Ecmweb 17849 Service Secrets Talbot Pr
Ecmweb 17849 Service Secrets Talbot Pr
Ecmweb 17849 Service Secrets Talbot Pr
Ecmweb 17849 Service Secrets Talbot Pr
Ecmweb 17849 Service Secrets Talbot Pr

Think Inside the Box

Jan. 26, 2018
Why Electricians Always Must Check the Panel Box

Did you know that a single house could contain more than 100 electrical boxes inside of it? Do you know what’s in all of those boxes? I’m sure you’re saying, “Yeah, I know what’s in the boxes — wires, connectors, wires, and more wires!”

What if I told you there were hidden treasures located inside each one of those boxes? If you knew there was a $100 bill hiding in one of those boxes, would you spend the time to look inside each one? I can guarantee that if you don’t look in those boxes, you are leaving tons of money on the table. I have proven this to myself by simply taking the time to look inside each and every box.

Now, what if I told you that you could possibly save someone’s life by looking inside one of those electrical boxes? Here’s a personal story that’s definitely worth sharing with you.

In the winter of 2012, I was sent to an emergency call at yes, you guessed it, 3 a.m. It was simply a breaker tripping service call, which was causing a client’s “Spidey” senses to go off. At first glance, everything looked normal in this 2006 house and was seemingly in really good shape. The only thing that was tripping was one lonely circuit breaker. I was exhausted and very cold from being outside in the chilly weather that previous day. My nose was red and running from the cold. I almost told the client I would be back in the morning to get a fresh look, but something urged me to open up every single box on that circuit.

After an hour of intense troubleshooting and pulling my hair out, I finally found a clue. It was a box that looked like it was deformed due to heat. Once I got on the right trail, I concluded that I needed to open up the wall. When I told the client what I wanted to do, he looked at me like I had three heads. He said, “There is no way that you are cutting the wall up in my house at 4 a.m.” After a bit of back and forth, I finally convinced him that it was in his best interest that I open up that wall.

I decided to cut a large enough piece of the wall to get a good look inside. As I was pulling off the piece of sheet rock, smoke came billowing out of the wall. The homeowner was completely beside himself as I found what was burning behind the wall.

Do you remember holding a marshmallow over the fire too long as a child? Remember the way it bubbled up all big and crusty? Well, that was what we found when I removed that section of sheet rock from the wall. The wires had gotten so hot that they had melted together and were seconds away from combustion.

Once I made everything safe, I’ll never forget the look on this customer’s face when he hugged me and said, “My twin baby girls are sleeping right above this area, and because you felt the need to look in all these boxes, you may have just saved us from a house fire.”

It’s important to remember that it’s our duty to pay close attention to what’s inside all of those boxes. The work we do is very important and crucial to the safety of our clients and financial success of our business.

Here are some key points and takeaways on how to accomplish both:

1. Make sure to check the panel on every call.

2. Always give three options on the repair.

3. Think permanent solutions only.

4. Open every box on the system to verify safe operation.

5. Look for faulty manufactured wire and devices.

6. Only use the highest-grade materials for the repair.

7. Make sure your options have code updates (the codes are there for a reason).

8. Incorporate the use of a thermometer gun to measure heat on electrical devices.

9. Don’t leave that house until you are 100% sure it is electrically sound.

I think everyone at one time or another has heard the saying, “You have to think outside the box.” For some occupations and lines of business, this is wise advice. But for those of us who have decided to invest our lives in the residential electrical service trade, thinking inside the box offers a much better payoff.

Talbot is a licensed, master electrician in Georgia, where he was born and raised. He has been in the industry for 17 years and is currently the operations manager for Mister Sparky Atlanta, where he manages a team of technicians. In his spare time, he plays with his kids, volunteers, and is flipping his fourth house. He can be reached at [email protected].

About the Author

Gerald Talbot | Operations Manager

Gerald is a licensed, master electrician in Georgia, where he was born and raised. He has been in the industry for 17 years and is currently the operations manager for Mister Sparky Atlanta, where he manages a team of technicians.

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