5 Things I HATE About Being an Electrician!

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Whether you are an apprentice, a Journeyman, or even an electrical contractor, if you choose to live the exotic life of an electrician, there are going to be things that you just don’t like about the trade! Don’t get me wrong, while there are plenty of things that we LOVE about the trade (otherwise we probably wouldn’t be doing it!!), there are certainly things that we don’t like. In the latest episode of Electrician U, Dustin discusses a few of the things that he HATES!

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First on the list are the early mornings. Most of us start our work shift at 0700 (or earlier) and will be working that early for most (if not all) or our careers. Heck, sometimes we must be to work earlier than that! And unless you are the type to get up much earlier and get prepped for your day (get coffee or breakfast, workout, etc.) then that leaves you screeching into the parking lot with minutes to spare (if any at all). To make things easier, set your alarm early, get up when it goes off (in lieu of hitting snooze), get prepped for your day, and get on with it! However, a bonus for having to be to work at some ungodly hour of the morning means you generally will be off early, so you can do the necessary things that need to be done then.
The next thing has got to be the worst. Digging! I think we can all agree that digging trenches/holes with a shovel is a hot, laborious, and backbreaking task. And if the power isn’t being taken from overhead, that only leaves us with underground. And if you live anywhere near central Texas (I am sure there are other locations out there that are close in soil composition), that means you are living ON a rock making the task that much worse!! Let’s face it, digging several hundred feet of trench in the dead of summer would make anyone HATE it! A necessary evil, but one that no one likes.
Having to work in attics has got to be closely behind digging. Most electricians despise crawling in attics and will do most anything to avoid it. Why do you think the apprentice usually gets this lovely task?! Most attics are not overly spacious (in fact many can be quite claustrophobic), are usually very warm in temperature (here in central Texas, attics can approach 150 degrees in the summer!) and are generally FILLED with itchy insulation. But again, the same as with having to install conduit underground, we can’t WISH the power to get from point A to point B, so we have to put it somewhere! To make the attic work a bit easier, plan ahead, take up everything you need to get done, and just slog through it as quick as you can. It also helps to plan said attic work for earlier in the morning when temps are a bit cooler.
Working at heights is nightmarish for many electricians. And considering that our conduits or light fixtures won’t install themselves at the ceiling level, a task that needs to be done, like it or not. The fear of working at heights can be exacerbated by using rickety ladders or equipment that doesn’t feel very stable. However, it’s been my experience that the fear DOES lessen with time, and several years into your career, it should be a bit easier. A big piece of advice is to let your journeyman know if you have a huge fear of heights, so they can watch out for you and assist if you freeze while working up high!
While most of us LOVE new tools (or just love tools in general), the quantity of tools needed to perform at/above the journey level can be the bane of many electricians. Seems we have a separate tool for every task! And considering ALL the different tasks us electricians perform, that equates to a van/truck FULL of tools. This leaves a whole lot of equipment to keep track of, to take care of, and can be quite expensive.
These are the things that Dustin hates about being an electrician. What are some of yours? Leave a comment in the comment section and let us know. Is there a topic you would like to see discussed on Electrician U? Also leave a comment and let us know what you would like to have Dustin discuss. Please continue to follow Dustin and Electrician U as we are constantly updating our content to assist our followers in becoming the best electricians that they can be.