Tracing a single wire for half a day taught me about patience on the job

I got a service call for an outlet that kept tripping the breaker. The house was old with tangled wiring behind the walls. I thought I could find it quick by checking the obvious spots first. Two hours in, I was still pulling my hair out without a clue. I decided to start from scratch and trace every inch of that circuit. It took four more hours of careful work with my tone generator and probe. When I finally found a nail driven through the cable in a hidden stud, it hit me. Rushing through diagnostics just leads to more time wasted. Now I plan for the long haul on tricky jobs, and it saves everyone's sanity.

3 comments

3 Comments

masons2729d ago

Been there! Taking your time saves hours later.

felixdixon29d ago

Spent 3 hours rebuilding Ikea, totally get you @masons27.

wright.nancy21d ago

Did you at least get the right parts this time, @masons27?