Customer in a mansion near Nashville asked me to install a dimmer on a 40 amp circuit

I told him it wasn't code and he said 'just do it anyway' so I walked off the job, has anyone else had to refuse work like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

terry_barnes13d ago

Just do it anyway" - that's the kind of request that makes me wonder if some folks think the wiring in their walls works on vibes and good intentions. I once had a guy in a beach house ask me to bypass the ground on an outdoor outlet because he didn't like the look of the plug. I told him no and packed up my tools, same as you did. Good on you for walking, because a 40 amp dimmer for a mansion sounds like a fire waiting to happen.

jones.brooke13d ago

Pretty sure a 40 amp anything isn't a dimmer, that's a switch rated for a big load. People get their terms mixed up and that's how fires start.

ericb6613d ago

Man, some people act like electricity is just magic smoke in the wires and you can make it do whatever you want... A 40 amp dimmer isn't even a thing you can buy at the hardware store, so he was probably asking for something that literally doesn't exist outside of maybe a theater lighting setup. I swear, the more money people have in those fancy mansions, the less they think basic safety rules apply to them. You did the right thing walking off, nobody needs a call six months later about a melted switch box and a fire inspector asking why you didn't say no louder.