Vent: A simple light switch swap turned into a four hour hunt

Got called to a house in Phoenix to swap a single pole switch for a dimmer, figured it was a 20 minute job. Pulled the old switch out and found a rat's nest of three different colored wires, none of them marked, and the box was so full I could barely get my fingers in. Spent the next three and a half hours with my tester and a notepad, tracing every single wire back through the attic to figure out which one was the actual hot feed for that circuit. The homeowner just kept asking if I was 'still playing with the wires'. Anyone ever had a simple job blow up because of a previous hack job?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_taylor21d ago

Try explaining to them that the last guy's work is why the bill just tripled.

the_willow21d agoMost Upvoted

Classic. They never learn.

paigep8520d agoMost Upvoted

You're lucky @the_taylor's bill only tripled, not quadrupled for that mess.