How do I become an electrician?

[Marlin]

Well, in general I think sparkies have it a little easier than we plumbers do, but at least if we cut into a "hot" line, we just get wet

Well,, Come help pull the 750mcm about a 1000' by hand in a manhole when the big boss thinks that it might hurt the tugger. Then, let me know how much "easier" it is...

True story by the way...

[GreenScoutII]

Well,, Come help pull the 750mcm about a 1000' by hand in a manhole when the big boss thinks that it might hurt the tugger. Then, let me know how much "easier" it is...

True story by the way...

Ok, fair enough... I'll help you with that as soon as we get done excavating a pit about six feet across and six feet deep by hand. See, we're installing a new backwater valve to a small apartment complex and there is no access for heavy equipment where this thing has to go.

Did I mention the soil is a heavy clay that is only slightly less dense than iron? Oh, and after we install the valve, we have to use a cherry picker to drop the concrete access pit into place because, again, no access for heavy equipment...

Thats what we call a "Redneck backhoe"....

I had no idea when I started that plumbing involved so much digging...

Seriously though, I've seen you guys struggling with that heavy assed cable and it looks like it sucks....

[Irving]

I'd much rather do electrical work than plumbing. I was assisting a little plumbing a few weeks ago and I was thinking that plumbing would be the easiest job in the world.....if you were in a large, well lit, dry workshop 100% of the time. Laying around in mud under a house sucks. Kudos to you for doing it GreenScout.

[GreenScoutII]

I'd much rather do electrical work than plumbing. I was assisting a little plumbing a few weeks ago and I was thinking that plumbing would be the easiest job in the world.....if you were in a large, well lit, dry workshop 100% of the time. Laying around in mud under a house sucks. Kudos to you for doing it GreenScout.

Well thank you Irv...

Actually, new construction is seldom all that bad. Its just service work that tends to be nasty and really suck. Still though, I wouldn't trade for office work. I guess I'm a sick monkey.

[Irving]

The best part of my job at the agency so far has been painting my office and organizing the wires under my desk.

[Marlin]

Thats what we call a "Redneck backhoe"....

I had no idea when I started that plumbing involved so much digging...

Just replace plumbing with electrical...


I have one for you, Hoisting 4" GRC 70' in the air by hand.

[GreenScoutII]

I have one for you, Hoisting 4" GRC 70' in the air by hand.

Ugh... That sounds heavy.... What exactly is GRC? It sounds like it might suck as much as humping 4" cast iron 35' up on scaffolds by hand...

[Marlin]

I'd much rather do electrical work than plumbing. I was assisting a little plumbing a few weeks ago and I was thinking that plumbing would be the easiest job in the world.....if you were in a large, well lit, dry workshop 100% of the time. Laying around in mud under a house sucks. Kudos to you for doing it GreenScout.

Chances are, You'll be in the same spot as a sparkie...

[Marlin]

Ugh... That sounds heavy.... What exactly is GRC? It sounds like it might suck as much as humping 4" cast iron 35' up on scaffolds by hand...

Galvanized Ridged Conduit... I'd say roughly equvilent to the same sized cast iron..

[Marlin]

If you think you'll escape mud as a sparkie,, Here's a god one for you..

Think it was '93 or '94.. I was out working on the Kaiser building out in Aurora, I got crawlspace duty, Running lights and power, plus run 2" feeders to where they needed to go up..

I got everything layed out and was getting ready to go, when it started snowing.. The building wasn't closed in yet, so all of seemed like it ended up in the crawlspace..

Turned the crawlspace into a nice little mudhole.. They got the floors poured and the first level close in.. Funniest part about it, It turned the crawlspace into it's own self contained weather system.. There would be "fog" in the morning then "rain" in the afternoon..

Fun stuff...