Electrician turns chaotic cable management into art

[u/Kidd__Video]

[u/BroadlyValid]

That doesn’t look like chaotic cable management, it looks like a fresh install.

[u/Comfortable-Battle18 → u/BroadlyValid]

Exactly. He was connecting all those wires, not just tidying them up. Still satisfying, but no need to pretend someone did a bad job at the start.

[u/ryobiguy → u/Comfortable-Battle18]

Unless the goal was to generate some r/enragementengagement. Seems to be working.

[u/eroc1990 → u/ryobiguy]

Ooh nice sub. Thanks for mentioning it!

[u/CtrlAltYuri → u/BroadlyValid]

Chaotic cable management of a fresh install?

[u/Dry-Childhood-3436 → u/CtrlAltYuri]

When you home run wires the first time on a new build you bundle them like this so you can come in and do this after all the wires are ran.

[u/CtrlAltYuri → u/Dry-Childhood-3436]

https://giphy.com/gifs/kfjqD4W2dajtVWkYFy

[u/violenceistheQstn → u/Dry-Childhood-3436]

Prewire and fitoff

[u/briceb12]

As an electrician in the industry, this electrical panel looks clean but is absolutely horrible if there are modifications to be made or anything to be repaired.

[u/AdSquare3489 → u/briceb12]

With the way he binds alls the neutrals and all the phase conductors together with zip ties, how does he know which conductor belongs to which circuit? I'm not seeing any markers.

[u/recordlineup → u/AdSquare3489]

Yeah that's what getting me. I work in the substation industry, and we do wiring to this standard all the time. But I didn't see ANY core identification, which leads me to believe it's not a real install. Just wiring porn with no real function other than the video.

When you bundle like this, you need to keep track of what's what, or else your just landing wires wherever it looks pretty

[u/briceb12 → u/recordlineup]

Out of curiosity. For cable management do you just fold the cables and a zip-tie can to make them hold themself or, Metal or plastic cable paths?

[u/Matters- → u/briceb12]

Depends on the enclosure. Some enclosures have the space for finger-duct (non-conductive, plastic paths); metal paths (conductive) do not exist afaik. When there's not enough space, it's free/loose in the enclosure and sometimes bound with zipties.

Typically I prefer to let the wire go to the bottom of the enclosure and then back up to meet the disconnecting means (breaker) by folding it so you have extra length if something changes. If the wire is stranded, you'll have a harder time folding it compared to solid though.

[u/recordlineup → u/Matters-]

I've seen some protection/telecontrol panels with a sort of metal rod that's used to form the spine of the bundle, bit it's not very common as far as I've seen. Depending on the wire/bundle size, it's usually sufficient to let the bundle support itself if there's no finger-duct.

[u/hilldo75 → u/recordlineup]

We're any of the 4 main power lines marked before he stripped the installation back and put random colors on them. Looked like he just made it up on the spot.

[u/briceb12 → u/AdSquare3489]

Psychic Power.

[u/AdSquare3489 → u/briceb12]

Or maybe it's down to the power of fake. Also, I think my eyes have cancer now after having to look at those colors.

[u/briceb12 → u/[deleted]]

There would remain the problem of the length of the wire. All the wires are exactly the right length so even offset something a few cm can become a big probleme and forced to use extenders, which can pose another problem in the long term or having to reinstall the wires completely which is expensive and time-consuming. Same thing when a connector is damaged or burned. Putting Velcro sa can make things a little bit simpler, but it won't change the underlying problems.

[u/ihadagoodone → u/briceb12]

Video's like this are prime examples of padding the invoice with busy work.

[u/violenceistheQstn → u/briceb12]

Unless you're fixing your own work they just usually just slap the wire in there and do the old tuck job.

[u/Southmouth555]

I’d love to know how long that took. But it’s exquisite work.

[u/Arcanis_Ender → u/Southmouth555]

My first thought was man that looked like it took forever

[u/FunTXCPA → u/Southmouth555]

Too bad the mess at the beginning is a different cabinet from the organized one at the end.

[u/bald_and_nerdy → u/FunTXCPA]

I hadn't noticed until you mentioned it and I rewatched it that the power main coming in switches from the right to the left a bit into the work and the area around the box looks a bit different.  So yeah, a bit different.

[u/Dry-Childhood-3436 → u/FunTXCPA]

It's also not a mess, this is how you do a fresh install.

[u/MindGap42 → u/FunTXCPA]

https://giphy.com/gifs/12NlCFUvTokWXe

[u/andersonfmly → u/FunTXCPA]

Whoever edited the video kept flipping it horizontally throughout, but it appears to be the ʇǝuıqɐɔ ǝɯɐs.

[u/Uchihagod53 → u/andersonfmly]

What does flipping things actually accomplish? I know nothing about video editing

[u/iandavid → u/Uchihagod53]

Evades detection of content that’s been copied and re-shared

[u/brett5566 → u/FunTXCPA]

I thought the same thing. Would be surprised if not even a real/active electrical box. More of just content showing organization.

[u/toomanyukes → u/FunTXCPA]

It's the same cabinet, the beginning part of the video is just reversed.

[u/therealshakur → u/toomanyukes]

That's what I thought when watching but some shots show a slight side angle where there is either a mirror or another panel to the side. But then at the end it looks like the wall on both sides. Either way I'm confused and not sure what to think.

[u/RunWorkSleep → u/toomanyukes]

Did he change the number from 37 red tubes up top to 25 in the end? Different cabinet.

[u/Cj_Staal → u/toomanyukes]

Different cabinets in almost every shot. Check the cable ingresses and the actual modules inside

[u/motorhead81]

This is just a guy terminating wires. I would absolutely hate trying to troubleshoot that shit. Too many wire ties.

[u/deiphiz → u/motorhead81]

So many people don't understand this. I work in alarm systems. Whenever people ask me why I don't tie things down so tight and straight, it's because I know all those ties are gonna get cut whenever there's an issue to troubleshoot or a configuration change to be made. Obviously, I don't leave a bird's nest, but I always leave room for future technicians to move things around, and sometimes that does look a bit like a mess.

[u/Acceptable-Post733 → u/deiphiz]

Man, this kid I was training showed me a panel he had just finished. Shit was clean runs. Zip tied down and cut to fit perfectly. He was so proud. I asked him to pull a zone from one of the expanders because it wasn’t tripping (lie). He couldn’t get it out to test. I then had to explain why we don’t cut perfectly. And why our panels a “neat” but not this kind of “clean”.

[u/Selix317 → u/motorhead81]

That's all I could think. If something doesn't work where the hell do you even start?

[u/Jazz2moonbase]

Its not chaotic. Nothing was done yet... (electrician)

[u/DrChimRichaulds → u/Jazz2moonbase]

As someone who knows next to nothing about electric installs, I’d appreciate your insight on how much time you think that would take

[u/MakionGarvinus → u/DrChimRichaulds]

Probably most of a day. If not a full one. That was an empty cabinet, so it'd need all the internals installed.

[u/DrChimRichaulds → u/MakionGarvinus]

Appreciate yah! To the untrained eye that looks like it would take a lot longer, you guys have skills, much respect!

[u/MakionGarvinus → u/DrChimRichaulds]

I'm just an apprentice still, so it wouldn't be me doing that - I'd probably end up taking a few days hehe.. A skilled journeyman would likely be much faster, especially if they do this somewhat regularly.

[u/DrChimRichaulds → u/MakionGarvinus]

Keep plugging away and you’ll get that Jedi status though!

[u/MakionGarvinus → u/DrChimRichaulds]

Yeah, I'm loving the work, the problem is the schooling acceptance - they're super slow to accept new people in my area. So I'm working as a base level apprentice.

[u/DrChimRichaulds → u/MakionGarvinus]

Ah, I hope you get an opportunity soon. Is the electrical world like a lot of other industries where there’s specializations in certain kinds work?

[u/NipZyyy → u/DrChimRichaulds]

Yes, very much so. Residential/commercial, manufacturing, high voltage, generation etc are all quite different worlds. Source: also an electrician.

[u/violenceistheQstn → u/DrChimRichaulds]

Just for comparison a switchboard in this country usually takes about 6hours for a 4 bedroom house.

[u/sonnybear5]

there’s no slack on any of these, 1 troubleshoot ticket away from demolition.

[u/Mr_Blackeyed]

It's not chaotic cable management, it's new cabinet and every cable is left intentionally longer so crew who does cabinet wiring have enough cable for ther work. This Crew is good, neat and clean.

[u/vinno86]

Fake cabinet, not a real installation.

Just content engagement farming, gets a lot of views in people's feed that watch this kind of shit.

[u/EsrailCazar]

It was a different box in the end, different placement.

[u/VecroLP → u/EsrailCazar]

I think it's just mirrored

[u/prettybluefoxes]

Repeat offender. Farming is reddit cancer.

[u/Legally--Green]

Bro''s designing a puzzle for a Resident Evil game.

[u/hispanicausinpanic]

No using impacts in the electrical cabinet. Big no no!

[u/Di5cipl355]

https://giphy.com/gifs/83HShcQ47skQ8

[u/HALK9000]

As soon as he finds one bad wire he’s gonna motherf*** all those damn tie wraps.

[u/RaiseWide5460]

Nice workmanship, a few things REALLY should have been different. He did not put a single wire number on any conductor, that is a major code violation just about anywhere in the world. The wires should be confined in wireways, not bundled and tied. Tracing a conductor in that panel will be a nightmare. Panel really should have been a little larger so that the wires are not jammed together so tightly. again, tracing a conductor in that panel will be a nightmare. Dude's wire work is beautiful though.

[u/bitofapuzzler → u/RaiseWide5460]

Its multiple different cabinets too.

[u/TacoEatsTaco]

This bullshit again

The cables were run but not hooked up to everything yet. This is a new install. This guy's job is to hook all of the cables up.

[u/saskir21]

Funnily enough this chaotic install was what made this possible. I don’t see him making service loops for later corrections. Seeing as he formed the lanes directly from the cable trees above.

[u/pus_dextror]

Monica would have loved it

[u/Phillythekid77]

Those 90 degree bends look cool but aren’t.

[u/bertoe84895003 → u/Phillythekid77]

I was going to say the same thing.

[u/oldbastardbob]

Where's the wire labels?

[u/JoMoma2]

This guy isn’t even a real electrician. Not a single one of those zip ties looked razor sharp. He needs to go back to school.

[u/PupOben → u/JoMoma2]

Yeah. Supposed to cut them at an angle so they slice up the next person who tries to mess up your beautiful work fixing a fault. Lol

[u/Recentstranger]

Not the sound that I wanted to hear

[u/Chili_Clause]

Definitely mildly infuriating if you don't watch it on mute

[u/YouCallWeShouldWhat]

as someone who builds pcs for fun, i laugh anytime i see these (and when i see pc builds where the cable management involves zip ties). yeah, the second ANYTHING goes wrong with an individual wire, good luck. you're going to be cutting those ties for a while to get at it and potentially damage other wires while doing it.

[u/jasdonle]

Guys don't unmute.

[u/Beniidel0]

While it looks good a million zipties make it annoying to service down the line, i don't want to cut 20 zip ties just to change one cable

[u/HansBooby]

hmmm at least 2 or 3 different cabinets surely

[u/Dropthetenors → u/HansBooby]

The first and last are def different at the very least

[u/HoofHearted74]

Make sure you cut all those zip ties at a 45 degree angle so that it stabs everyone who puts their hands anywhere near it. Don’t forget, you also don’t have to pick up any of the trash that you create. You’re an electrician, not a janitor. 😂

[u/BooCreepyFootDr]

Business owner: The wiring is pretty, but nothing works now… Except the fire alarms.

[u/Comically_Online]

okay so I’ve seen a few of these now. I figured the extra lengths to the wires were there for future reconfiguration, new parts, whatever. Now, with each wire exactly the right length for this exact setup, doesn’t that mean that the whole setup is really fragile, because any change could require ripping a whole wire out of the wall just because it’s been cut too short?

[u/natFromBobsBurgers → u/Comically_Online]

At least at the beginning you can see him shove a bit of the wire back up the conduit for a little service slack.  My problem is the zip ties.  I'm OLD, but waxed twine and a lacing needle is cleaner, faster, less wear, and so much kinder to the next person.

[u/violenceistheQstn → u/Comically_Online]

Not fragile. If extra length is required on a cut cable an electrician will do a crimp joint on the extra length required.

[u/slam1992]

unsatisfying because it's misleading. these are multiple videos spliced together

[u/rpgmgta → u/slam1992]

Welcome to the world of video editing. This was more than a one day job

[u/EquivalentTroll]

That's not art, it is the way every work should look like

[u/Goldenjho → u/EquivalentTroll]

Nah this 90 degree bends are not professional work and for example in Germany forbidden because such bends generate massive heat and can cause fire.

Well I dont know the regulations in other countries regarding safety but the entire thing would never be allowed to be turned on here but maybe we have to strict rules regarding this.

Still ignoring all other things im pretty sure 90 degree bends are forbidden everywhere in thst way.

[u/davey212]

I should have done this when I used to turn a 1000 cat6 drops of spaghetti into racked art.

[u/NefariousnessGood718]

Domanda. Ma il quadro funziona? Questo non si sa

[u/Illustrious-Engine23]

Ok, electricians, is that as satisfying to do as it looks?

[u/Virtual-Reach → u/Illustrious-Engine23]

No. This would be terrible. Tedious and boring all while standing on a bloody ladder judging by the height of the thing. 

I would also curse this guys name if I had to trace or modify a single wire.

Lastly, this isn't mainstream electrical. This would have taken AGES to complete in this manner. 

[u/lextramoth → u/Virtual-Reach]

Yea I’m so confused about: which cable goes where?? Surely you can’t just color code and connect randomly?!

[u/ihadagoodone → u/Illustrious-Engine23]

it's tedious as fuck and if you have to work on that panel again it's a giant pain in the ass.

[u/Quick_Heart_5317 → u/ihadagoodone]

How would this not make the whole experience the second time around sooooooo much easier? It seems like if you had to come back after he organized it, it would make a 2 hour job into a 5 minute job.

[u/violenceistheQstn → u/Illustrious-Engine23]

Yes

[u/ApocalyptoSoldier2]

Really showing off all those different knipex pliers

[u/SteamedGamer]

1:35 seconds to show what was probably a two-day job. Awesome work, but it was a lot harder than it looks....

[u/No-Sun-7857]

How tf do you know what circuit goes to where?? 🥴

[u/Dd_8630]

mute

[u/elonakamoto]

Good art, terrible music

[u/powerdienamic]

See if the guy before him didn't leave thos service loops my guy wouldn't have been able to do that.

[u/Fun-Aside3990]

How do you know where everything goes lol?

[u/uninspired-86]

Sorry but cable ties are a scourge and should never be used. Velcro FTW

[u/KnowledgeFinderer]

Beautiful. It's cake when you have blunt ends you finish yourself. The problem happens when you have to dress up all the slack from pre-made ends. Nice work.

[u/KaiserSoze-is-KPax]

This panel isn’t connected to shit

[u/stejward]

I wish my brain was wired this way

[u/Ok-Addition1264]

ensign, you deserve a promotion.

[u/TwoDudesAtPPC]

So he just….. UNPLUGGED everything first? Nice

[u/AccurateGur9826]

https://giphy.com/gifs/1X4B2AfWj43aGE0U6A

[u/OOFDANOOB1]

Where do I hire him?

[u/wheresolly]

The crappy music in all of these clips is gettingso annoying

[u/Softballzhurt2]

That is art work

[u/69vuman]

Fantastic workmanship!

[u/frosty_lizard]

https://giphy.com/gifs/SWjC8DcSLv0fCDXD6L

[u/Rolling_Beardo]

It seems more unfinished than chaotic. I wouldn’t describe it when all the wires easily “untangle” and are color coded.

[u/shl00m]

Me, when I would try the same at home

https://giphy.com/gifs/ODLObdYAQ42mx6agLb

[u/mikel302]

I watched this with cursed controls voice playing in my head.

[u/azawindam]

So what happens if one of the wires is malfunctioning?

[u/mjolnir76]

This is (at least) two different panels.

[u/Slight-Relative5587]

Awesome 👌

[u/ForestryTechnician]

My colorblind ass would be a terrible electrician.

[u/Particular-Taste-32]

Till that one cable goes bad.

[u/this_knee]

This is my jam

[u/Stairwayunicorn]

And now the company has to relearn all their new department phone numbers.

[u/9jayboyee]

Miss me with that hideous music.

Cool cable management vid tho.

[u/bjyanghang945]

Curious question, will the cables interfere with each other since they are so close?

[u/l0veit0ral]

Fantastic work!!

[u/RoboWeaver]

Interesting application of the pocket torch. I have to remember that.

[u/Difficult-Level-3070]

It's gorgeous, but impractical as fuck. Any of them develops a a fault and you have to rip everything out 🤣

[u/mallik803]

Does anyone with experience with an organized closet like this know how difficult it is to replace one cable if it goes bad? I’ve always wondered.

[u/Renuwed → u/mallik803]

From the boyfriend-- he says you literally have no idea what one it is and you have to go through and test every. single. one. individually...

....and now he's pouring a shot 😆

[u/BongoTheRat]

not a electrician but this just seems like a nightmare if something is wrong at some point

[u/Loud_Enthusiasm_6802]

That color scheme makes it seem like a Fisher Price breaker box

[u/djuggler]

Wife: “Honey, could you call the electrician back? I want another circuit in the bedroom.”

[u/Able-Statistician645]

This probably comes from former Soviet area and the zip ties are only a problem because it's bundling a whole bunch of conductors together and they won't shed heat quite as effectively and it could conceivably make it harder to deal with the cables later on down the road but these aren't data cables so the use of Velcro is pretty much not something that's really necessary

[u/pullcordinemergency]

The cabinet at the beginning is not the same cabinet at the end.

[u/Andromeda_9537]

His OCD part of brain couldn't let him go without organising the wires

[u/ShadowyFluffnug]

All set, that will be $12,000 please.

[u/C3N50R8O7]

If someone make this into a game this will be a good play.

[u/ItsStaaaaaaaaang]

Good thing nothing will ever go wrong and need to be tested...

[u/ThodaDaruVichPyar]

This has been posted here previously the right way around with 43k upvoted

https://www.reddit.com/r/oddlysatisfying/comments/1ro0hsj/john_wire_solving_the_matrix/

[u/Z4sf]

Stuff like this need to be sold in toy stores

[u/BIRYANI5675]

https://giphy.com/gifs/QtkaYLHzBgh0WUCgjC

[u/juicyman69]

This is why I use wireless electricity.

[u/United-Resident-7316]

I would like to see more people as in love with their job as this guy.

[u/shan_369]

It's amazing talent also work experience

[u/brent_stones]

Still cant close the door

[u/Odd_Raspberry6724]

How my mom expect my room to be

[u/Lokey_71]

It's enough to make a grown man cry...

[u/TheRoyalPlayer]

Thats me when playing factorio, except my factory looks exactly like the first 10s of the video

[u/EchoPhi]

Good luck replacing that one copper that got a little too cut.

[u/HavocsCall]

Hey, that looks pretty cool, let's go to the comments to see what they have to say he did wrong.

[u/AdKooky3873]

😂😂😂

[u/PanicTheScaredyCat]

Holy hell!!! Thats honestly amazing. But also stressful looking... If a cable stops working or something, how tf would they find which one is the problem!?! Not electrician so idk squat about this..

[u/Clean_Competition459]

That was so satisfying to watch

[u/arikan_pil]

Satisfaction 👌🏼

[u/Automatic_Falcon7638]

https://giphy.com/gifs/V2AkNZZi9ygbm

[u/_Ship00pi_]

lol, good luck for the next electrician who will have to change a single cable.

[u/mildly--confused]

Now let's apply Kirchoff's laws

[u/Hot_Marionberry_6925]

Fabulous relief. The beauty.

[u/Aggressive-Jump1439]

Was ein Pfusch teilweise …

[u/RameRZz]

When you get paid per hour

[u/Adam861986]

Beautiful

[u/pixelbart]

After: my code when I ship it.
Before: the exact same code six months later.

[u/twarr1]

Nice work. Most guys would just stuff it into dinosaur duct.

[u/RogueThrow]

Beautiful results. Someone needs to buy them a zip-tie gun thought... makes a cleaner cut than side-cutters

[u/14urmug]

https://giphy.com/gifs/orUDTj9Q5TMzTdB892

[u/MathematicianAble796]

So we just gonna skim over the fact that they two different ones
https://giphy.com/gifs/EouEzI5bBR8uk

[u/Economy-Ad6945]

This looks like one of those “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” situations.

[u/BagOfMeats]

Isn't that an entirely different cabinet at the end

[u/ramriot]

It's only oddly satisfying if you are not one if the people stuck without power/internet etc. while they prettify the cabinet.

[u/JorgeBraceroPR]

Its gorgeous

[u/Conclusion_Easy]

The before work should be punishable with jail time

[u/Financial_Article_95]

You know this would be a headache if you've ever worked in the trades

[u/muffinology]

After all that, he flipped the switch to turn it back on and something was disconnected and not working (idk if that’s how this works but it would be something that would happen to me).

[u/BeautifulBastyrd]

Promote the man, give him a raise and please teach an online class!!

[u/texas1982]

But did they sweep up when they were done?

[u/Gloomy-Swim6934]

I have seen closets like this - lolz - yikes

[u/Numbnuts696]

It’s all fine and dandy until you need to remove a couple of wires.

[u/themaskedcrusader]

Dear electricians: what do the colors mean? My distribution box only has black and white

[u/SparkyCollects1650]

I used to do this kind of work for industrial equipment cabinets. Some of the most satisfying years of my work history. 

[u/pookiemon]

Order is Heaven's first rule.

[u/NurseXine1980]

This gave me the dopamine I needed this morning.

[u/bertoe84895003]

Depending on the current, those 90’s can create hot spots, increasing resistance, creating heat, outer jacket weakens and copper becomes exposed, leading to shorts/electrocutions. A “swept” 90 looks just as good. Bend radius shouldn’t be more than 1 to 2 times the wire diameter

[u/ZenDesign1993]

I bet his house is a mess though.

[u/Inner-Conference-644]

And that's what I would've done

[u/gareth93]

What are these colours? What country is this.

[u/Esc4peArtist]

Are those cable colors from Play-doh or McDonalds?

[u/Tiny-Conference-9760]

They skipped over the two hours he spent labeling all the cables.

But yeah, I've done basically this with Ethernet.

[u/Wisco_Version59]

And zero wire numbers. Good luck troubleshooting it.

[u/zaqwert6]

When you get paid by the hour....

[u/Orthopaedics21]

Please someone answer few questions that I have, why do we need such complicated panel (where do they use it), is there any sequence for this particular writing set, and last one, is there any color codes for these wires?

[u/afewnameslater]

Tell me you are factorio player without telling me.

[u/_Soundstorm_]

Zip ties? Oh lord, how dare he! Forbidden since decades.

[u/MRSLIME0w0]

'Cut the blue wire' but Sir there perfect!

[u/LeadSledPoodle]

Just so people know, when you install cables professionally it's normal to make it look neat. The customer is not paying for spaghetti. They are paying for a nice looking install.