Got called out for my sloppy panel labeling last year

Honestly, an inspector in Tacoma told me my handwriting was 'a future headache' and that I should use a label maker for every single circuit. I switched to a Brady BMP21 and now spend ten extra minutes per panel, but it's worth it. Has anyone else had a simple tip from a job site that stuck with you?

3 comments

3 Comments

rosel5011d ago

Okay but is it really that big of a deal? I get wanting it neat, but a future headache? Come on. If the writing is clear and the panel works, who cares. That extra ten minutes adds up on every job. Seems like some inspectors just need to find something to say to feel important.

rileyfox11d ago

That ten minutes saves hours down the line when someone else has to trace a wire. A messy panel is a safety check waiting to be missed.

tarajenkins3d ago

My first foreman in Spokane had a rule about wire nuts. He'd make us twist them on, then give them a sharp tug with lineman's pliers. If it came off, you did it wrong and had to redo the whole splice. Seemed like overkill until I helped fix a lighting circuit where half the joints had failed. That tug check takes two seconds and I've never had a call back for a loose connection.