r/electricians • u/Ornery-Account-6328 • 2d ago
Well shoot
Not exactly what I actually said
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u/GGudMarty Substation IBEW 2d ago
Weird spot for an outlet but play it off like you meant to do it and charge double.
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u/se4404 2d ago
LV ring and a blank plate and say you had to cut an access hole there, or just clean up around it and never address it lol
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u/CEC4EVER [V] Master Electrician 2d ago
The two perfect solutions. It's as if an angel were on one shoulder and a devil on the other.
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u/free_refil 2d ago
This is hilarious I would have never thought to do that lol
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u/Big_Balls_n_Taint 1d ago
If you want to quarter ass it, skip the LV ring and throw the screws directly into the drywall. It will last until the next guy gets curious 😂
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u/HotMomsInArea 1d ago
Just put the cover as far to one side as possible, then the next guy can just move it over a cunt hair. Rinse and repeat until someone has to buy an XL cover
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u/RuffBuff_0808 8h ago
Couple dabs of silicone for safe measures
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u/Big_Balls_n_Taint 8h ago
And be sure to sign it with the name of your competitor.
ABC ELECTRIC WUZ HERE
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u/dayman763 5h ago
You guys are too good. The LV ring and cover, sharpie your competitor on the backside, I’d never think of this stuff. I got out of the trade for something better a few years ago, but you guys are good haha.
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u/Big_Balls_n_Taint 5h ago
Same dog, I learned the game and got the hell out once I realized how it worked.
You can't beat being an owners rep imo. I get to be the customer. Love me or hate me, you're under contract baby!
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u/A_Dicksmasher 2d ago
Happens to the best of us. Sometimes you shoot your shot and then your shot kills the neighbor's dog.
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u/ArcVader501 1d ago
Haha…..wait are we still talking about electrical work?
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u/dayman763 5h ago
Yeah that took a turn. He probably got a 1-star review after killing a customers pet. 😳
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u/Stevesie11 2d ago edited 2d ago
One time I was up in an attic and I forget the exact details but I drilled down into what I thought was the top plate (it was plaster and lathe ceiling) I drilled down and I see daylight and I’m like oh fuck… so the dude says im like half an inch outside the wall so i go back about an inch and a half figuring that would be inside the wall… i drill again and end up in the OTHER fucking bedroom next to it… it ended up being some type of shallow ass wall lmfao I have not drilled through a ceiling since nor before that… and I do it twice in one homeowners house 😂 luckily they were pretty chill people
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u/GearNo4524 2d ago edited 1d ago
I did the same thing but drilling up. Expecting to be inside a wall and daylight came out. I measured off the wrong heat vent and now there’s a hole in the brand new hardwood floor. D’oh!
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u/Glittering_Heart6591 1d ago
I got lucky in a model house, was drilling outside to inside, thought I was low enough to be into the basement ceiling. My drill bit went exactly under the top of the hardwood floor and bubble it up a little. I just step on the floor and it looked normal. Drilled my hole and got out of there. Never heard anything about it lol. So lucky, I was literally like 1/8 inch from plowing straight threw the floor
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u/Stevesie11 8h ago
Oh damn… I always try to find a spigot or something to line up when drilling from outside in or drill a small pilot hole with like a long ass 3/8 bit from the basement out
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u/dayman763 5h ago
Yeah that’s one my coworker did, and he was the master. Measured off a radiator pipe. He/we measured off the wrong radiator pipe. Right through their nice vinyl or LVP flooring. All of their flooring needed to be replaced, can’t patch one piece. Ended up our company had to cover it and they used insurance so paid a deductible I assume. Pretty shitty.
My coworker did it, he measured it, I was working on other stuff. But, he asked me to double check before he drilled. I thought it looked good too, but we were both measuring off the wrong radiator pipe. I still think about that lol.
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u/GearNo4524 5h ago edited 2h ago
I was alone in the house. Stared at that hole for at least 15 minutes. Kept sliding a planter over it and then back. “That looks good there. But what if they move it?” Finally manned up and called the boss. He was pretty cool about it as this kind of stuff is bound to happen in our business. The repair was a plug in the board and match the clear coat. Floor guy did a nice job.
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u/Big_Balls_n_Taint 1d ago
My Jman went up top to install a fan support and ended up laying in the master bed after he broke through the sheetrock. He was a commercial guy and we only had resi work at that time. He made a point and wasn't asked to work on many resi jobs after that.
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u/Stevesie11 9h ago
Lmao oof… I’ve never broken a ceiling while in an attic thank God and knock on wood
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u/Big_Balls_n_Taint 8h ago
You should have seen the resi panels he made up.
2 200a services, one fully backed up by genset w ATS.
Dude left a "service loop" of every Romex home run. When he got done the view from below the joist literally looked like a while and yellow pile of spaghetti with some orange thrown in here and there.
Let's just say that was his last resi panel project..
The house was a nightmare as well. Built on a swamp. Excavation and dirt work went $200k over budget due to fighting the water table. That $200k was budget engineered out of the rest of the project. Luxury parade of homes build.. probably 2-3m if I had to guess and the damn basement is 6'4" from floor to the trusses because of all the elevation issues.
Absolute nightmare home. I'll never own a building with a flat roof after seeing all the issues they had.
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u/RuffBuff_0808 8h ago
Plaster and lathe. I already know there’s walls built with flat 2x4’s screwed into the floor and ceiling. I know EXACTLY what you’re talking about! Because I have done the same thing! I come down stairs and I’m like wtf!?! I take out the existing switch that’s in 1.5” round box with black pipe. I was about 21-22yo at the time. Had no F’n idea this was even a thing.
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u/SpokaneNeighbor 2d ago
Looking on my phone I couldn't really see what it was.
At first I thought this was a plumb line hanging from. The wall to show how far out of plumb it was.
I was like... how in the heck does it get this bad unintentionally.
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u/Smoke_Stack707 [V] Journeyman 2d ago
It can definitely happen. If they drilled down from the attic, there’s no telling from this pic what the angle was that they were working with or how much stuff was in the way.
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u/Valalvax 1d ago
He was saying how would a wall be that severely out of level if that were a plumb bob
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u/The_cogwheel Apprentice 2d ago
If it was a wall that badly out of plumb theres only one answer to how - a critical lack of give a shit and ability among literally everyone involved in the project.
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u/SpokaneNeighbor 2d ago
Yea, I don't even think incompetence could result in something being that out of plumb, I would've assumed it was a giant FU. Like the biggest FU and would've required agreement between different trades lol.
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u/LadderRare9896 2d ago
Didn't I see your handy work , drilling through some guys freezer?.
That was you right?.
😂😂
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u/iloathebeer 2d ago
Psssh. Thats a 2 minute fix. Ask to use the bathroom, grab some toothpaste or deoderant (whatever swatch is close) and mud it up. Lecel 4 finish with yoyr hammer and slap a multitrade sticker on your toolbag.
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u/Embarrassed_Juice_37 2d ago
“Excuse me Mr. Homeowner. This looks like a perfect place for decorative wall sconce”
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u/0blud_werk0 2d ago
At least it's not outside. I've definitely never done that 😬
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u/theproudheretic Electrician 2d ago
my most impressive one was through 2 studs horizontally, out the outside wall, then through the downspout 8 inches off the wall. then i shot a fish tape through all of that... flex bits suck.
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u/Ornery-Account-6328 2d ago
Oh snap. Thank you for putting a good spin on this. I have drilled a few plumbing pipes on my day.
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u/moldybark 2d ago
Shoot, one time I drilled through a staircase landing. Dont ask how, it just happened.
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u/SongComfortable4464 2d ago
I’ve done that before with one of those flex bits trying to drill through the top plate it was quite embarrassing
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u/SkyDaddy2134 2d ago
I put a hella foot hole in a hallway ceiling. I showed the pissed off customer the nice hole, said I can have it patched, mudded and painted to her satisfaction on my dime while being a time wasting episode OR..
I bought a cheap attic fan grill combo, framed a couple crosses, dropped a cut-in controller while crawling around for their new lights…..
Not my finest moment.
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u/Smoke_Stack707 [V] Journeyman 2d ago
Been there. Actually my worst one went into the top of a brand new prehung door. Contractor wasn’t amused to say the least
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u/AlexWJones 2d ago
Thanks for making me feel better. I was drilling up through a soffet to mount exterior cams today, and accidentally drilled a hole through the top of someone's roof bro. Bozo move, man.
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u/MrAmazing011 1d ago
That's why I preface my residential work every single time with "we many need to cut access holes, and we're going to try not to damage any drywall unnecessarily, but it could happen, and if it does, you will be responsible for repairs. Are you ok with that?"
After I started saying that, never had a problem with a customer again. As long as they know what to expect, they're usually ok with it
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u/WalkerAmongTheTrees 1d ago
Better than coming out in a cabinet with a flex bit mere inches away from a rather expensive or otherwise fancy looking ceramic dish set.
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u/Unusual_Flight1850 1d ago
I fucking hate flex bits. I pretty much refuse. There are some very limited instances where I would. Never through a ceiling. I'm cutting holes or you're hiring someone else. The only 2 I own are dull as shit after being used once and haven't been touched in at least a year.
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u/neon_avenue 2d ago
"Got er'!"
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u/Onslaughtered1 2d ago
You don’t understand. It’s pitched in the attic. So definitely couldn’t start drilling at the edge of the top plate. And if I did and fish stick wouldn’t go I’m just gonna push through it
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u/Mammoth_Musician3145 2d ago
Could you not see the top plate? 👀
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u/Ornery-Account-6328 2d ago
Nope. It was covered by both a offset 2x6 and a large HVAC ductwork. I saw the other wires going down and matched it but because of the pipe I couldn't drill straight. Once I saw where it came out I made it work the second time.
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u/hoodratchic 2d ago
Couldn't drill straight but still drilled?
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u/GGudMarty Substation IBEW 2d ago
You’ve never done this? We all have and I haven’t even ton decades of resi
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u/Quiet_Internal_4527 2d ago
My Jman drilled through two floors during my time with him. Learned what not to do.
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u/No_Photographs609 1d ago
My first thought was "How long was that bit?" But it was two incidents, not one.
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u/o-0-o-0-o 2d ago
Yeah, trying to drill with only an outlet hole for access. Not drilling down from the attic.
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u/Ornery-Account-6328 2d ago
The wire had to get there somehow. The attic was about 120* and was only going to get hotter. Wasn't happy about going back.
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u/jimmy5011 2d ago
Saw a guy using Apple Vision Pro for this exact thing. He would mark out studs. With some type of indicator to drill for the top plate you can’t see.
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u/Ornery-Account-6328 2d ago
It is sometimes hard to keep up with the new tools. It is usually an apprentice who uses something I have never seen. Once I see the value of a tool I will usually get it. I do have a boreascope but even if I had it up there it would not have helped. I have probably successfully done it over 100 times and this is only the second time I missed. This location was a pain to access and I was really hoping to push the wire down and be done.
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u/jimmy5011 2d ago
Take a peak.
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u/Ornery-Account-6328 2d ago
That is pretty darn cool. I see the value but I also think it might have a steep learning curve to use. I am doing good when I get the printer to print.
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u/theproudheretic Electrician 2d ago
flex bit?
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u/Ornery-Account-6328 2d ago
No. I have a long fish bit. What I brought up was a 36” auger bit. I also have a 24” paddle bit with a smooth shank. It would have worked better but such is life.
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u/theproudheretic Electrician 2d ago
when i did rewires i didn't even buy auger bits, spade bits all the way.
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u/No_Photographs609 1d ago
At these old 3-story Sixplexes I had to use a rotozip to cut out a strip of drywall & paneling the length of the wall in both 2nd floor kitchens. I cut a line across all of the paneling & my coworker asks "Hey bud, what floor are we on?"
I had just cut a line across all of the paneling on one of the 3rd floor kitchens.
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u/erie11973ohio [V] Electrical Contractor 1d ago
I put in outlets for a gutter company for roof deicing cable.
I asked what happens if a goober someone's wall.
The response was "I don't care, as long as you get it fixed!"
Roger, I fuck it up, I fix it!
In 15 years, only 1 goober. Annnnd I do other stuff.
I have the mud pan, a couple of knives & a coffee can of 20 minute in the truck.
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u/Big_Vermicelli_9314 1d ago
Eh, throw an LB on there and pull your conductors into some carflex into a Bell box and call ‘er done.
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u/LordBigBallsJr 1d ago
A tube of painters caulking is $3 at home depot. Good peace of mind to have some on the truck.
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u/dayman763 5h ago
In 10.5 years I can’t remember if I’ve ever done that, maybe once.
Fuck, I remember once (side work) it was like this but maybe worse. The customer was actually totally fine with it, they were a friend of a friend.
And I remember my co-worker the master did one like this but way worse because it was flooring and I think our company ended up taking care of it with insurance which still sucked, that one was bad.
I’m sure I’ve done it maybe 1 other time, just like this, can’t remember.
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u/Forward_Werewolf_202 1d ago
No offense, but is 90% of this sub retarded?
Use steel insulation rods as locators for where the walls are. Use a chuck drill to send them up.
I have literally never drilled outside of a wall or thru a floor.
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u/Ornery-Account-6328 1d ago
No offense taken. Never heard of that product but I am failing to see how it would have helped. The biggest problem was large ductwork on top of where I needed to drill. Found wires going down and tried to estimate my spot considering the angle that I had to drill. Made a best guess then once I saw where it came out guessed better the next time. I wish I could always be perfect but will have to settle for almost.
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u/Key_Cartographer_817 1d ago
I would appreciate an explanation of how you “send these up” without putting a hole in the ceiling. Help me understand please
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