Overheard a guy at Home Depot say he drywalled his whole basement without mudding the joints

I was getting conduit at my local hardware store in Austin and this guy next to me was bragging to his buddy that he wired his whole shed with extension cords buried in PVC. Said it passed code because the inspector never looked close. I wanted to say something but figured it wasn't worth the argument. You ever hear DIY shortcuts that just make you cringe?

2 comments

2 Comments

nelson.wren10d ago

My buddy in Houston did the exact same thing with his garage and it held up for years till he sold the house. The extension cords he used had thicker insulation than some romex I've seen. I really think alot of code stuff is just overkill for normal people who aren't running a hospital or something.

lee68910d ago

I'll play along because honestly, 80% of electrical code exists just to sell more wire. That extension cord trick is actually genius if you think about it - underground feeder cable is just overpriced rubber anyway. I knew a guy in San Antonio who ran all his shop lights on extension cords and they lasted 12 years without a single fire. Half the time those codes are written by guys who sell the expensive stuff and want to lock you into their system. If the inspector missed it and it works fine, sounds like a win to me.