2 answers
edgar
Student
Joliet, Illinois
3
Questions
Updated
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what is everyday challenges for a electrician ?
what are things you go through in your daily routines that are hard to get by ? #construction
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2 answers
Ed Doudican
Electrician
10
Answers
Hernando, Florida
Updated
Ed’s Answer
It depends on what part of the project you are working on Edgar. Electricians are one of the few skilled trades that are present on the project from start to finish.
The first hurdle would be underground work, some contractors do more underground some do less but most projects require some level of underground. This consists of planning the electrical distribution system and digging trenches to place conduit in. These pipes need to come up neatly in specific spots so that they are in the right place once the concrete has been poured and the walls erected. You work out in the elements, you are exposed, you may use equipment but because plumbers and other trades are also working on the "slab" you need to do a lot of hand digging. Besides the elements, scheduling and coordination are two of the biggest problems to overcome. Modern project managers don't have as much field experience as they used to and rarely provide reasonable or realistic scheduling many times throwing different trades in together and letting them figure out how to work around each other. The final part of underground work consist of monitoring the "pour" which is the concrete floor. The dirt is compacted, the soil treated and covered with plastic and a floating wire mesh is placed to give the concrete strength. Dozens of workers walk on this dragging heavy hoses and spreading the wet concrete around with big tools and you have to make sure all the pipes you installed don't get moved.
The next phase of construction would be the walls and this is where you need to "rough in" anything you are going to put inside the wall. Look around you, is there an outlet in the wall? Is there a light switch? Is there a light? The wiring, conduit and boxes that those things need have to be put in the wall before the wall can be finished. You can imagine if a framer, or a block mason that just comes in to put up a wall is waiting on you to finish all the electrical, they are not going to be too patient. After they finish and go you have drywallers and painters waiting on you again so they can finish their jobs and move on. If you have floor boxes the same thing happens with the floor installers. You have to pull all the wiring and splice it correctly and identify it while the mill workers that install cabinets come and go. You have to work inside a ceiling that the drop down ceiling crew had to put up and could not wait for you to finish because they had to leave and go do another job. The biggest problem you will encounter in this phase of construction is that since everyone else comes and goes, when two different things don't fit in the same space you are the one called upon to move. There won't be a job where you don't redesign or move to accommodate other trades multiple times having too redo your work. When these request start to get out of hand you start insisting on "change orders" which is a fancy way of saying, I've moved it 3 times, you have to pay me "time and material" costs to move it a 4th time.
The last phase would be when you install all the equipment that runs on your electrical system, all the lights, the controls, the plugs, the environmental systems, the emergency systems, the security systems, and the convenience power systems. This is where you make everything work and troubleshoot any problems you find. The biggest obstacle you will encounter here is from the owners, most people can't envision what something will look like while it's being built but once it gets to this point they want to change a lot of things. Some things are as simple as "I would like the workstation on this wall not that wall" so you move everything over but this time you have to put it into an existing wall. Sometimes they want to change a window, a door, flooring or a ceiling but if you have anything in the way you'll have to move it.
There is a lot more, so much more that's part of an electrician's day but here's an answer for you in a nutshell.
The best part of being an electrician is that you learn a little bit about everything. A good electrician can read everyone's part of the blue prints. A good electrician learns enough about how other trades do their work to anticipate and plan for the best way to coordinate. Every general contractor bids a job out and all the sub contractors, including the electrical sub contractor, offer a price to do the job what you don't see is who has the staff skilled and experienced enough to do it the right way the first time because they know what everyone else is going to do before they even show up. No one will pay you more to do it right the first time but they will pay some other guy to do it 3 times. But this is were personal satisfaction kicks in, you don't need a trophy when you already know you're the best. Good luck Edgar.
The first hurdle would be underground work, some contractors do more underground some do less but most projects require some level of underground. This consists of planning the electrical distribution system and digging trenches to place conduit in. These pipes need to come up neatly in specific spots so that they are in the right place once the concrete has been poured and the walls erected. You work out in the elements, you are exposed, you may use equipment but because plumbers and other trades are also working on the "slab" you need to do a lot of hand digging. Besides the elements, scheduling and coordination are two of the biggest problems to overcome. Modern project managers don't have as much field experience as they used to and rarely provide reasonable or realistic scheduling many times throwing different trades in together and letting them figure out how to work around each other. The final part of underground work consist of monitoring the "pour" which is the concrete floor. The dirt is compacted, the soil treated and covered with plastic and a floating wire mesh is placed to give the concrete strength. Dozens of workers walk on this dragging heavy hoses and spreading the wet concrete around with big tools and you have to make sure all the pipes you installed don't get moved.
The next phase of construction would be the walls and this is where you need to "rough in" anything you are going to put inside the wall. Look around you, is there an outlet in the wall? Is there a light switch? Is there a light? The wiring, conduit and boxes that those things need have to be put in the wall before the wall can be finished. You can imagine if a framer, or a block mason that just comes in to put up a wall is waiting on you to finish all the electrical, they are not going to be too patient. After they finish and go you have drywallers and painters waiting on you again so they can finish their jobs and move on. If you have floor boxes the same thing happens with the floor installers. You have to pull all the wiring and splice it correctly and identify it while the mill workers that install cabinets come and go. You have to work inside a ceiling that the drop down ceiling crew had to put up and could not wait for you to finish because they had to leave and go do another job. The biggest problem you will encounter in this phase of construction is that since everyone else comes and goes, when two different things don't fit in the same space you are the one called upon to move. There won't be a job where you don't redesign or move to accommodate other trades multiple times having too redo your work. When these request start to get out of hand you start insisting on "change orders" which is a fancy way of saying, I've moved it 3 times, you have to pay me "time and material" costs to move it a 4th time.
The last phase would be when you install all the equipment that runs on your electrical system, all the lights, the controls, the plugs, the environmental systems, the emergency systems, the security systems, and the convenience power systems. This is where you make everything work and troubleshoot any problems you find. The biggest obstacle you will encounter here is from the owners, most people can't envision what something will look like while it's being built but once it gets to this point they want to change a lot of things. Some things are as simple as "I would like the workstation on this wall not that wall" so you move everything over but this time you have to put it into an existing wall. Sometimes they want to change a window, a door, flooring or a ceiling but if you have anything in the way you'll have to move it.
There is a lot more, so much more that's part of an electrician's day but here's an answer for you in a nutshell.
The best part of being an electrician is that you learn a little bit about everything. A good electrician can read everyone's part of the blue prints. A good electrician learns enough about how other trades do their work to anticipate and plan for the best way to coordinate. Every general contractor bids a job out and all the sub contractors, including the electrical sub contractor, offer a price to do the job what you don't see is who has the staff skilled and experienced enough to do it the right way the first time because they know what everyone else is going to do before they even show up. No one will pay you more to do it right the first time but they will pay some other guy to do it 3 times. But this is were personal satisfaction kicks in, you don't need a trophy when you already know you're the best. Good luck Edgar.
Roohi Afza
Project Manager
13
Answers
Karnataka, Karnataka, India
Updated
Roohi’s Answer
On a daily basis, electricians use hand tools or power tools to fix or replace equipment. They use power construction equipment, measuring devices, power tools, and testing equipment and the every day challenges for an electrician would be the following
Read technical and wiring diagrams, including blueprints.
Install systems for control and lighting systems.
Inspect electrical systems.
Troubleshoot & repair electrical malfunctions.
Learn and adhere to state & local regulations based on the national electrical code.
All the above functions are great challenges for an electrician i can think of :)
Electricians usually start their days around 7am at the “gang box”, which is a colloquial term in construction for the tool box with all of the materials needed for the project. When the electrician is called in to install the wiring for a building, the structure is usually halfway complete.
Read technical and wiring diagrams, including blueprints.
Install systems for control and lighting systems.
Inspect electrical systems.
Troubleshoot & repair electrical malfunctions.
Learn and adhere to state & local regulations based on the national electrical code.
All the above functions are great challenges for an electrician i can think of :)
Electricians usually start their days around 7am at the “gang box”, which is a colloquial term in construction for the tool box with all of the materials needed for the project. When the electrician is called in to install the wiring for a building, the structure is usually halfway complete.