Home Depot Workers make me shake my head

[Peter Aeschliman]

Did you look at the list of things the APP need access to on your phone? Thank you...no.

To each his own, man. But I think it's a reasonable suggestion...

[David C. Roseman]

Wow, tough crowd! My reaction to Rob's story when I read it was, how nice that the employee saw he was having trouble, offered to help, then got concerned about his safety. He did start with a full disclaimer on the electrical advice.

[Ole Anderson]

Our HD often has an electrician in the electrical section and there is a gal in the plumbing that really knows her stuff, even for plumbing natural gas.

[jack duren]

I'm a bit confused on why you would have a 10amp tool connected to a 30 amp breaker. Does it pull 25 amps to start up the bandsaw?

[Leo Graywacz]

I'm sure it's a catch all receptacle. Put there for use on whatever tool might be plugged into it.

[jack duren]

Hum...Poor bandsaw

[jack duren]

Did he say it was a catch all when asking about a breaker for a 10 amp bandsaw? Im trying to figure out why a 10 amp bandsaw has a 30 amp plug?

[David C. Roseman]

Hum...Poor bandsaw

Don't know, of course, but I suspect the confused gentleman who was helping Rob at HD was probably thinking along these same lines: That a circuit protected by a 30 amp breaker could let the bandsaw motor burn up and/or start a fire because the BS could draw too much current for its own good if overloaded (e.g., trying to hog too much wood). From a code (NEC) perspective, that's actually looking at it backwards, as the circuit breakers in the building are intended (and sized) to protect the building's wiring against overcurrent conditions, not the devices that are plugged into it. Which is one reason many machine motors have a thermal overload breaker built into them.

BTW, there are a number of real electricians on this board who could chime in. I, like the HD clerk, am not one of them.

[jack duren]

Machines should be dedicated and not catch all. A 220 band saw is not a portable tool. But to double check myself since I'm not an electrician I'll ask the certified commercial electrician at work Monday.

[Leo Graywacz]

If you put it on a mobile base it is. Some people don't have the luxury of space.

[Ole Anderson]

If a 10 amp motor is connected with 10 amp wire up to the plug, and for some reason the motor stalled and started pulling near 30 amps and didn't trip its overheat, then you could burn up the 10 amp wire. Maybe that is what he had in mind. As previously suggested, just in different words.

[Phil Thien]

If a 10 amp motor is connected with 10 amp wire up to the plug, and for some reason the motor stalled and started pulling near 30 amps and didn't trip its overheat, then you could burn up the 10 amp wire. Maybe that is what he had in mind. As previously suggested, just in different words.

For answers to questions like these, we need simply look at countries where they use 220 for household. The cords attached to devices are sized for the draw of that device. So a clock radio has a small cord, a vacuum cleaner a suitably larger gauge.

The breaker protects the cable in the wall. It is up to the appliance to protect itself.

[Julie Moriarty]

Today, I put together my new band saw. It was wired for 220v and didn't come with a cord or plug. So off to Home Depot I go. I buy 10/3 wire and a plug and head back home. I wire the saw up and after finishing putting everything together, I want to fire up the saw to test it out. The plug I bought wouldn't fit into the plug in the wall. I mistakenly bought a 20A plug and the wall outlet has a 30A receptacle. So back to Home Depot I go. Of course, I can't find the right plug so a worker about 65 years old asks if he can help. I explain what I need and he starts asking me questions about what I need the plug for. I tell him its for my band saw. He asks how many amps does the saw use and I tell him its wired for 220v and the motor pulls 10 amps. He says, I'm no electrician but you can't do that. You'll trip the breaker or worse, burn up your motor. I look at him puzzled and then I said, with your way of thinking, if I have a 20 amp receptacle in my house and I plug a lamp into it rated for less than 1 amp, I'll trip the breaker or burn up my lamp? The saw motor only uses 10 amps. I have 30 amps available but I won't be using 30 amps of power. He says, well here's the right plug but just be careful. You don't want to start a fire. I took the plug and left. When I got home, I wired it up and the saw works fine.

This is one of the reasons I fail to understand why so many home centers won't sell you a furnace because, as they will tell you, you need a licensed installer. "This needs to be done right or it could be dangerous!" But walk over to the electrical aisles and there's everything you need to electrocute yourself or burn your house down and happy aisle workers dispensing their very limited knowledge.

A proper electrical installation is far more complex than most believe. I have met only one big box store electrical aisle worker who knows what he's talking about. The rest need to stop giving that kind of advice.

Rob, be careful about those plugs laying around your house. They will find the nearest outlet and suck all the power out!

[Phil Thien]

This is one of the reasons I fail to understand why so many home centers won't sell you a furnace because, as they will tell you, you need a licensed installer. "This needs to be done right or it could be dangerous!" But walk over to the electrical aisles and there's everything you need to electrocute yourself or burn your house down and happy aisle workers dispensing their very limited knowledge.

A proper electrical installation is far more complex than most believe. I have met only one big box store electrical aisle worker who knows what he's talking about. The rest need to stop giving that kind of advice.

Rob, be careful about those plugs laying around your house. They will find the nearest outlet and suck all the power out!

My HD has a couple of electricians working the isles. One of them is a guy I've used in the past.

But about a year ago I was visiting to pickup a couple of things and I saw the older (retired) electrician/now HD employee talking to someone and you could see the concern in the electrician's eyes.

I guess all they can do is give proper advice and leave it at that.

[Larry Edgerton]

This is one of the reasons I fail to understand why so many home centers won't sell you a furnace because, as they will tell you, you need a licensed installer. "This needs to be done right or it could be dangerous!" But walk over to the electrical aisles and there's everything you need to electrocute yourself or burn your house down and happy aisle workers dispensing their very limited knowledge.

A proper electrical installation is far more complex than most believe. I have met only one big box store electrical aisle worker who knows what he's talking about. The rest need to stop giving that kind of advice.

Rob, be careful about those plugs laying around your house. They will find the nearest outlet and suck all the power out!

Julie, I agree with you wholeheartedly! I am a contractor, and I will not so much as wire an outlet. I do not know what I am doing. I hire the best or the homeowners can find their own.

I hear all the time how easy it is by people that I know do not know Jack. Even in my own house it was all done by a pro. I wouldn't mind dieing in my sleep, but not because of an electrical fire.