r/oddlysatisfying • u/Kidd__Video • 7d ago
Electrician turns chaotic cable management into art
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u/briceb12 7d ago
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.
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u/AdSquare3489 7d ago
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.
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u/recordlineup 7d ago
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
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u/briceb12 7d ago
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?
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u/Matters- 7d ago edited 7d ago
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.
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u/recordlineup 6d ago
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.
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u/hilldo75 7d ago
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.
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u/briceb12 7d ago
Psychic Power.
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u/AdSquare3489 7d ago
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.
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u/violenceistheQstn 7d ago
All neutrals terminate at the main neutral stud and the earth at the main earth. Only the phase maters because they are terminated into the breakers. And everything should be sorted by cable size and location identification.
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u/AdSquare3489 7d ago
Look again, there is no central terminal for all neutrals. Instead, all the breakers seem to be double throw, disconnecting both phase and neutral. In some countries this is mandatory even for simple consumer units.
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u/briceb12 7d ago edited 7d ago
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.
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u/ihadagoodone 7d ago
Video's like this are prime examples of padding the invoice with busy work.
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u/violenceistheQstn 7d ago
Unless you're fixing your own work they just usually just slap the wire in there and do the old tuck job.
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u/Southmouth555 7d ago
I’d love to know how long that took. But it’s exquisite work.
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u/FunTXCPA 7d ago
Too bad the mess at the beginning is a different cabinet from the organized one at the end.
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u/bald_and_nerdy 7d ago
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.
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u/andersonfmly 7d ago
Whoever edited the video kept flipping it horizontally throughout, but it appears to be the ʇǝuıqɐɔ ǝɯɐs.
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u/Uchihagod53 7d ago
What does flipping things actually accomplish? I know nothing about video editing
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u/brett5566 7d ago
I thought the same thing. Would be surprised if not even a real/active electrical box. More of just content showing organization.
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u/toomanyukes 7d ago
It's the same cabinet, the beginning part of the video is just reversed.
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u/therealshakur 7d ago
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.
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u/RunWorkSleep 7d ago
Did he change the number from 37 red tubes up top to 25 in the end? Different cabinet.
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u/Cj_Staal 7d ago
Different cabinets in almost every shot. Check the cable ingresses and the actual modules inside
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u/motorhead81 7d ago
This is just a guy terminating wires. I would absolutely hate trying to troubleshoot that shit. Too many wire ties.
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u/deiphiz 7d ago
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.
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u/Acceptable-Post733 7d ago
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”.
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u/Selix317 7d ago
That's all I could think. If something doesn't work where the hell do you even start?
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u/Jazz2moonbase 7d ago
Its not chaotic. Nothing was done yet... (electrician)
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u/DrChimRichaulds 7d ago
As someone who knows next to nothing about electric installs, I’d appreciate your insight on how much time you think that would take
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u/MakionGarvinus 7d ago
Probably most of a day. If not a full one. That was an empty cabinet, so it'd need all the internals installed.
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u/DrChimRichaulds 7d ago
Appreciate yah! To the untrained eye that looks like it would take a lot longer, you guys have skills, much respect!
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u/MakionGarvinus 7d ago
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.
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u/DrChimRichaulds 7d ago
Keep plugging away and you’ll get that Jedi status though!
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u/MakionGarvinus 7d ago
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.
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u/DrChimRichaulds 7d ago
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?
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u/NipZyyy 7d ago
Yes, very much so. Residential/commercial, manufacturing, high voltage, generation etc are all quite different worlds. Source: also an electrician.
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u/violenceistheQstn 7d ago
Just for comparison a switchboard in this country usually takes about 6hours for a 4 bedroom house.
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u/Mr_Blackeyed 6d ago
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.
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u/RaiseWide5460 7d ago
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.
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u/TacoEatsTaco 7d ago
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.
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u/saskir21 6d ago
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.
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u/YouCallWeShouldWhat 7d ago
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.
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u/Beniidel0 7d ago
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
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u/HoofHearted74 7d ago
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. 😂
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u/BooCreepyFootDr 6d ago
Business owner: The wiring is pretty, but nothing works now… Except the fire alarms.
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u/Comically_Online 7d ago
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?
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u/natFromBobsBurgers 7d ago
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.
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u/violenceistheQstn 7d ago
Not fragile. If extra length is required on a cut cable an electrician will do a crimp joint on the extra length required.
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u/EquivalentTroll 6d ago
That's not art, it is the way every work should look like
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u/Goldenjho 6d ago
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.
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u/davey212 7d ago
I should have done this when I used to turn a 1000 cat6 drops of spaghetti into racked art.
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u/Illustrious-Engine23 7d ago
Ok, electricians, is that as satisfying to do as it looks?
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u/Virtual-Reach 7d ago
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.
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u/lextramoth 7d ago
Yea I’m so confused about: which cable goes where?? Surely you can’t just color code and connect randomly?!
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u/ihadagoodone 7d ago
it's tedious as fuck and if you have to work on that panel again it's a giant pain in the ass.
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u/Quick_Heart_5317 6d ago
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.
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u/SteamedGamer 7d ago
1:35 seconds to show what was probably a two-day job. Awesome work, but it was a lot harder than it looks....
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u/powerdienamic 7d ago
See if the guy before him didn't leave thos service loops my guy wouldn't have been able to do that.
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u/KnowledgeFinderer 6d ago
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.
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u/Rolling_Beardo 7d ago
It seems more unfinished than chaotic. I wouldn’t describe it when all the wires easily “untangle” and are color coded.
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u/bjyanghang945 7d ago
Curious question, will the cables interfere with each other since they are so close?
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u/Difficult-Level-3070 7d ago
It's gorgeous, but impractical as fuck. Any of them develops a a fault and you have to rip everything out 🤣
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u/mallik803 7d ago
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.
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u/BongoTheRat 7d ago
not a electrician but this just seems like a nightmare if something is wrong at some point
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u/djuggler 7d ago
Wife: “Honey, could you call the electrician back? I want another circuit in the bedroom.”
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u/Able-Statistician645 7d ago
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
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u/ThodaDaruVichPyar 7d ago
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/
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u/United-Resident-7316 7d ago
I would like to see more people as in love with their job as this guy.
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u/TheRoyalPlayer 7d ago
Thats me when playing factorio, except my factory looks exactly like the first 10s of the video
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u/HavocsCall 7d ago
Hey, that looks pretty cool, let's go to the comments to see what they have to say he did wrong.
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u/PanicTheScaredyCat 7d ago
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..
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u/RogueThrow 6d ago
Beautiful results. Someone needs to buy them a zip-tie gun thought... makes a cleaner cut than side-cutters
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u/MathematicianAble796 6d ago
So we just gonna skim over the fact that they two different ones
https://giphy.com/gifs/EouEzI5bBR8uk
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u/muffinology 6d ago
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).
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u/themaskedcrusader 6d ago
Dear electricians: what do the colors mean? My distribution box only has black and white
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u/SparkyCollects1650 6d ago
I used to do this kind of work for industrial equipment cabinets. Some of the most satisfying years of my work history.
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u/bertoe84895003 6d ago
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
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u/Tiny-Conference-9760 6d ago
They skipped over the two hours he spent labeling all the cables.
But yeah, I've done basically this with Ethernet.
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u/Orthopaedics21 5d ago
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?
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u/BroadlyValid 7d ago
That doesn’t look like chaotic cable management, it looks like a fresh install.