really bad. You ever seen what happens when 20 amps hits 14-gauge?
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