Shoutout to the hardware store manager who talked me out of a bad wiring job

Was about to run 14-gauge on a 20-amp circuit for a new workshop outlet last month and this older guy at Ace in Portland stopped me mid-cart. Said "you'll roast that wire the first time you plug in a table saw" and walked me to the 12-gauge spool instead. Anyone else had a random employee save them from a fire hazard?

2 comments

2 Comments

terryrobinson13d ago

That "you'll roast that wire" line is exactly what my buddy Mike heard at Home Depot when he was about to do the same thing. He told me later he'd probably have burnt his shed down if that guy hadn't stopped him.

morgan.nancy13d ago

Home Depot guys are hit or miss. Some know their stuff, some are just reading the box. Lucky for your buddy he got the right one. Still, a lot of those employees are seasonal or just there for a paycheck. Wouldn't trust every wire gauge tip from a guy stocking shelves. Better to look up the chart yourself before wiring anything important. A shed fire is a big deal, but so is trusting the wrong info.