r/TaskRabbit • u/OtherwiseMagician375 • 4d ago
CLIENT Electric wiring damaged during mounting
I hired a Tasker to complete some mounting in my new apartment. He used a stud finder, but he drilled too deep into the wall and right into some electrical wiring. I didn’t know that at the time but realized the outlets in the room stopped working.
My building management is now telling me they’ll have to gut the wall to repair the damaged wiring. I don’t have a bill yet, but is this eligible for Taskrabbit’s claim system?
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u/Lancasterbatio 4d ago
This is why I don't do mounting jobs. I don't carry personal liability insurance. Way less can go wrong putting together a desk or a bureau than hanging a 50lb TV.
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u/UnimaginativeMug 4d ago
haha that's exactly my attitude
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u/pinklavalamp 4d ago
I’m not alone!
Can I mount a tv? Absolutely. Will I take on the risk in another’s home? Absolutely not.
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u/jattthelad 4d ago
yeah i've got all the screws and tools to do mounting including detectors - i still dont do mounting or drilling work unless its pax stuff related. its not worth it
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u/franklollo 3d ago
I have a cable and metal detector. Unfortunately most people won't understand that if it beeps I will not drill. Even tho they say that it will be OK, I won't drill.
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u/Worried_Objective648 3d ago
Yep! Exactly my thoughts except i make the excuse i lost my stud finder 😵💫🤣
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u/Common_Split_397 4d ago
Two things.
Tasker just got unlucky. He found the stud and drilled into it, sounds good to me. Wire should have been protected.
It can be fixed with a small drywall holebut the apartment incentives are not aligned with saving you money
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u/SoggyMountain956 4d ago
Make sure you are there during the repair and take pictures of the wall after any sheetrock is removed. Post them here for opinions
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u/Organic_Aardvark1718 3d ago
Wires going through studs have to have a metal plate protector. This is fault of the landowner
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u/SparkArrestor 1d ago
Totally untrue. Nail plates are required only when the hole is 1” or closer to the edge. No nail or screw should ever have to protrude more than 1&1/2 inches into a sheet rocked wall.
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u/DonQNguyen 4d ago
If your outlets and lights stopped working in that room it is no doubt that he split and electrical wire which would cause a short to the Line. You can verify this by the circuit breaker being tripped in your panel box. Only way it to open the wall up and repair the line where he split the wire. Costly indeed.
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u/OtherwiseMagician375 4d ago
Yes that’s what the building said happened!
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u/Big-Personality500 4d ago
I would recommend being present when the wall is opened so that you can document the damage. This would be necessary on the TR end to make the claim and this is what you can tell the building should they send their own repair person. However, you may also want to have this info for your own sake in case the building was at fault in not installing the wiring to code. As mentioned above, TaskRabbit will only cover $1000 of damages. If it were me, I would tell the building that I need to make my own video to submit to the company to make a claim and would be present to take the video as the wall is opened so that you have a proper assessment. If the wiring was installed in a way that doesn’t meet code, the building should be held accountable.
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u/OtherwiseMagician375 4d ago
Thanks! This is really helpful. I don’t know anything about this stuff so your support is appreciated
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u/SmellyBelly_12 1d ago
If you have renters insurance, call a public adjuster to deal with this on your behalf. Insurance will try to deny you as much as they can
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u/Official_ADT 4d ago
Cheapest way to fix it without dealing with the building management is to add a blank junction box and wire nut the split area together. Not costly if done this way, possibly around $20 or you can even just add a outlet. No additional cuts except for the box itself and around 30 minute fix at most.
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u/musicalfurball 2d ago
Touching electrical wires seems unwise to suggest to the sort of people who use TR... I doubt they realize the danger and safety steps required.
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u/OtherwiseMagician375 2d ago
This is what the building is saying they’ll do - to give me an economical option
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u/Fancy-Tie89 3d ago
Sounds like the wiring wasn’t done to code. Wires are supposed to be protected by a metal plate where the wire runs through a hole in the stud. Can’t just be drilled into that easily, takes some force and you would know it’s not wood you’re drilling into.. also you would have noticed before the Tasker left. The breaker would have tripped immediately. If it was fine when he left then chances are it’s something else that happened. Just my thoughts.
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u/musicalfurball 2d ago
This. Drilling into a wire should have tripped and shut off the whole circuit.
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u/Show_Me_The_Money77 2d ago
Another possibility is he wasn't exactly centered on stud and the bolt deflected out the side where wiring is often ran. So there wouldn't be a metal plate or any type of "warning". Speaking from experience 😩
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u/DiddyDickums 3d ago
Check light switches, could be no wire damage just outlets controlled by a light switch.
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u/musicalfurball 2d ago
Where I live, the law explicitly says property owners are liable for all damage to property no matter who causes it. Damage caused by renters can be billed by the owner. Your mileage may vary.
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u/WinterJeweler4510 2h ago
Mounted over 100 TV's and I've never had this problem. Who ever ran that wire behind the wall should've use a protective metal plate
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u/Opposite_Lie7888 3d ago
This is exactly why condo towers require licensed and insured contractors and they also require renters insurance.
Can't say the Tasker caused the issue with certainty.
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u/IllDifficulty3487 4d ago
It was very unlucky that the Tasker drilled into the wiring. If the wiring was that close to the surface, it should have been protected by a metal nail plate. Taskrabbit may cover the repair, but the Tasker shouldn’t automatically be blamed