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neutral_bar_99 · electrical student · Passaic County, NJ · Oct 5
Question

What is the red switch plate at the top of my basement stairs for?

Vo-tech student, electrical, Passaic County class of '27. This is about my grandparents' house in Wayne, which I've been looking at much more carefully since I started the program. At the top of the basement stairs there's a switch with a red plate that says something like "burner emergency." My grandfather says it's for the oil burner. They converted to gas a few years ago and the boiler is new. Does that switch still do anything now? Is it supposed to stay with a gas boiler, and if so, why is it at the top of the stairs and not next to the boiler? I'm only asking out of curiosity, I'm not planning to touch it.

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oldsteam_zig
Master Plumber · 28 years · Bergen County, NJ
MB
Marcus B.
Foreman, Inside Wireman (IBEW) · 19 years · Morris County, NJ
0 replies 4 helpful
TA
TryingAllThree · Career switcher · 1 year · Middlesex County, NJ · Oct 5
Question

Rung cracked on the homeowner's old wooden ladder during my ride-along

Quick one from the electrician ride-along. Our ladder was on the other truck and the homeowner insisted we use her old wooden extension ladder from the garage. I went up first to look at a soffit light and a rung cracked under my foot. I caught myself, nothing happened. The electrician just said "that's why we don't use customer ladders" and moved on. Is that an actual rule people follow, or did he just say it because I almost fell?

1 reply 10 helpful
NJ
NorthJerseyCopper · 1st-year apprentice, UA · 1 year · Bergen County, NJ · Oct 2
Question

Long-term question: what does insurance run for a one-truck plumbing shop?

1st year in Local 24, so this is years away. idk if it's weird to ask this early. My long-term plan is to top out, get my master, and eventually run a small service shop in Bergen. Everyone says insurance is the thing that kills new shops. What kinds do you need, and roughly what does it cost? Ballpark is fine. Just planning.

3 replies 12 helpful
Kash_sing · HVAC contractor, owner · 25 years · Middlesex County, NJ · Oct 2
Tip from a pro

Before you go out on your own: what nobody tells you about year one

I get asked about this every week, so here's my list from 25 years, the last 14 running my own company: - Get your license first. As I understand NJ's rules, registering as a home improvement contractor is not the same as holding a trade license, and it doesn't let you do licensed work. Check with Consumer Affairs. - Insurance will cost more than you think, and you need it before your first job, not after. - Price for callbacks. If you don't, every callback comes out of your pocket. - Your first truck doesn't need to be new. It needs to start every morning in January. - Keep your books from day one, or pay someone who will. - Most new owners undercharge for the first two years. I did. Ask questions below, I'll answer what I can.

3 replies 28 helpful
codebook_dale · Electrical inspector (former contractor) · 26 years · Ocean County, NJ · Oct 1
Tip from a pro

Sump pumps on GFCI: what I tell homeowners after every big storm

Every big rain, I hear the same complaint: "the GFCI tripped and my basement flooded, why does code make me do this?" Here's how I explain it. Current code editions want GFCI protection on basement receptacles, and the old exception that let a single dedicated sump receptacle skip it went away several cycles back. Check which code edition is in effect for your permit, because an older install may have been legal when it went in. A GFCI that trips on a sump pump is usually telling you something. Pumps sit in water, and as they age the windings and cords leak current. That leak is exactly the thing that kills people in wet basements. So the answer I give isn't "remove the GFCI." It's: put a high-water alarm in the pit, think hard about a battery backup pump, test the GFCI and the pump before storm season, and replace a pump that keeps tripping it. Not legal advice, just how I'd look at it after too many flooded basements.

5 replies 23 helpful
Flushing.sparks · electrical student · Queens, NY · Oct 1
Question

Weekend boss pays cash and says Local 3 is a waste of five years

I asked about the Local 3 application here a while back. Update and a new question. I've been working weekends for an electrician in Ridgewood, cash. He found out I'm planning to apply and now he's offering me full time when I graduate, more cash than I'd make as a first-year apprentice he says, and he keeps telling me the union is a waste of five years. Money's good for my age. But is cash going to hurt me later? He says "nobody checks."

2 replies 7 helpful
PL
plumbguy917 · 1st-year apprentice, Plumbers · 1 year · Brooklyn, NY · Sep 30
Question

New dishwasher trips the GFCI on the dry cycle. On us or the electrician?

1st year, Local 1. Last week my journeyman had me do the water and drain on a dishwasher in a Bay Ridge apartment, the electrician did the circuit. Customer called back: it runs through wash and rinse fine, then the GFCI trips on the heated dry. Electrician says it's the appliance. Customer's blaming us because we were the last ones under there lol. Is there any way a water connection trips a GFCI, or is this not our problem?

5 replies 9 helpful
LF
LiveFrontLessons · New electrician · 1 year · Monmouth County, NJ · Sep 29
Question

failed rough-in, boss says the inspector is wrong. who do i believe

1st year out of vo-tech, working for a small shop near asbury. we failed a rough in on a bathroom remodel today. inspector wrote up "physical protection" on a couple runs where the cable goes through studs, and something about the box by the vanity being too full. boss says the inspector is being picky and he's done it this way for years. i don't want to say anything dumb but i also want to understand it. who's right edit: it was nail plates on two studs where the holes were close to the edge. boss fixed it, passed on reinspection. thanks for explaining instead of just dunking on me

4 replies 3 helpful
TA
TryingAllThree · Career switcher · 1 year · Middlesex County, NJ · Sep 29
Discussion

Ride-along update from the 40-and-undecided guy: leaning HVAC after startup day

Update from the 40-and-undecided guy. After my first round of ride-alongs I leaned electrical, but Kash said to do a second day in whatever I was least sure about, so last Saturday I went out with an HVAC shop doing boiler and furnace startups. The HVAC day was the one where I didn't check my phone once. Ten houses, every one different, and the tech explained everything while he worked. My knees were fine in the basements. An attic in August would probably be another story. For people who picked HVAC: what made you sure? And is the heat-season-then-AC-season thing as brutal as it sounds?

5 replies 31 helpful
Flushing.sparks · electrical student · Queens, NY · Sep 28
Question

Could I apply to a Jersey IBEW local instead of Local 3? Aunt lives in North Bergen

Queens kid, still in an electrical program. Local 3 is the dream but everybody knows how hard it is. My aunt lives in North Bergen and said I could stay with her after I graduate. I know jurisdiction is a "call them and ask" thing, which I will. But for the Jersey people: if I moved to Hudson County, would I just apply to whatever local covers there like anybody else? Is it dumb to move states for an apprenticeship? My foreman on weekends says I'm overthinking it. edit: not trying to skip the line anywhere, just want options.

2 replies 10 helpful
BE
benplumb79 · Apprentice plumber · 2 years · Somerset County, NJ · Sep 28
Question

Started an hours log like people said. What should actually be in it?

Sorry if this has been covered. After reading the thread on here about keeping a paper trail, I started keeping a log. Two years at my shop now, so I already feel behind. Right now it's a notebook: date, job, hours, what I did. Is that enough? Do I need my boss to sign something? Should I go back and reconstruct the last two years from my pay stubs, or is that pointless? I'd rather overdo it now than find out later it's useless. edit: I mean for a master plumber license someday, in NJ.

5 replies 10 helpful
BE
benplumb79 · Apprentice plumber · 2 years · Somerset County, NJ · Sep 28
Discussion

Update on my $21/hr question: had the review

Sorry, this is long. A while back I asked whether $21/hr was low for a 2nd-year non-union plumber near Manville. I had my review on Friday. I brought a written list of what I can do alone now: water heaters, toilets, most drain calls, two small repipes. I asked for $24 plus mileage. I got $23 and mileage at a set rate per mile, which is less than I asked for but more than I had. My boss said we'd "talk again in the spring." Is it normal to land in the middle like that, or did I leave money on the table?

5 replies 14 helpful
BE
benplumb79 · Apprentice plumber · 2 years · Somerset County, NJ · Sep 27
Question

Does a like-for-like water heater swap need a permit in NJ?

Sorry, another one from me. A customer in Manville asked us to swap a 40-gallon gas water heater, same spot, same venting. My boss said "we'll pull a permit" and she acted like we were trying to pad the bill. Her last plumber never pulled one. Is a straight swap actually permit work in NJ, or does it count as maintenance? And if it's a permit, who inspects it, the plumbing inspector or someone for the gas? I want to be able to explain it next time instead of just standing there.

7 replies 12 helpful
Kash_sing · HVAC contractor, owner · 25 years · Middlesex County, NJ · Sep 27
Discussion

I'm not hiring HVAC helpers without a 608 anymore. Fair or not?

Hiring two helpers for the heating season. This year I'm making the 608 a requirement to interview, not something we'll get to after you start. My reasons: - It's cheap and you can study for it on your own time - It shows me you'll finish something without being chased - I can send you to the supply house or put you on a recovery job on day one - The last three helpers I hired who were "planning to take it" never did I can see the other side: someone who's never been around equipment doesn't know what half the test is talking about. Tell me if I'm wrong.

15 replies 14 helpful
BE
benplumb79 · Apprentice plumber · 2 years · Somerset County, NJ · Sep 27
Question

Two years non-union in Somerset. Too late to try for the UA apprenticeship?

Sorry if this has been asked a hundred times. I posted a while back about making $21 an hour near Manville. I did ask for the review. I got fifty cents and a "we'll see in the spring." I like the work and the guys, but I keep thinking about the union apprenticeship. I'm two years in. Would I be starting over at zero? Is there any credit for time already worked, or do they not care? I'd also be risking a paycheck I count on for something I might not get. Not trying to trash my shop, they've been fair in other ways. I just want to know if this is a smart move or a step backward.

7 replies 9 helpful
LF
LiveFrontLessons · New electrician · 1 year · Monmouth County, NJ · Sep 26
Question

me and a buddy want to start an LLC doing handyman + small electrical. is HIC enough?

ok so hear me out. my buddy is a carpenter, i'm a year out of vo-tech working for an electrical shop near asbury. we want to start an LLC on the side, register as a home improvement contractor with the state, and do bathroom refreshes, decks, and the "small electrical" like fixtures, outlets, fans. he says the HIC registration covers all of it as long as it's under the LLC. is that right? and what insurance would we even need for something like that? we're not trying to do panels or anything crazy

17 replies 12 helpful
neutral_bar_99 · electrical student · Passaic County, NJ · Sep 25
Question

Saturday helper job is all carrying, and my parents want me doing SAT prep instead

I'll try to give the full picture. I'm in the electrical program at the Passaic County vo-tech, senior year. All summer and now on Saturdays I've been helping a residential electrician out of Wayne. It's mostly carrying, sweeping, holding the ladder, and the occasional Wawa run. I like it anyway, and he's a good guy. My parents want college. They say if I'm "just carrying boxes" I should quit and spend Saturdays on SAT prep instead. Part of me thinks they have a point, because I'm honestly not learning a lot of electrical yet. Is carrying boxes at 16 worth anything? Or am I wasting time I could use on school?

9 replies 8 helpful
haddad_mech · Mechanical contractor (HVAC + plumbing) · 24 years · Burlington County, NJ · Sep 25
Tip from a pro

From the hiring side: why a paper trail matters more than you think

Here's what I look for when I hire, and it's not what most young guys expect. When someone tells me they have three years of experience and all of it was cash, I usually believe them. But I can't verify it, and on our public jobs everybody goes on certified payroll from day one, so I'm starting them at zero on paper whether I like it or not. The applicants who stand out walk in with something I can check: pay stubs or W-2s, a 608 card, a letter from a past employer, a log of jobs with dates and who they worked under. It doesn't have to be fancy. It has to exist. If you're getting paid cash right now, start that log tonight. Nobody's coming to build it for you later.

1 reply 12 helpful
Gio O. · plumber · 4 years · Hudson County, NJ · Sep 25
Question

Customer wants the old oil tank left in the basement after the gas conversion

Service tech, Union City. Finishing a conversion next week in a two-family in Weehawken. Customer wants the 275 gallon oil tank in the basement just left there, empty, "for later." Then he tells me the home inspector on another house he's buying found a buried tank in the yard during the tank sweep, and the seller says "it was abandoned years ago." Boss is out till Monday and I'm bad at talking to customers lol. What do I tell him on both? I know we don't do tank work, I just don't want to sound like an idiot.

13 replies 7 helpful
neutral_bar_99 · electrical student · Passaic County, NJ · Sep 24
Question

How do I explain to my parents that the trades aren't a step down?

This needs some background. I'm in the electrical program at the Passaic County vo-tech, and I'm good at it. My parents are both accountants in Wayne and they want me to go to a four-year college. They're not mean about it, they just think trades are what you do if college doesn't work out. I want to apply to an apprenticeship and work. I've tried explaining, but I end up sounding like a kid who doesn't want to study. How did any of you have this conversation with your parents? What actually convinced them, if anything did? I'm writing this from the Wawa parking lot on Hamburg Turnpike because I didn't want to have this argument again tonight.

5 replies 7 helpful
NJ
NorthJerseyCopper · 1st-year apprentice, UA · 1 year · Bergen County, NJ · Sep 24
Question

Old cash boss won't write a letter confirming my two years

Before I got into the Local I worked two years for a plumber in Garfield. All cash, every Friday. Now people keep telling me prior experience can matter later, either for credit somewhere or for a license someday. I asked him for a short letter saying what I did and when. He won't do it. Says he "doesn't do paperwork." Not angry about it, just no. idk what to do. Is it even worth chasing? Or do those two years just not exist now?

5 replies 5 helpful
Kash_sing · HVAC contractor, owner · 25 years · Middlesex County, NJ · Sep 23
Tip from a pro

Where the money from a $189 service call actually goes

Every year a new tech sees an invoice and asks why he makes $22 an hour when we charged $189 for forty minutes. Fair question. Here's roughly how I explain it at my shop. Numbers differ everywhere; this is the shape, not a formula. - The tech's wage, plus payroll taxes and workers' comp on top of it - The truck: payment, fuel, insurance, repairs, the stock on the shelves - The office: the person who answered the phone and scheduled you - Drive time between calls that the customer never sees on the bill - Callbacks, which we fix for free - Slow weeks in October when the phones are quiet and everyone still gets paid After all that, a healthy shop keeps a margin, and plenty of shops don't. I'd rather you understand this before you go out on your own and price yourself out of business.

4 replies 40 helpful
neutral_bar_99 · electrical student · Passaic County, NJ · Sep 23
Question

Planning way ahead: first work vehicle, used van or a pickup with a cap?

I'm in the electrical program at the county vo-tech, so I realize this is a long way off, but I like to plan. I've been saving from my weekend job, and my dad suggested I think about what I'd eventually need for a vehicle if I ever go out on my own. I see guys with box trucks, Transit vans, pickups with caps, and one man at the Wawa near Wayne who runs everything out of a Prius. For someone starting small in electrical, used van or pickup with a cap? I'd rather buy once.

3 replies 9 helpful
BE
benplumb79 · Apprentice plumber · 2 years · Somerset County, NJ · Sep 23
Question

What should a 2nd-year non-union plumber make in Central Jersey?

Two years in at a non-union shop near Manville. Service and some remodel work. I'm at $21/hr, no overtime most weeks, I drive my own car to jobs. A guy I went to school with says I'm getting robbed, another says that's normal. Not trying to start a fight, just want to know if I should ask for a raise and what's reasonable to ask for.

4 replies 27 helpful
Kearny_Pipefitter · plumber helper · 1 year · Hudson County, NJ · Sep 23
Question

Boss calls late September 'boiler cleaning month.' What am I actually doing?

About 7 months in at the shop out of Bayonne. Boss says starting next week it's boiler cleanings and fall service every day until it gets cold, mostly old one-pipe steam in Bayonne and JC, some hot water. Ziggy told me to ask for one new thing a week so this is me asking ahead of time. What actually happens on a fall service for an old steam boiler? What should I be watching so I'm not just the guy holding the light? brother I've seen maybe three steam boilers up close.

10 replies 10 helpful
MB
Marcus B. · Foreman, Inside Wireman (IBEW) · 19 years · Morris County, NJ · Sep 22
Tip from a pro

Prevailing wage vs PLAs: why the big public jobs look the way they do

This keeps coming up, so here's the union-side view. I'd welcome the non-union contractors here to correct me where it's different for them. Prevailing wage is a floor. On covered public work, everyone gets at least the published rate for their trade and county, union or not. A project labor agreement is a different thing. It's an agreement for a specific project, usually a big one, about labor terms: hiring through the trades, how disputes get handled, no strikes. You'll hear about them on large public construction. If you're an apprentice and you land on one of these jobs, a few things will be new: sign-in sheets, long safety orientations, and someone checking that your classification matches your paperwork. Bring your ID, bring your card, wear your glasses. Stay safe.

8 replies 12 helpful
JT
JerseyTomatoWires · 4th-year apprentice, IBEW · 4 years · Bergen County, NJ · Sep 22
Question

My first-year thinks he's just a laborer. How do I tell him what's normal?

4th year in 164. foreman paired me with a first-year on a warehouse fit-out in secaucus about 2 months ago... good kid, shows up, doesn't complain on the job. but at lunch he told me he thinks he's being used as a laborer. material, gang box, sweeping, fire watch. he's thinking about quiting. problem is i half agree with him. i don't want to lie and say it's all fine. i also don't want to go over the foreman's head for him. what do i actually tell him... what's normal at 2 months and what isn't? and is it my place to say something to the foreman? appreciate it

11 replies 39 helpful
PL
plumbguy917 · 1st-year apprentice, Plumbers · 1 year · Brooklyn, NY · Sep 21
Question

Failed Core by a couple questions, passed Type II. Do I retake everything?

plumbing apprentice in brooklyn. took the 608 on a saturday because my uncle does hvac and won't stop saying every card helps. passed type II, failed core by like two questions lol. the proctor said something about only retaking the part i failed but i was too annoyed to listen. do i redo the whole thing or just core? does the type II pass count for anything if i don't pass core? kind of salty about it not gonna lie

10 replies 8 helpful
Flushing.sparks · electrical student · Queens, NY · Sep 21
Question

How does the Local 3 apprenticeship application actually work now?

In a trade program in Queens, graduating soon. Teachers keep telling me different things about Local 3: one says it's a lottery, one says there's a test, my uncle says you need to know someone. Anyone actually go through it recently? What should I be doing now, while I'm still in school, so I'm ready when it opens?

1 reply 15 helpful
NJ
NorthJerseyCopper · 1st-year apprentice, UA · 1 year · Bergen County, NJ · Sep 21
Discussion

What was your first no-heat call like?

Shop just put the winter emergency list on the board and my name is on it with a journeyman starting in November. Mostly service and drain work up to now, Fair Lawn and around. Not scared exactly. idk. Curious what your first one was like, the real version. Was it the boiler, the customer, or just being tired?

4 replies 13 helpful
NJ
NorthJerseyCopper · 1st-year apprentice, UA · 1 year · Bergen County, NJ · Sep 21
Discussion

Ranked low twice, got in on the third try. Ask me whatever

UA Local 24, first year. I ranked low my first two times. Third time I got the call. I see a lot of people on here worried about their ranking, so ask me what you want. I can only tell you what happened to me. I don't know how anyone else's local runs. Between tries I worked for a service and drain shop in Fair Lawn.

9 replies 20 helpful
DH
Dev_H · Apprentice plumber · 3 years · Gloucester County, NJ · Sep 21
Question

Starting at a new shop Monday after 3 years at the cash place. What should I bring?

Took Rui's advice from my cash-pay thread. Lined up a new shop in Pitman before I gave notice, left on good terms, start Monday. Real payroll, they do service and boilers, five minutes off 55. Three years in, but I've never started somewhere new as anything but a kid. What do I bring day one? My own tools or wait and see? And how do I handle it if they treat me like a first-year when I'm not?

2 replies 8 helpful
PL
plumbguy917 · 1st-year apprentice, Plumbers · 1 year · Brooklyn, NY · Sep 21
Question

Cousin in Gloucester County asked me union vs school vs shop. I only know how it works in the city

So my cousin is 18, lives in Williamstown, just finished high school and wants to do plumbing. He asked me what to do because I'm the "plumber" in the family now lol. Problem is I'm a first year in Local 1 in Brooklyn and everything I know is how it works in the city. I told him apply to the union and he asked which one, and I realized I have no idea what covers South Jersey. Also no idea if the county vo-tech down there does adult programs or if he should just call shops. I'd drive down the Turnpike and walk him around myself but I'm on at 6 every day. Help me not give my cousin bad advice. He's a good kid, works at a Wawa on the Black Horse Pike right now and hates it.

11 replies 21 helpful
PL
plumbguy917 · 1st-year apprentice, Plumbers · 1 year · Brooklyn, NY · Sep 21
Question

Brownstone gas job: why are we still threading black iron?

1st year. On a brownstone gut reno in Park Slope with my journeyman, running new gas from the meter in the cellar up to the kitchen on the parlor floor. All black iron, threaded, and I'm the one cutting and threading all day lol. The water side of the same job is all press and it goes like 5x faster. So why not press the gas too? Journeyman just says "not on this job" and "the inspection is the inspection." Is it a code thing in the city, a cost thing, or is he just old school? Not trying to do anything myself, just want to understand what I'm doing.

2 replies 10 helpful
PL
plumbguy917 · 1st-year apprentice, Plumbers · 1 year · Brooklyn, NY · Sep 21
Discussion

Local 1, Local 3, Local 638: how did you actually get in? Roll call

Since everybody keeps asking me how I got into Local 1 like I'm some expert lol. I'm a first year. I got in, I don't fully know why, and I'm not going to pretend I know how it works this year. So let's just do a roll call. If you're in Local 1, Local 3, Local 638, or you tried and didn't get in, say how it went for you: how many tries, what you were doing before, what you'd tell somebody applying now. Non-union people welcome too, half of Brooklyn is non-union and doing fine. No 'my uncle said' stories, only what happened to you.

8 replies 10 helpful
Flushing.sparks · electrical student · Queens, NY · Sep 20
Question

Landlord on my block wants me to do his apartments' outlets. I'm a student

Trade program in Queens, graduating soon. My uncle's friend owns a couple of 2-family houses in Ridgewood and found out I'm in the electrical program. He wants me to swap outlets, put in some GFCIs and replace a few fixtures before new tenants move in. Says he'll pay $400 cash and "nobody checks." My foreman at my weekend job told me absolutely not but didn't really say why. Is it really that bad if it's small stuff?

5 replies 24 helpful
JT
JerseyTomatoWires · 4th-year apprentice, IBEW · 4 years · Bergen County, NJ · Sep 19
Discussion

Worst tool you ever bought as an apprentice?

4th year in 164... cleaning out my tool bag this weekend and found a 'professional' 47-piece screwdriver set I bought my first month. Used two of them. Ever. My foreman laughed at me then and he's still laughing. What's the worst tool you bought when you were starting out... so the first-years reading this don't make the same mistake. Appreciate it

6 replies 17 helpful
JunctionBoxJunkie · electrical student · Mercer County, NJ · Sep 18
Question

Do any non-union shops actually pay for night school?

Follow-up to my shop teacher thread. Assume I go non-union. Everyone keeps saying "find a shop that pays for school." Okay, but do those actually exist around Mercer, or is that just something people say? The guy I work weekends for told me he'd "think about it" when I asked. I'm not expecting a free ride. I'd just like to know what's normal to ask for before I graduate and start applying for real jobs, so I don't ask for something crazy or settle for nothing.

3 replies 15 helpful
Flushing.sparks · electrical student · Queens, NY · Sep 18
Question

What kind of math is on the aptitude test, and how did you study?

Getting ready for the Local 3 application whenever it opens next. I'm okay at math but not great. What was actually on the aptitude test when you took it? Algebra? Reading? Mechanical stuff? And what did you use to study? My shop teacher has an old practice packet but it's from like 2015 and half the pages are photocopies of photocopies.

2 replies 22 helpful
JunctionBoxJunkie · electrical student · Mercer County, NJ · Sep 18
Question

Apply right out of high school, or wait a year so I don't tank the ranking?

Third time posting about this stuff, sorry, the shop teacher thread got me thinking. If I apply to the IBEW the first chance I get after I graduate, I'll walk into the interview with one summer job, weekend helper hours and nothing else. If I wait a year and work full time at a shop, I'd have a full year of real work to talk about. Logic says wait. My teacher says apply right away, every time, because "you can't get picked if you're not in the pile." I see his point, but I also don't want my first impression to be a weak one if it follows me. Does a bad first interview stick with you, or is every year a fresh start?

3 replies 9 helpful
TA
TryingAllThree · Career switcher · 1 year · Middlesex County, NJ · Sep 17
Discussion

Update: did a ride-along in all three trades. Here's what happened

A while back I posted about being 40 and unable to pick a trade. Kash has been mentoring me since then, and he helped me line up a ride-along in each trade, so here's the report. Plumbing: a day on a repipe in an old Colonial in Metuchen. Loved the problem-solving, hated my knees by 2pm. HVAC: a changeout in a split-level in Edison in August. The attic was brutal, but the diagnosis part was interesting. Electrical: a service upgrade in Highland Park, panel swap, PSE&G had to come out to pull the meter. That was the one where I lost track of time. So I'm leaning electrical, and maybe the low-voltage side later because of my knees. Two questions: did anyone else pick partly because of their body? And is it crazy to plan around knees at 40?

7 replies 21 helpful
Passaic_Sparky · electrician · 4 years · Passaic County, NJ · Sep 17
Question

what's actually on the business and law part of the EC exam

4 years doing service and panel swaps out of little falls. not taking the EC exam tomorrow, i know i need my experience squared away first, but i want to start on the business and law side now since that's the part nobody at my shop can tell me anything about. my boss took his like 20 years ago and says "it's common sense, don't worry about it." idk, that's what people said about every test i ever failed. what's on it? nj law stuff like contracts and liens, or general business? open book? anyone take it recently

5 replies 3 helpful
oldsteam_zig · Master Plumber · 28 years · Bergen County, NJ · Sep 17
Tip from a pro

Torch work in old houses: stick around after you put the torch down

Had a helper sweat a couple of fittings on a boiler near a joist bay in Lodi last week. Nice joints. We packed up, I went back down for a tool I forgot, and I smelled it before I saw it. The old wood and the dust up in that bay had been smoldering the whole time. Nobody got hurt and the house is fine. But here's what everybody on my trucks does now, and what I should have made him do: Fire cloth behind the joint before you light the torch, not after. Wet down old framing if it's dry as paper. Spray bottle and an extinguisher on the floor next to you, not out on the truck. And when you're done, stay and watch it for half an hour. Put your hand near the wood. Look up into the bay with a light. Old balloon-frame houses in Bergen have bays that run open floor to floor. A spark goes up there and you won't see it until it's a real problem. Thirty minutes of watching is cheap. That's the job.

1 reply 15 helpful
BE
benplumb79 · Apprentice plumber · 2 years · Somerset County, NJ · Sep 17
Discussion

Got screamed at by a GC in front of the whole crew. Wasn't even my mistake

Sorry, venting a little. We're doing the plumbing on a kitchen and two baths in a gut reno in Hillsborough. The GC walked in this morning, saw the island drain wasn't where the new cabinet layout had it, and screamed at me in front of the tile guys and the electricians. I'm the helper. My lead set it from the drawings we were given last month. The GC changed the layout and never told us. I just stood there. Should I have said something? I didn't want to make it worse for my boss.

4 replies 5 helpful
EP
Exit117Plumber · plumbing student · Middlesex County, NJ · Sep 16
Question

LED bulbs on the basement stairs glow when the switches are off

Helping my uncle again this weekend. His basement stairs have a light with a switch at the top and the bottom. He swapped the old bulbs for LEDs and now with both switches off they glow really faint, like a nightlight. He says it's cheap bulbs and to ignore it. I'm a plumbing kid so I don't really know electrical, but it bugs me. Is that a bulb thing or is something wired wrong? Should I be worried about it

3 replies 8 helpful
GR
groundrod_05 · New electrician · 2 years · Bronx, NY · Sep 15
Discussion

Quit the Bronx shop today. Two weeks' notice, no drama

Two years at a non-union shop in the Bronx while I wait on the list. The last few months a lot of things got unsafe, and I'll leave it at that. I gave two weeks' notice this morning, thanked the owner for the two years, and that was it. Starting at a shop in Queens that does commercial fit-outs next month. My mentor told me to leave clean and never say a bad word about them publicly, so that's all I'll say. Mostly posting because I've been nervous about this for a month.

1 reply 13 helpful
RT
Rui Teixeira · Master Plumber, second-generation shop owner · 23 years · Hudson County, NJ · Sep 15
Discussion

My best helper got the call from the Local. Happy for him. Mostly.

The vo-tech kid I hired last year, best helper I've had in a long time. Shows up early, listens, asks the right questions. He applied to the plumbers' local in the spring without telling me. Got the call this week. Starts in January. I'm happy for him, and I mean that. I was in the union myself for a few years. I know exactly what he's getting: real schooling, real benefits. My father used to say you can't keep a good kid in a small shop, you can only be the shop he's glad he started in. Still. I'd started thinking he might be the one to take this place over someday. Back to the hiring pile. Anyone else lose their best guy this year?

4 replies 15 helpful
DH
Dev_H · Apprentice plumber · 3 years · Gloucester County, NJ · Sep 14
Question

Homeowner pulled his own permit and wants us to do the work under it

Started at a new shop a few weeks ago, Gloucester County, service and repipes. Better place, actually sends me to school. Today a homeowner in Washington Township told my boss he'd already pulled the plumbing permit himself to "save money" and just wanted us to do the work. Boss said no and walked away from a decent job. Is that a real rule or is my boss being stubborn? Can a homeowner even pull a plumbing permit in NJ? And if he can, why can't a licensed shop just work under it?

3 replies 4 helpful
MS
ms_almonte · Vo-tech instructor, plumbing & HVAC · 28 years · Passaic County, NJ · Sep 14
Tip from a pro

EPA 608: what my students get wrong every year

Every fall somebody in my class assumes the 608 is a formality. Here's what actually trips people up, in order. First, they skip the Core section because it "isn't technical." Core is where people fail. It's rules, dates, recovery requirements, and it's all memorization. Second, they cram the night before. You need to know the rules, not just recognize answers. Third, they don't ask how their specific test is given. The format depends on which type and who's proctoring it, so ask the testing organization before you show up. Go for Universal if you can. Ask me how I know you'll want it later.

2 replies 14 helpful
PE
peteplumb80 · 1st-year apprentice, UA · 1 year · Essex County, NJ · Sep 14
Question

Buddy from my vo-tech class ranked low and says he's done trying. What do I tell him?

Kind of a different one. I'm a 1st year in Local 24, got in my first try, and I know that's partly luck. My best friend from school applied the same time, ranked way down, and now he's saying he's done. He's going to keep working at the Wawa in Montclair and "figure it out." He's better with his hands than me, honestly. I don't want to be the guy who got in lecturing him, but I also don't want him to waste a year. What would you have wanted someone to say to you? Or is it better to just leave him alone for a while?

5 replies 8 helpful
Passaic_Sparky · electrician · 4 years · Passaic County, NJ · Sep 13
Question

new shop wants me on a 1099 with my own van. red flag or normal

4 years in, service and panel swaps. got an offer from a shop in wayne, more per hour than i make now, but they want me as a 1099 'independent contractor' and i'd use my own van, my own tools, my own gas. i'd still be on their schedule, in their shirt, running their calls. idk if that's normal or a way to skip paying for stuff. anyone done 1099 in the trades in nj?

6 replies 9 helpful
oldsteam_zig · Master Plumber · 28 years · Bergen County, NJ · Sep 13
Tip from a pro

Last week of September: what I want my helpers doing before the phones start

Every year the last week of September is the calm before the phones. Here's what I tell my helpers. Stock your truck like it's January. Fittings for the old stuff, not just the new stuff. Nipples, unions, gauge glasses, pigtails, a couple of the controls we always end up needing. Know where every shutoff is on your regular customers' boilers before it's dark at five. Test your flashlight, your CO meter, your combustion analyzer. Get your boots resoled now, not the first wet week. And sleep. On-call season is long, kid. The guy who's rested at 2am does better work than the guy who's been up since Tuesday. That's the job.

2 replies 14 helpful
threeway_02 · New to electrical (career switch) · Essex County, NJ · Sep 13
Question

Electrical helper here. Boss says we get no-heat calls in winter too?

About a month into my first helper job (residential electrical, Irvington and around). My lead mentioned that once it gets cold we'll get calls from people whose boiler or furnace "has no power," and that half the time it's something electrical. I assumed no-heat was an HVAC or plumbing call. What are electricians usually finding on these? And where's the line between our job and the heating guy's? I don't want to be the new guy poking at a burner.

5 replies 5 helpful
BE
benplumb79 · Apprentice plumber · 2 years · Somerset County, NJ · Sep 11
Question

Felt a tingle in a wet crawlspace in Manville. What do you check before going under a house?

Crawlspace job in Manville last week, replacing a section of drain under an old ranch. There was an inch of water down there from the storms. The work light was on an extension cord plugged into a garage outlet, no GFCI. Halfway through, the light flickered and I felt a tingle in my hand where I was holding the light and kneeling in the water. I got out right away. The cord had a nick in it. I'm fine. My boss said I should have checked the cord, and he's right, but I also had no idea the garage outlet wasn't GFCI protected. What do you all do before going into a wet crawlspace? I'd like a routine instead of luck.

13 replies 7 helpful
BE
benplumb79 · Apprentice plumber · 2 years · Somerset County, NJ · Sep 11
Question

Do plumbers need the 608 for heat pump water heaters?

We installed our first two heat pump water heaters this month, both in basements in Somerset County, and now my boss says we should both get the 608 "just in case." I always thought the 608 was strictly an HVAC thing. From what I can tell the units come sealed from the factory and we're just doing the water, the condensate and the venting clearances (an electrician did the circuit). So when would a plumber ever need it? Warranty work? If the compressor side ever needs service? I apologize if this is obvious to the HVAC people here.

8 replies 9 helpful
thiago_sparks · Electrical Contractor · 22 years · Monmouth County, NJ · Sep 11
Question

Honestly thinking about adding an HVACR license to my electrical shop

Honestly didn't think I'd be asking this after 22 years. Half my calls down here involve heat pumps now. A lot of the raised houses went all-electric in the Sandy rebuilds, and I've been doing the circuits and handing the customer off to an HVAC guy I've known forever. He's retiring in the spring. So I'm weighing getting the HVACR license myself versus hiring someone who has it. Anyone here hold both an EC and an HVACR? Could I even meet the experience requirement at this point, or am I starting from zero? Kash, I'm looking at you.

5 replies 11 helpful
DH
Dev_H · Apprentice plumber · 3 years · Gloucester County, NJ · Sep 11
Question

3 years, all cash, no school. When do I leave?

Three years at the same shop in Deptford. Paid cash every Friday. He won't send me to school, says I'll learn more on the job. I mostly get PEX on new construction, boilers in the winter if they're short a guy. Good guy, but I'm not going anywhere. How do I leave without burning it?

5 replies 12 helpful
Flushing.sparks · electrical student · Queens, NY · Sep 11
Question

Weekend helper job is cutting into my program. Worth it?

Senior in an electrical program at a trade high school in Queens. Got a weekend helper job with a small shop in Ridgewood, Saturdays and some Sundays. Good money for me, and the foreman lets me do a little more every week. Problem is my grades slipped and my mom is on me about it. Do the hours matter more than grades if I want an apprenticeship? Or am I screwing myself.

1 reply 10 helpful
GR
groundrod_05 · New electrician · 2 years · Bronx, NY · Sep 11
Question

Got called for the Local 3 interview after a year of waiting. What do they look for?

Apex grad, working non-union in the Bronx for two years while I waited. I got the letter this week: I have an interview. I have been preparing with my mentor here, but I want to hear from more people. What did your interview look like? What do they want to hear from someone who already has some field experience? I do not want to sound like I know everything, but I also do not want to undersell the two years I put in. Appreciate any advice. edit: interview is Monday, not next week. I misread the letter.

3 replies 8 helpful
TA
TryingAllThree · Career switcher · 1 year · Middlesex County, NJ · Sep 9
Question

Three conversion quotes, three different answers on the chimney

Different kind of question from me. We're finally converting our own house in Piscataway from oil to gas: split-level, oil boiler with baseboard, hot water off a tankless coil in the boiler. Got three quotes and they disagree on the chimney. Quote 1: new gas boiler and a new gas water heater, both into the chimney with a new liner. Quote 2: high-efficiency boiler vented out the side wall in plastic, new water heater into the existing chimney, no liner. Quote 3: high-efficiency boiler out the side wall, a separate sidewall-vented water heater, chimney not used at all. Quote 2 is cheapest. Quote 1's guy says Quote 2 is going to cause problems. Who's right, and why does the chimney matter so much? Appreciate it. Kash told me to get more than one quote, so here we are. Still doing ride-alongs too, so this is half for the house and half for me.

4 replies 6 helpful
JT
JerseyTomatoWires · 4th-year apprentice, IBEW · 4 years · Bergen County, NJ · Sep 9
Discussion

A first-year asked ME how to bend an offset today...

4th year in 164... today a brand new first-year on our job asked me how to bend an offset and I just showed him without thinking about it. Then I realized I was him three years ago, asking the same thing and wasting half a stick of EMT. My foreman saw it and said "see, you're useful now." Weird feeling... anyway, I top out next year. Just wanted to say it somewhere

3 replies 4 helpful
Gio O. · plumber · 4 years · Hudson County, NJ · Sep 7
Discussion

CO meter went off before I hit the bottom of the basement stairs

service call in a 4-family in union city, water heater "making a smell." basement door was shut. my CO meter started going off before i got to the bottom of the stairs. flue pipe had come apart at the chimney. got out, got the tenants out of the first floor, called the gas company from the sidewalk. they shut it down. the super was mad at ME lol. 4 years in and never had my meter go off like that. how many of you actually carry one, and actually turn it on?

14 replies 16 helpful
Kearny_Pipefitter · plumber helper · 1 year · Hudson County, NJ · Sep 6
Question

6 months of demo and carrying water heaters. am I being used as a laborer?

Six months in at a small shop out of Bayonne. 90% of my day is demo, carrying material, cleaning up, and running to the supply house. I've sweated maybe 10 fittings total. The other helper has been there a year and says it was the same for him. Is this normal or am I being used as cheap labor? Don't want to quit too early and look like a flake.

3 replies 9 helpful
HE
hec_does_ac · HVAC Service Lead · 15 years · Camden County, NJ · Sep 1
Discussion

Settle this once and for all: pork roll or Taylor ham?

Had a new guy from Bergen on my crew this week call it Taylor ham at the Wawa and the whole counter went quiet lol. I'm from Gloucester County, it's pork roll, I'll die on this hill. Winter's coming and we need this settled before the on-call rotation starts. Go.

7 replies 40 helpful
IK
Isaiah K. · electrician helper · 1 year · Ocean County, NJ · Aug 30
Question

uncle wants me to wire his basement under a homeowner permit. is that allowed

my uncle in barnegat is finishing his basement and wants me to do the wiring on weekends. he says he can pull a homeowner permit and i'd just be helping him, and he'd pay me in pizza and gas money basically. i work for a remodel shop in manahawkin so i know how to do it, but i'm not licensed. is this actually allowed in nj or is the homeowner permit only if he does the work himself? would rather ask here than ask my boss. edit: he owns the house and lives there, if that matters

0 replies 4 helpful
IK
Isaiah K. · electrician helper · 1 year · Ocean County, NJ · Aug 30
Question

the GC keeps borrowing me for drywall cleanup on our remodel jobs

helper at a small electrical shop, residential remodels around manahawkin and the island. on the last two jobs the gc has been grabbing me when my boss isn't there. "hey can you help carry this drywall out," "can you sweep the kitchen for the tile guy." i say yes because i don't want to be rude, and then i'm behind on my own stuff. is this normal? how do i say no to a gc without it getting back to my boss wrong edit: told my boss. he was not happy with the gc. pretty sure that's handled now.

1 reply 5 helpful
PE
peteplumb80 · 1st-year apprentice, UA · 1 year · Essex County, NJ · Aug 30
Question

First real paycheck in the apprenticeship. What tools are actually worth buying now?

1st year in Local 24, mostly commercial bathrooms so far. Got the tool list at the start and bought the basics. Now I've got a couple real paychecks and I'm tempted to go nuts at the big box store. What did you actually end up using every day in your first year that wasn't on the list? And what's a waste of money until later? I spend enough at Wawa already, trying to be smart about this.

5 replies 11 helpful
JunctionBoxJunkie · electrical student · Mercer County, NJ · Aug 28
Question

My shop teacher won't stop pushing the union application. Why is he so sure?

Some context first because it matters. I'm in the electrical program at the Mercer County vo-tech, I've been doing weekend helper stuff for a guy in Hamilton since June (mostly carrying, some pulling wire), and my shop teacher brings up the IBEW application basically every class. Like every single class. He hands out the flyer, he talks about the pension, he tells us non-union is a dead end. The guy I work weekends for is non-union and he's doing fine. Owns two vans, takes his family to Wildwood every August. So who's right? I'm not against the union. I just don't like being told there's one answer when I can see with my own eyes there's at least two.

8 replies 28 helpful
MB
Marcus B. · Foreman, Inside Wireman (IBEW) · 19 years · Morris County, NJ · Aug 28
Tip from a pro

Don't cut a line set on demo until someone certified has recovered it

Saw this twice this summer on fit-outs, so I'm posting it for the electrical apprentices. You're demoing a space, there's an old split system or a rooftop unit coming out, and someone hands a first-year a pair of cutters and points at the copper. Don't. Unless someone with a 608 has recovered the refrigerant and told you it's done, that line set may still be charged. Cutting it vents refrigerant, which as I understand it is illegal, and at close range it can freeze-burn your hands and face. Ask the GC or the HVAC sub, "has this been recovered?" and get a name. It's the same as LOTO: you don't assume it's dead because somebody said it probably is. Glasses and gloves either way. Stay safe.

2 replies 2 helpful
Kearny_Pipefitter · plumber helper · 1 year · Hudson County, NJ · Aug 28
Discussion

Hudson County, where you at? Bayonne checking in

Feels like half this place is Bergen and the shore. Hudson County roll call. I'm in Bayonne, plumbing helper, a year in, mostly old buildings and a lot of walkups. Where are the Hudson people? JC, Hoboken, Union City, North Bergen, Kearny, Secaucus, brother, sound off. Bonus points if you've ever parked a work van in Hoboken without a ticket.

3 replies 7 helpful
MS
ms_almonte · Vo-tech instructor, plumbing & HVAC · 28 years · Passaic County, NJ · Aug 24
Discussion

First week of the fall semester: 22 new faces, three have held a torch

Every September I swear I'll stop being surprised, and every September I'm surprised. New class started this week. Twenty-two of them. Three have held a torch, and one of those set his sleeve on fire in the first hour. Nobody hurt, everybody learned something. First thing I teach, before anything technical: where the extinguisher is and how to use it. Second: how to sweep a floor properly. They laugh at that one. They stop laughing when they find out how much of the job it is. For anyone who trains helpers: what's the first thing you make a new person learn? Ask me how I know it matters.

3 replies 27 helpful
NJ
NorthJerseyCopper · 1st-year apprentice, UA · 1 year · Bergen County, NJ · Aug 24
Question

Boilers: plumbing license or HVACR license?

1st year, UA Local 24. My shop does a lot of hot water boiler work in Bergen in the winter. Someone at school said that once the HVACR license came in, boilers became an HVAC thing and plumbers can't touch them. My foreman laughed at that. Idk who to believe. Who's allowed to do hydronic heat in NJ: plumbers, HVACR contractors, or both? Short answer is fine.

1 reply 5 helpful
HE
hec_does_ac · HVAC Service Lead · 15 years · Camden County, NJ · Aug 24
Discussion

Cape Cods: ductless heads upstairs or a ducted unit in the kneewall?

Settle a fight at my shop... we're doing a lot of Capes in Gloucester and Camden County this summer, upstairs is 85 by 3pm and there's no ductwork up there. Half our guys sell a head in every bedroom. The other half want a small ducted air handler in the kneewall or the attic with short runs to each room. So this one time in AC I put three heads in a Cape and the customer called the next summer saying the kid's room was freezing and clammy and the other two were fine lol. Oversized head in a tiny room. What do you guys do and how do you decide? Not looking for a brand war.

7 replies 7 helpful
Kash_sing · HVAC contractor, owner · 25 years · Middlesex County, NJ · Aug 23
Tip from a pro

Side jobs, from the owner's side: what happens when yours calls my office

Happened again this month, so I'll write it down. A homeowner called us for a no-cool on a mini-split installed last year. Not our install. A helper from another shop put it in on weekends, cash. No permit, no proper evacuation, flare connections leaking. The homeowner wanted to know who to call about it, and the answer was nobody. What it looks like from my side: - The homeowner pays twice, once to him and once to us - If your own boss gets that call, you're probably done there - Handling refrigerant without your 608 is its own problem, and having the card doesn't make an unpermitted install legal - You have no insurance, so whatever goes wrong is on you I'm not telling anyone what to do on their own time. I'm telling you what it costs when it goes wrong.

2 replies 13 helpful
HO
HeatwaveOnCall · HVAC tech helper · Passaic County, NJ · Aug 23
Question

where can a condensate pump actually drain in a finished basement

ok so long story, we're doing a furnace and coil swap in a split-level in clifton and the basement is getting finished. right now the condensate pump just dumps into the laundry sink with the tube clipped on the edge. homeowner wants it "hidden," so the contractor finishing the basement asked if we can run it into the washer standpipe or tie it into the sump pit. my lead said "depends" (of course) and that it's the inspector's call. what are the normal options and which ones get people in trouble? also does the pump need anything wired to it besides the plug

3 replies 4 helpful
HE
hec_does_ac · HVAC Service Lead · 15 years · Camden County, NJ · Aug 22
Tip from a pro

Heat wave week: 14 no-cool calls in two days and what I keep telling new techs

So this one time in AC... ok it's this week, not one time lol. 14 no-cool calls Monday and Tuesday between Cherry Hill and Washington Township. Half were dirty filters and clogged condensate lines, a couple capacitors, one frozen coil the homeowner "fixed" by turning the thermostat down to 60. What I keep telling my new guys on ride-alongs... check airflow before you even think about the charge. Check the condensate before you blame the unit. Drink water in the truck between every call, not when you're already dizzy. And if the attic is an oven, do the attic part first thing in the morning and come down for air often. Nobody gets a medal for passing out over an air handler. What are you guys seeing this week?

2 replies 17 helpful
TA
TryingAllThree · Career switcher · 1 year · Middlesex County, NJ · Aug 20
Discussion

40 and haven't even picked a trade yet. Am I kidding myself?

So I'm 40, Piscataway, been managing a call center for a long time. I like working with my hands, I fix everything at home, and I'm tired of spreadsheets about other people's work. Problem is I can't decide between electrical, HVAC, and plumbing, and every week I change my mind. Also the money: I make decent now and I know the first year or two is a big cut. And my knees aren't 20 anymore. For anyone who switched later in life, how did you decide, and how bad was the first year really?

3 replies 14 helpful
IK
Isaiah K. · electrician helper · 1 year · Ocean County, NJ · Aug 20
Question

re-identifying the white wire on a switch loop, is tape enough

residential remodel in manahawkin. old part of the house has a ceiling light fed at the fixture, with a 2-wire cable down to the switch. my boss wraps black tape on the white at both ends and moves on. in school they mentioned something about needing a neutral at switches now. is the tape enough on an existing loop, and does the newer code mean we have to rewire it when we touch it?

2 replies 3 helpful
JunctionBoxJunkie · electrical student · Mercer County, NJ · Aug 19
Question

Parents' Cape is getting mini-splits. What's the electrician's part?

my parents' cape in hamilton is getting a 3-zone mini-split next month and the hvac company said "you'll need an electrician for the power." my dad looked at me because I'm in the electrical program at vo-tech, which, no, I'm a student. but I want to understand what the electrician is actually going to do so I can watch and not be useless. like how do they know what size breaker, what's the box on the wall outside for, and does it need a GFCI? our book says something about outdoor GFCI but my teacher said it's complicated

3 replies 5 helpful
EP
Exit117Plumber · plumbing student · Middlesex County, NJ · Aug 19
Question

Do my vo-tech shop hours count toward anything after I graduate?

In the plumbing program at the Middlesex County vo-tech. We do a lot of shop time, plus I help my uncle on weekends (he jokes I'm basically his foreman now lol, I'm not). Ziggy's been answering my questions on here and he said to ask the people who actually run the programs, which I will, but I want to know what others found. Do the hours in a vo-tech program count toward an apprenticeship or a license later? Or is it just a diploma and a head start?

2 replies 15 helpful
GR
groundrod_05 · New electrician · 2 years · Bronx, NY · Aug 19
Question

Where do people in the city actually sit for the 608?

Two years in, non-union electrical shop in the Bronx. We've started doing a lot of PTAC and through-wall unit replacements in apartment buildings, and my boss wants two of us to have the 608 by the end of the year. Searching online gets me a hundred sites and I can't tell which ones are legit. Some say online with a webcam, some say you have to go in person. Is there a supply house or a school in the city people use? Or is the online one fine? Appreciate it.

2 replies 9 helpful
Kash_sing · HVAC contractor, owner · 25 years · Middlesex County, NJ · Aug 18
Tip from a pro

Before you sign a private trade school loan, ask these questions

Every few weeks a new hire tells me what they owe on a private trade school program, and some of them didn't need to owe it. I'm not against private schools. Some are good. But ask these before you sign anything: - What's the total cost, including tools, books and fees, not the monthly payment - How many hours are hands-on shop time versus classroom - What share of graduates are working in the trade a year later, and how do they count that - Does the county vo-tech or community college near you have an adult program for less - Would an employer pay for it if you got hired first If the admissions person gets pushy when you ask, that's an answer too.

5 replies 8 helpful
JT
JerseyTomatoWires · 4th-year apprentice, IBEW · 4 years · Bergen County, NJ · Aug 18
Discussion

same drawings, two towns... two different answers on the rough

4th year in 164. foreman has us on two retail fit-outs right now, one in hackensack and one a couple towns over in paramus. same drawings, same crew, same everything. one inspector passed our rough no problem... the other wrote up the exact thing the first one signed off on. foreman just shrugged and said every town is its own country. isn't the code supposed to be the same everywhere in NJ? how does that even happen

2 replies 9 helpful
Gio O. · plumber · 4 years · Hudson County, NJ · Aug 18
Question

4 years in and the license on the van isn't my boss's. do my hours count?

Service tech, 4 years, shop in Union City. Found out last month the master license on the trucks belongs to my boss's uncle. Uncle is retired in Florida lol. Boss runs everything. Starting to think about the master down the road. Do my 4 years even count if the guy who actually supervised me isn't the licensed one? Not trying to get anybody in trouble. Just don't want to find out in 3 more years that none of it counts.

3 replies 8 helpful
threeway_02 · New to electrical (career switch) · Essex County, NJ · Aug 18
Question

36 and switching to electrical: union apprenticeship, trade school, or just find a shop?

I'm 36, been in insurance claims for 11 years and I'm done with it. I want to get into electrical. I've read a lot and I keep going in circles on the three options: 1. Apply to the IBEW apprenticeship (I'm in Irvington, so I think that's 102?) 2. Do a night program somewhere first 3. Just call shops and try to get hired as a helper I have some savings but not a ton. Which of these actually gets me working and learning soonest? I'd appreciate honest answers, including "you're too late for X" if that's the case.

5 replies 16 helpful
JO
joe.plumb · New plumber · 2 years · Camden County, NJ · Aug 17
Question

Press coupling spit water under test... boss says I never pressed it

So we did a small repipe in a ranch in Cherry Hill, all press, and when the boss put it under test one of my 3/4 couplings was spitting... he took one look and said I never pressed it. I swear I did. Then he showed me the pipe and there was no depth mark, because I skipped marking on couplings since "I could feel it seat"... Couple questions. Is it normal for an unpressed fitting to leak like that or did I just get lucky? And if I DID press it and it still leaked, what else causes that? Trying to not do this twice edit: boss redid it, passed. buying a marker for every pouch I own

2 replies 6 helpful
oldsteam_zig · Master Plumber · 28 years · Bergen County, NJ · Aug 14
Tip from a pro

To the kids who ranked low this summer

Saw a few of you beating yourselves up over a number. Here's what I tell my own helpers. A ranking is one morning of your life. It doesn't know whether you show up, whether you listen, or whether you can carry a 50-gallon heater up a split-level's stairs without banging the drywall. Go get a job with somebody who'll teach you. Learn to solder, learn to read a boiler, learn to talk to a homeowner without making her nervous. Then apply again with something to say. I've hired plenty of kids who never got into anything, and they're running service calls on their own now. Don't quit on it. That's the job.

0 replies 9 helpful
PE
peteplumb80 · 1st-year apprentice, UA · 1 year · Essex County, NJ · Aug 14
Question

what does a 4-way switch actually do in the middle?

UA 1st year, plumbing, so this is pure curiosity. The electrician on our job (commercial bathrooms in a building in Montclair, long corridor outside them) was explaining the corridor lights at lunch. 3-way at each end, I followed that from the other thread on here. Then he said there's a 4-way in the middle and it "flips the travelers" and he lost me. Flips them how? Why can't you just put a third 3-way in the middle?

3 replies 3 helpful
JunctionBoxJunkie · electrical student · Mercer County, NJ · Aug 14
Question

My teacher says public school jobs pay way more. What is prevailing wage?

Before school let out my shop teacher was going on about how the summer school renovation jobs pay "prevailing wage" and that's why everyone fights to get on them. I nodded. I have no idea what it means. Is it a union thing? Would I make more as a helper on one of those jobs? And why would a school pay more than a house? Explain it like I'm a vo-tech kid in Hamilton whose whole resume is one summer carrying wire, because that's what I am.

3 replies 18 helpful
RT
Rui Teixeira · Master Plumber, second-generation shop owner · 23 years · Hudson County, NJ · Aug 13
Discussion

No kids in the trade. Who buys a 2-truck shop when you want out?

Business side question, for the owners and for any Juniors thinking long-term. My father ran this shop for three decades and handed it to me. None of my kids want it. My nephew in Hamilton is in IT. So in ten years or so, who buys a 2-truck residential shop on the Hudson/Bergen line? The trucks and tools aren't worth much. The customer list and the phone number are the whole business. My father used to say a shop is just the people who still call you back. I half regret not thinking about this sooner. Anyone been through selling, or buying in?

3 replies 10 helpful
haddad_mech · Mechanical contractor (HVAC + plumbing) · 24 years · Burlington County, NJ · Aug 12
Discussion

Hiring two first-year apprentices this fall. Ask me what I look for.

I run a mechanical company in Burlington County: HVAC and plumbing, mostly schools and warehouses, a lot of it prevailing-wage public work. I hire apprentices every year and this fall I need two. I'm not posting a job here, and I won't take applications through this site. But I get asked the same questions every time I interview, so ask them here and I'll answer honestly. Fair warning: our jobs are on public schools, so there's certified payroll, background checks, and early starts. That isn't for everyone, and that's fine.

3 replies 23 helpful
EP
Exit117Plumber · plumbing student · Middlesex County, NJ · Aug 11
Question

Why did my sweat joint leak? Should I just learn press?

Vo-tech senior, helping my uncle on weekends. Sweated a 3/4 tee on Saturday, cleaned it, fluxed it, looked perfect. Turned the water on and it dripped. Redid it and it dripped again. Uncle says just buy a press tool and stop wasting solder lol. Is sweating even worth learning anymore?

4 replies 8 helpful
codebook_dale · Electrical inspector (former contractor) · 26 years · Ocean County, NJ · Aug 10
Tip from a pro

From the inspection side: whose license belongs on a heat pump swap

I get some version of this question every week this time of year, so I'll put it in one place. Not legal advice; your local construction office has the final word. As I understand the current rules, a condenser or heat pump replacement in NJ usually touches more than one subcode. The mechanical work goes on a permit from a contractor holding the HVACR license. The new disconnect, the whip and any circuit changes are electrical work, which means an Electrical Contractor pulls that permit or the work is done under one. Some companies have both licenses in-house. Plenty don't, and that's where I see trouble: the HVAC crew runs a new circuit because the panel was right there, and nobody pulled the electrical. The HVACR license is also newer than a lot of people assume. If I remember right it became required around 2014, so you'll still meet techs who talk like it doesn't exist. If you're a helper and you don't know whose license a job is under, it's a fair thing to ask. And find out which edition of the code the permit falls under; it changes what I look for.

0 replies 3 helpful
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groundrod_05 · New electrician · 2 years · Bronx, NY · Aug 9
Question

Prewar Bronx building: fixture is hot with both 3-ways off

Working non-union in the Bronx, mostly apartment renovations in prewar buildings. Today we were replacing a hallway fixture in a unit in Kingsbridge. Both 3-way switches off, and I checked the fixture with my non-contact tester anyway and it lit up on both wires. My mechanic checked with a meter, said there was voltage to ground on both conductors, then said "it's a Carter, leave it and call the office." I have never heard of a Carter system. We did 3-ways at Apex and none of this matched. What is it, and why would both wires be hot with the light off? Appreciate any explanation. edit: nobody touched anything live. He made us stop and the office is sending someone to look at it.

4 replies 15 helpful
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HeatwaveOnCall · HVAC tech helper · Passaic County, NJ · Aug 7
Question

worked 58 hours during the heat wave, check came back all straight time

so last week was the heat wave and we were running no-cool calls from 6am til like 10 at night. i'm a helper at a small residential shop in clifton, i ride with the lead tech. i counted 58 hours. my check came back 58 hours at my regular rate, no overtime. when i asked the office she said the owner 'doesn't do overtime for helpers, it evens out in the winter.' is that a thing? is that even legal? i don't want to get fired over this but thats 18 hours of time and a half i didn't get

6 replies 15 helpful
JunctionBoxJunkie · electrical student · Mercer County, NJ · Aug 5
Question

Route 1 at 6am in my mom's car for a $17/hr summer job. Ask about travel or suck it up?

Over-explaining as usual. Got a summer job with an electrical contractor whose shop is in North Brunswick, and the jobs are all over Middlesex and Mercer. I live in Hamilton and I don't have my own car, so I'm borrowing my mom's. Route 1 at 6am is a parking lot from the Quaker Bridge area up, and when I take the Turnpike instead the tolls add up fast. Gas is killing me too. I make $17 an hour. Is it normal for a shop to pay nothing for travel for a summer kid? Should I ask, or just suck it up until school starts?

2 replies 15 helpful
MB
Marcus B. · Foreman, Inside Wireman (IBEW) · 19 years · Morris County, NJ · Aug 4
Tip from a pro

Before application season: get your paperwork together now, not the week it opens

Every year I watch people scramble for documents the week an application opens. Don't be that person. I can't tell you what any specific program requires; each apprenticeship posts its own list, and you should go by that. But in my experience the usual suspects are proof of age, your high school diploma or equivalent, sometimes a transcript, a driver's license, and for veterans, discharge paperwork. Some of those take weeks to get. Request your transcript now. Find your birth certificate now. If your license is suspended, deal with it now. None of this is exciting. All of it has cost people a year. Stay safe.

2 replies 11 helpful
MS
ms_almonte · Vo-tech instructor, plumbing & HVAC · 28 years · Passaic County, NJ · Aug 2
Tip from a pro

Target superheat needs indoor wet bulb. Students, buy the probe.

Every summer a few of my former students come back from their first jobs saying they "checked the superheat" on a piston system and it was fine. Then I ask what their target was and they look at me. First, superheat by itself is just a number. On a fixed orifice system you compare it to a target, and the target comes from the manufacturer's chart or a target superheat chart, using indoor wet bulb and outdoor dry bulb. Second, wet bulb, not dry bulb. Wet bulb tells you how much moisture the coil is dealing with, and that moves the target a lot. A sticky July afternoon in Paterson and a dry day in September want different numbers. Third, measure the return air at the unit, not in the hallway. Buy a decent wet bulb probe before you buy the fancy gauges. Ask me how I know which one matters more.

0 replies 9 helpful
JunctionBoxJunkie · electrical student · Mercer County, NJ · Aug 1
Discussion

It was 97 outside and I swear 140 in that attic

Summer job, helping an electrical contractor while school's out. Today we ran a new circuit for a bathroom fan in a Cape in Hamilton, which meant the attic. In the heat wave. My shirt was soaked through in four minutes. I drank three bottles of water and my boss made me come down every 20 minutes, which I was mad about until I got dizzy on the ladder coming down the last time. I'm fine. Sat in the truck with the AC on for a while. Is this just what summers are? How do you all do this for 20 years?

6 replies 7 helpful
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groundrod_05 · New electrician · 2 years · Bronx, NY · Jul 31
Question

Bronx shop landed a Midtown high-rise. Driving in, or the 6 train with my tools?

My non-union shop in the Bronx got a three-month job on a high-rise in Midtown. First time I'll be working in Manhattan. Driving in means the congestion charge plus parking, and the foreman says garages near the job cost about as much as a car payment. Taking the subway means carrying my tools on the 6 at 5:30am. How do you guys do it? Does anyone's shop actually pay for parking in the city? Appreciate it. edit: shop says they'll cover parking for the lead only. subway it is.

1 reply 5 helpful
codebook_dale · Electrical inspector (former contractor) · 26 years · Ocean County, NJ · Jul 27
Tip from a pro

Inspectors notice which helpers are paying attention

Something I've noticed from the inspection side, for anyone stuck in the material-and-cleanup months. The helpers who come along on inspections and actually listen are the ones I later see running jobs. Not legal advice, just how I'd look at it: if your boss lets you, be there when the inspector walks the rough. Ask what he's looking at. Ask which code edition is in effect for that permit, and then go read the section he wrote up. Bring the permit card and the plans without being asked. You'll carry material for months no matter what. Spend twenty minutes of it learning what passes and why. It's the cheapest education on the job.

0 replies 12 helpful
JunctionBoxJunkie · electrical student · Mercer County, NJ · Jul 27
Question

how does an AFCI actually tell a bad arc from a light switch?

ok so last year in class we covered AFCIs and the teacher said they detect "dangerous arcing." but every time you flip a switch or plug something in there's a little arc, and a brushed motor like a drill arcs constantly. so how does the breaker know which arc is the bad one? is it just guessing off some pattern? because from what I hear on here they trip on random stuff and miss other stuff, so I'm skeptical. also the teacher couldn't really answer it so here I am

2 replies 3 helpful
Gio O. · plumber · 4 years · Hudson County, NJ · Jul 27
Discussion

Customer called the office and asked for me by name

4 years in, running service on my own in Hudson. I'm not a talker. Customers usually ask for my boss or the other guy, the one who can talk to anybody. Today the office said a lady in Weehawken called back for a second job and asked for "the quiet one who explained the water heater." Small thing. Made my week. The explanation was me drawing on a piece of cardboard because I'm better at that than talking lol.

0 replies 4 helpful
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benplumb79 · Apprentice plumber · 2 years · Somerset County, NJ · Jul 26
Question

Failed the DWV rough because we tested with air and the inspector wanted water?

Sorry if this is a basic one. We failed a plumbing rough today on a basement bathroom in Hillsborough. We had the DWV on air, gauge was holding, and the inspector said he wanted a water test and wouldn't look at it. My boss was annoyed but said this town has always been like that, and the next town over takes air with no problem. Is that a code thing or an inspector thing? I'd like to understand it before the retest Thursday instead of just doing what I'm told. edit: filled the stack, passed Thursday. Still curious about the why if anyone knows.

0 replies 4 helpful
thiago_sparks
Electrical Contractor · 22 years · Monmouth County, NJ

Topics to explore

Permits and inspectionsPricing a service callMini-split installs