Overheard a homeowner say 'wire is wire' and I had to bite my tongue

I was doing a service upgrade in a 1970s ranch last week and the owner watched me run new THHN. He said 'why not just use the old stuff, it worked fine before.' I had to explain that old aluminum wiring with brittle insulation is a fire hazard waiting to happen, not the same as modern copper. He was nice about it after I showed him a cracked piece, but it made me realize how little people know about what we actually do. Has anyone else had to politely educate a customer on basic safety stuff?

3 comments

3 Comments

lunag3013d ago

The "old stuff worked fine before" crowd is rough... I always keep a few feet of bad wire in the truck to show them what can happen. Makes the point way easier than trying to explain it.

miles_roberts13d ago

Well alright, that seems a bit dramatic. I mean, bad wire is bad wire, but how often is that really the issue in a daily driver? I've seen people chase phantom electrical problems for weeks and it turns out to be a loose ground or a bad fuse. Not saying it never happens, but carrying around a scrap piece of corroded wire like it's a murder weapon feels like overkill to me.

taylorc4013d ago

@miles_roberts it's not dramatic, it's just smart.