Considering becoming an electrician...

[TubeGeek]

I am looking at changing careers and becoming an electrician is on the list.  Are there any electricians here that can fill me in on the reality of being an electrician and maybe offer some advice?

[supro66]

That is a tough nut to crack

You have to be in the in crowd to get any good paying jobs.

I had a neighbor who was a union electrician he was laid off more than he was working

I know about 10 electricians and I can not get any work done from the people I know, and that goes for the plumbers I know also.

I always see them in the bar when I get done work, but no one wants to get off their Aurs and work

In 2001 Boeing was laying off and giving free courses for people to get other skills

I took the Mcrosoft Computer repair course

How many computer repair people in your town or shoe repair
Bicycle repair is getting big again


MY TUBE AMP SITE
http://www.geocities.com/insp/SUPRO6420.html

[RicharD]

I am a Master Electrician.  I've been in the trade for 20+ years.  It's decent work, but not a "get rich quick" kind of job.  The basic minimum time line is as follows:
Must be able to prove 2 years experience to test for a RJ license (restricted residential journeyman)
Must be able to prove 4 years experience to test for a UJ license (unrestricted commercial journeyman)
Must be able to prove 6 years experience to test for a Master's License
This may vary depending on your local authority having jurisdiction.  Here in Texas, we just went to state wide licensing and it's basically what I listed above except they look at total hours, you must have held an apprentice card the whole time, you have to provide employment records, etc.  Gone are the days when you could make up a fake letterhead to falsely prove time. 

In all honesty, you really need that much experience.  Granted a lot of it (install) is connect the dots, but if you're gonna ride it out as a career, you need to be able to troubleshoot.  There's a lot of different genres of electrical work.  Residential new construction is probably the easiest.  Drilling holes, nailing up boxes, pulling romex, and terminations.  Residential rewire can suck ass.  I'm doing a house right now with a low attic full of rockwool itchulation, oh... and stucco walls.  My main-stay has always been commercial finish out and retail, but that work is slipping right now due to the economic slump.  I like that because it's indoors and if you play your cards right, you can wire up the air conditioning first thang.  Right now, service work is keeping me going.  Industrial work is probably the hardest.  Cutting and threading rigid conduit and installing in a legitimate "explosion proof" manner is a real art form.  The creme de la creme is controls.  It's highly coveted work, usually by old lazy fools like me.  Basically a bunch of relays turning stuff on and off.  I did a bunch of control work for the City when I worked for them.  I fixed a public display fountain in a park that everybody else said couldn't be fixed.  I did sensing and controls for battery storage in a substation, THAT was damn interesting.  Of course lineman work is pretty cool if you aren't afraid of heights and KV.

The work itself can be fun, but it can be brutal too.  Attic time is unavoidable.  There's the occasional ditch digging too.  Something you really want to consider as a geetar player is the fact that electrical work is hard on your paws.  Twisting wire nuts is counter-productive to fingering guitar strings.  You will bust knuckles from time to time.  It is physically demanding and you'll feel like you live on a ladder. All in all, it's decent work though.  Sure beats plumbing IMO.

If you have any specific questions, PM me.  I'll be happy to chat about it.

-Richard

[supro66]

I agree with Mr. Butter

This job you have to start young and live with Mom and Dad to get started.

Before I would send a kid to collage I would buy them an 18 Wheeler


PS and let the little brat get their own GUITAR

[Dynaflow]

 Although not an electrician, I worked at my Godfathers electrical firm he owned. They did all kinds of stuff, commercial, residential etc, but mostly commercial new builds. I was a material handler to a family business which sucked because what Frank my Godfather told me to take to the job was not what Sammy his younger brother wanted to use. He'd send me to get something else new from a local supplier and then I'd get chewed on from my Godfather for buying it. I was in a bad position. That said I was standing on a pallet three stories up throwing rolls of big copper wire rolls to be pulled on a long run back to another building under ground pipe etc. The actual pulling was a mess, yellow funky lube on the cable with a rope pulling it with a winch setup on the other end to a main panel. Lots of digging when they first laid they're underground pipe. They were paid ok, had to take 1 day a week off (or was it every 2 weeks can't recall), they'd get there early and come back by 6 so it was a long day and some of the cats were pretty damn cranky old guys who I just could not make happy no matter what I did. I quit after a year, but I got to see what these guys are talking about (residential attics in the summer in Sacramento when its 105 ain't pretty) and it seemed most of the business was father/son, send the son off to another firm for they're apprenticeship which they'd do for 2-4 years. My Godfather lived pretty well, had a big italian family but out in the trenches where he didn't work anymore it could be pretty brutal.

Regards,
Dyna

[TubeGeek]

Thank you for the responses, they really have shed a light on being an electrician.

Butterylicious...as a master electrician, are you someone that a rookie can apprentice with?

[RicharD]

Absolutely.  I've trained a lot of electricians.  You have to have a master's license to pull permits.  In Texas, you also have to have a contractor's license, as well as insurance and a bond.  I've had my own company for 10 years this December.  I managed of company of 50 electricians before that.

If you do get into the trade, get a copy of "Designing Electrical Systems" by Joseph Stallcup (sp?).  It's a very good book with lots of illustrations, examples, and applicable formulas.  Mike Holt has written several good books too.

[PRR]

>  get a copy of "Designing Electrical Systems" by Joseph Stallcup

 http://www.codebookcity.com/coderesources/nec/stallcup.htm

Stallcups Electric Design Book 2005 by James G. Stallcup (Paperback - April 19, 2006).
Designing Electrical Systems: Based on the 1993 NEC by James G. Stallcup (Paperback - August 1993).

[RicharD]

Looks like that particular Stallcup book is quite dated.  It's been so long, I thought the guys name was Joe.  93 was about when I UJ'ed.  I lived out of that book.  I mastered in late 96.  I haven't bought an electrical book besides a NEC Code book since.  I do however take an annual code update course to keep me fresh on all this new fangled AFCI stuff etc.  I'd bet any of his current books are as well put together.

You gotta study from something current because they update the NEC every three years.  It's changed a lot over the past couple of editions.  There are new articles such as the a fore mentioned "arc fault circuit interrupter."  A couple of books back, they moved a bunch of tables around which still drives me bonkers.   

[PRR]

> that particular Stallcup book is quite dated

Electrons are immortal. They do not bend to the winds of fashion. Good electric design IS good electric design.

But of course you must bend with the winds of fashion. Do your basic design, paper-build it with currently available parts, then verify point-by-point against your current NEC.

Stallcup is apparently still very active. This seems to be the updated Designing Electrical Systems:

Stallcups Electric Design Book 2005 - 768 pages 3.8 pounds - List Price: $84.95
Updated for the 2005 NEC ®, the industry's most comprehensive guide to electrical design is a "must!" The best practices for electrical design have changed along with the National Electrical Code ® . Get up-to-date with the new edition of Stallcup's acclaimed reference, which explains use of the 2005 NEC in the design and installation of wiring systems and equipment. New coverage in the field's most-used design guide includes: Electrical systems over 600 volts, adjustable-speed drives, and motor control centers Updates relating to Article 250:Grounding Changes reflecting the renumbering of Article 220: Branch-Circuit, Feeder, and Service Calculations; and of provisions for Hazardous (Classified) Locations Stallcup's discusses and explains NEC rules and provides authoritative Code references. Over 1,100 illustrations, design tips, examples, and updated sample calcs boost your proficiency in Code applications. The easy-to-read text points out common problems and shows in detail the proper techniques to use for NEC compliance. "Rule of thumb" methods help contractors, engineers, and inspectors find fast, approximate design answers. The Electrical Design Book also addresses other NFPA and IEEE standards relating to special areas. Measure your progress with the numerous quizzes and exams. Instructor's Guide, with complete step-by-step answers, sold separately.

[duke of earl]

The field is flooded with electricians and they can't make decent money as a result. I am a HVAC service tech that works on equipment that incorporates High voltage, control circuits, plc, and ddc. The money and bennies are much better the what sparkey is getting and there is a major shortage of good commercial service techs in the trade because you have to know so much to service the systems.

[supro66]

The field is flooded with electricians and they can't make decent money as a result. I am a HVAC service tech that works on equipment that incorporates High voltage, control circuits, plc, and ddc. The money and bennies are much better the what sparkey is getting and there is a major shortage of good commercial service techs in the trade because you have to know so much to service the systems.

Have you ever tried to get an electrican come to you home to do some wiring
or a plumber

You think they are Brain surgeons always so busy I see them at the bar at 1:00 PM

Try to get a repair man for your amp they are at the bars also better to take you amp to the bar say at 2:00 AM  ;D

[Pappie]

Hey,

I'm from the eastern shore of Maryland, and I got a job as an electrician over 4 years ago.
I went to night school for 3 years and had 1 year to go to be a journeyman.
Last year as a labor day bonus I was laid off, didn't have cash to spend for last year of school, now
sitting on my butt, looking for work, none to be had anywhere near home.
Oh, I'm a late starter, I'm 49 now! ???

I have learned a lot about Fender amps since I've been home, ready to start a Plexi any day now! 8)

I had to leave my job of 26 years in purchasing for a big poultry company, they were relocating!

I will work on things for close friends or family for free, as long as no money or compensation is involved then you're not at fault!
Around here if they can't find the cause of a fire, then it's blamed on electrical!!!

Pappie
   

[duke of earl]

Hey Pappie,

You don't live too far from me. I live around Norfolk, Va. just a couple hours from you. I am so swamped with work right now I can't get ahead. You gotta come on over to commercial hvac and make some serious money. I made about 90,000 one year with overtime and side work.

[Ritchie200]

Mike Holt has written several good books too.

Mike Holt - great stuff, great delivery.

Jim

[RicharD]

Mike Holt has written several good books too.

Mike Holt - great stuff, great delivery.

Jim

Agreed.  I've watched a couple of his videos at code update classes.  Every electrician should at least be required to watch his grounding video.

[panhead]

I have two years of EE and a physics degree, and have been designing control systems for the past 20 years, and electricians install the stuff I design. Thay make as much money or more than I do. This is in an industrial environment. The downside is that a lot of electricians' work is in commercial building, and that's hurting right now (so is industrial, but not as bad). I know a few IBEW guys going down to the union hall every week to see if they can get on any jobs. Still, I don't have kids, but if I had a son or daughter that was considering college for engineering, I wouldn't be disappointed if they apprenticed and became licensed electricians. Engineering is dependent on manufacturing, and we've all seen where that went (China), but, as PRR said, "electrons are immortal". There will always be a need to service existing electrical installations. In short, it's not a bad choice.

[bnwitt]

In the last three months I have moved into the photovoltaic(PV) business.  In California it requires a C10 (electrician) license or a C46 (solar) license to perform the work.  If our current government doesn't totally trash the economy, solar energy will be very big over the next few years due to an influx of federal money(yours and mine).  Without local and federal rebate programs, photovoltaic takes 20 or more years to pay back.  So, your local rebates play a big part in the viability of the job in your area.  If you are thinking about being and electrician this may be an area to find work.  A website that shows available rebates for each state is at this link:

http://www.dsireusa.org/

This (like most construction industries) is a business heavily dependent on available financing.  We all know money is tight right now but hopefully it will loosen up soon.  The commercial market for PV has great potential as the Federal money is in the form of a grant( a check in hand) as opposed to a tax credit for individuals.  This federal rebate is available in all states.  As of January 1, 2009 the maximum of $2,000 federal rebate was removed and now the fed pays 30% of the cost with no maximum.  Still, state and local rebates are needed to make ROI attractive to a buyer.

For more general information on renewable energy see:

http://www.homepower.com/home/