My House Must Have Been Built by Idiots...

[Sp8ctre]

I think the people who wired my house were trying to piss me off! Every room has a 3 switch panel and in every room the sequence was different.

One room; Light/Fan/Outlet; next room; Fan/Light/Outlet; next room; Outlet/Fan/Light...you get the picture.

So today I re-wired them all to Light/Fan/Outlet so no matter what room I go in I get the right switch...

And you wouldn't believe some of the things I've found in the attic and dug up in the yard.

 

[tzd]

Cool mod! Maybe add a push-pull for out-of-phase?

 

[Comanche]

Someones brilliant idea after smoking a blunt while on break.

 

[So What]

How is Jimmy Page's house wired?

I'd do that.

.

 

[WaywerdSon]

I have seen some incredible stupid shit on job sites (I did kitchen/bath design for 4 years). One builder would take a set of prints, digitally copy them, take a 2500sqft floor plan and shrink it to1850sq ft. Just like zooming a copier. There were laundry rooms that you could not fit a washer/dryer in, even stacked.

Another job there was a chunk of rebar sticking up about 8 inches in the corner of the living room. The concrete guys didn't bother to cut it off, the framers ignored it and the carpet guys cut around it. To this day I have always wondered if that piece of metal was still sticking up in that corner.

 

[danohat]

Not true. I wired new homes for ten years. I roughed em and I also finished em. I always situate the switches in the most logical way. Consistently.

 

[Sp8ctre]

The wiring was run to the box by one guy.

The switches came much later, and were hooked up by another guy.

The ceiling fans were installed later by another guy. None of them cared for consistency, as long as they were hooked up and passed inspection.

Out here is SoCal I think this is the way it's done. I've seen guys on job sites and they have a large crew just doing whatever...I also don't think anyone really gives a $h!t...

 

[dave b]

And you wouldn't believe some of the things I've found in the attic and dug up in the yard.

We might.......if there were pics

 

[E1WOOD5150]

danohat-I have a question about light switches that will help my OCD...Sometimes there are 2 light switches that control the same light. In my experience, it ends up that 1 switch is "upside down." Up is off, down is on, if you get my drift. The other is "normal." Why can't these switches be wired correctly, but installed upside down, so the orientation is the same on both; up is on, down is off.

One of my kitchen lights has 2 switches, and this orientation drives me nuts.

 

[doitforvangogh]

Let's see what you've dug up in the yard!

 

[Tone deaf]

"Is that you? Mr. Hoffa?

 

[HenryHill]

The senior guy lays out the job and runs the wires, the kid comes along and staples, strips and shoves the ends into the switches.

The kid doesn't need to know what goes to what, he just strips the ends, and sticks them into one of the switches; saves the contractor higher wage rate hours.

Most people are dumb and just take what they get.

 

[kevinpaul]

You lucky bastard, you are allowed in! I get brought in at dark so I can't speak to how any thing like that works. My bosses got a big fine for working me too many hours. My days are my own. I could fix that free if you let me come in to take a look ~ see? That fire bug problem is a thing far behind me, in most states.

 

[danohat]

danohat-I have a question about light switches that will help my OCD...Sometimes there are 2 light switches that control the same light. In my experience, it ends up that 1 switch is "upside down." Up is off, down is on, if you get my drift. The other is "normal." Why can't these switches be wired correctly, but installed upside down, so the orientation is the same on both; up is on, down is off.

One of my kitchen lights has 2 switches, and this orientation drives me nuts.

Those are three way switches. There is no on or off position. It's relative to the other switch. They can be synched up but they constantly become unsynched any time you use the other.

 

[Bobby Mahogany]

I found too many times that I would have done a better job myself.
And I have no "card" in any construction field.

 

[WaywerdSon]

Those are three way switches. There is no on or off position. It's relative to the other switch. They can be synched up but they constantly become unsynched any time you use the other.

If you turn it on with one, turn it off with the same one. When they get messed up, you can fix it by doing turning on with one, turning off with the other and repeating that. Still a pain it butt, but if theres a long distance between doors, it beats trying to walk around in the dark

 

[HenryHill]

Just grab for the switch top and bottom with your fingers, if it's a 3 way switch ( 2 switches controlling one circuit) and move it the opposite direction in a quarter of a second without thinking if it's right side up or not.

The normal single switch type, I just put one finger under it to swipe it up/on, or above it to swipe it off/down.

I never give it any thought.

 

[Gloveberg]

Another job there was a chunk of rebar sticking up about 8 inches in the corner of the living room. The concrete guys didn't bother to cut it off, the framers ignored it and the carpet guys cut around it. To this day I have always wondered if that piece of metal was still sticking up in that corner.

 

[Sp8ctre]

Let's see what you've dug up in the yard!

Sorry, no pics. It was during the landscaping two years ago. There were a couple very large bones that look like they came from a cow, a whole lot of re-bar in various lengths, at least one bag of what I believe was stucco?

 

[Sp8ctre]

The senior guy lays out the job and runs the wires, the kid comes along and staples, strips and shoves the ends into the switches.

The kid doesn't need to know what goes to what, he just strips the ends, and sticks them into one of the switches; saves the contractor higher wage rate hours.

Most people are dumb and just take what they get.

That was another odd thing, some of the wires were wrapped around the screw poles and some were stuffed in the holes on the back of the switch...no consistency!