Rant: Hit my 500th residential install this morning and got an unwelcome surprise

I finally cracked 500 residential alarm installs after 6 years in the business. That's a lot of basements and awkward attics (my back feels every one of them). But what got me was the sheer number of times I've had to fix someone else's hack job from cheap handyman companies. Today's job had a panel mounted upside down and wires just twisted together with tape. Has anyone else kept a count like this and felt more annoyed than proud?

2 comments

2 Comments

casey39322d ago

500 upside down panels? That's just impressive, like they wanted the wires to work upside down too. At least it's a free upgrade to "custom" installation.

wright.kevin22d ago

That "free upgrade to custom installation" line got me thinking. Yeah, it's like they're running a special on "extra spicy" wiring where you get to play detective figuring out which twisted tape mess goes where. I had one where they used literal duct tape and said "that's what the pros use." The worst part was the wire colors didn't match anything either, so it was like reading a colorblind person's treasure map. You could probably make a drinking game out of it - take a shot every time you find a handyman special where the panel is held in by hopes and prayers. At least the upside down panels are consistent, right?