Seattle house fire reveals marijuana grow operation
by KING 5 News
KING5.com
Posted on January 23, 2011 at 11:48 AM
SEATTLE - King County sheriff's deputies are investigating a marijuana grow operation after a house fire in White Center.
The fire started after 1 a.m Sunday on 10th Avenue Southwest.
Firefighters say flames were shooting out of the ground floor when they got there.
They quickly put the fire out and when they searched the home they found marijuana plants in several rooms.
No one was hurt.
Sheriff's deputies say they've made no arrests so far.
So sad to see all these fires because of idiots doing their own wiring. Hiamp electric will wire your power needs to code and and make sure your room doesn't bring uninvited friends. Will only wire grow rooms for carded patients and is very confidential, can pull any permits needed. He is a full service license and bonded Electrician.
Seattle house fire reveals marijuana grow operation
if someone just pays attention to the details, wiring is not the difficult and should never result in a fire. this is someone cutting corner or not doing their homework.
What really scares me is when I meet growers who wire their own stuff but they've never heard a term like, "continual load" before. Or inductive versus resistive...
just do your homework and youre fine. or find someone like the OP who knows what they are doing and let them do the work for ya.
Seattle house fire reveals marijuana grow operation
Nothing personal but most people should not do their own wiring. How many people even know how to use an amp probe? Did it for 35 years and there is a reason I made what I was paid. Mike at hiamp is a good friend of mine and before I would hook lights up I would make sure the electric panel isn't a Zinsco or FPE...Most home owners won't change that themselves...He doesn't hook the lights and stuff for your room, he makes sure the outlets you will use are able to handle the load and your service is safe.
Seattle house fire reveals marijuana grow operation
most home owners should learn how to safely hook in a circuit to a modern panel, its really not that hard.
Seattle house fire reveals marijuana grow operation
Its not that hard to do the math to figure out what load your system can handle. If you have a home with aluminum wiring don't do it. Its really quite simple to wire a house you just need to do a little research, maybe buy a wiring book from the hardware store.
Have completely rewired a couple homes during the remodeling and its not that hard. The inspector comes in either approves it or he doesn't. One of the things you find out in the process is there really are no codes for wiring, onlu inspectors personal opinions and they all vary.
Seattle house fire reveals marijuana grow operation
Quote:
Originally Posted by killerweed420
Its not that hard to do the math to figure out what load your system can handle. If you have a home with aluminum wiring don't do it. Its really quite simple to wire a house you just need to do a little research, maybe buy a wiring book from the hardware store.
Have completely rewired a couple homes during the remodeling and its not that hard. The inspector comes in either approves it or he doesn't. One of the things you find out in the process is there really are no codes for wiring, onlu inspectors personal opinions and they all vary.
That sounds just like the requirements to get a general contractors license in Washington. And look at all the shit shacks that get built today!!! Mold, Chinese drywall erosion of electrical wiring, leaking roofs, building in flood plains, in homes less then 10 years old. We didn't build shit shacks back in my day, not even tract homes. Now days they put the same cheap garbage in custom homes as HUD housing. :D
Seattle house fire reveals marijuana grow operation
Quote:
Originally Posted by gypski
That sounds just like the requirements to get a general contractors license in Washington. And look at all the shit shacks that get built today!!! Mold, Chinese drywall erosion of electrical wiring, leaking roofs, building in flood plains, in homes less then 10 years old. We didn't build shit shacks back in my day, not even tract homes. Now days they put the same cheap garbage in custom homes as HUD housing. :D
The reason shit shacks get built today is because people of your day want more profits and have changed their ethic codes..they are the owners of the businesses now, not the employees anymore.:D
Just a rubic you may have overlooked.
Seattle house fire reveals marijuana grow operation
Quote:
Originally Posted by gypski
That sounds just like the requirements to get a general contractors license in Washington. And look at all the shit shacks that get built today!!! Mold, Chinese drywall erosion of electrical wiring, leaking roofs, building in flood plains, in homes less then 10 years old. We didn't build shit shacks back in my day, not even tract homes. Now days they put the same cheap garbage in custom homes as HUD housing. :D
May not seem like it to you but there are actual codes and if you know them you can fight an inspector and even change code. Been there done that. You guys crack me up....Jacks of all trades....ROFL.
Seattle house fire reveals marijuana grow operation
Quote:
Originally Posted by hiamps
May not seem like it to you but there are actual codes and if you know them you can fight an inspector and even change code. Been there done that. You guys crack me up....Jacks of all trades....ROFL.
Besides having a Master's Degree in anthropology, I'm also a Master Carpenter. So, I am master of some!! :lol5:
and when I was building houses, to change the code took $50.00 or the mafia to torch the place and redo it. Probably hasn't changed one bit, different faces, higher prices, same bandit. :D
Seattle house fire reveals marijuana grow operation
Quote:
Originally Posted by gypski
Besides having a Master's Degree in anthropology, I'm also a Master Carpenter. So, I am master of some!! :lol5:
and when I was building houses, to change the code took $50.00 or the mafia to torch the place and redo it. Probably hasn't changed one bit, different faces, higher prices, same bandit. :D
Not like that in the Electrical for Washington. The last fight I had was over non-fused disconnects at Red Dot in Tukwila. The inspector turned my job down and I felt he was wrong and when his supervisor refused to overturn him I went to the State Electrical inspector. Was a woman at the time and she came out, saw I was right and chewed the inspectors out Big Time and submitted the change to the NEC. No Money, just an honest inspection, I have never backed down from an inspector if I am sure I am right. I have had 3 Big fights with inspectors and have won all 3, I choose my fights.
Sad you guys see so much crap work, I was mainly commercial/industrial but have wired quite a few really well built custom homes. Just finishing up a 5000 sf house that is solid as hell. Never did track houses but that is what it sounds like most have seen....
Seattle house fire reveals marijuana grow operation
The reason I started this is to bring emphesis on safety. Many places have burned down because of bad wiring jobs, people taping wires together, not knowing to leave stranded fixture wire longer than solid they may be hooking to...etc. When one of these places burns down and kills a kid...watch what will happen then. It surely isn't that we need the work...I will try and answer any questions anyone has about wiring.
Seattle house fire reveals marijuana grow operation
Quote:
Originally Posted by hiamps
The reason I started this is to bring emphesis on safety. Many places have burned down because of bad wiring jobs, people taping wires together, not knowing to leave stranded fixture wire longer than solid they may be hooking to...etc. When one of these places burns down and kills a kid...watch what will happen then. It surely isn't that we need the work...I will try and answer any questions anyone has about wiring.
I always left the electrical work for the electrician, and they always left the framing and trim and final work for me!!! :lol5: They did make me some great four-way plug boxes to plug all my cords into back in the old days. :D
Seattle house fire reveals marijuana grow operation
Quote:
Originally Posted by hiamps
Not like that in the Electrical for Washington. The last fight I had was over non-fused disconnects at Red Dot in Tukwila. The inspector turned my job down and I felt he was wrong and when his supervisor refused to overturn him I went to the State Electrical inspector. Was a woman at the time and she came out, saw I was right and chewed the inspectors out Big Time and submitted the change to the NEC. No Money, just an honest inspection, I have never backed down from an inspector if I am sure I am right. I have had 3 Big fights with inspectors and have won all 3, I choose my fights.
Sad you guys see so much crap work, I was mainly commercial/industrial but have wired quite a few really well built custom homes. Just finishing up a 5000 sf house that is solid as hell. Never did track houses but that is what it sounds like most have seen....
I never had to deal with the code problems really. Though we did do a house in a certain state, two for that matter next to each other, one I fixed due to the architect not making the stair opening right. The other house had some concrete poured out of level in and outside wall foundation in the garage area. I was told frame it, make it level with framing and finish the house. We did. Looked great except you could still see the bad pour. Went home, came back the next day, and it was a partially standing structure. :lol5:
The super looked at me, I looked at him, and he said, "salvage what you can, and we are going to redo the whole house. Got paid to frame the same house twice +. I knew who I was working for so you don't ask questions. You a good job, get paid, and go on your way!!! :S2:
Seattle house fire reveals marijuana grow operation
My experience with the electrical inspectors is that they're fairly easy to deal with. If there's a problem they show you what it is, you correct it and they come back and reinspect and sign off on it. Its not rocket science to wire a house if you're reasonably mechanically inclined and do your research. But if you're not you are far safer to hire someone to come it and do it for you.
I've always done every repair on my home or cars or other equipment so I'm comfortable with pretty much working on anything. Education is the key as it is to most things in life.
Seattle house fire reveals marijuana grow operation
As a thirty year electrican, I can give you some insight on amateur wiring. I have found that about 95% of electrical repairs I've done on homes and businesses are caused by loose connections. Very few of these loose connections were made by qualified electricians. Most of the time it was a wire or circuit added by the home owner or local handyman. Most electrical fires are caused by faulty connections. If you have a leaky sink or a hole in your sheetrock, you go to the hardware store, get what you need, and go home anf fix it. I wouldn't suggest doing this with your electrical system. Hire a professional for you and your families safety. If you can honestly say you can wire a new circuit into your electrical box during the day, then tuck your child into bed knowing you will see them in the morning because there won't be an electrical fire in the middle of the night, then do your own wiring. If you are not sure, call an electrical contractor without question. Most of us are honest and fair with our costs......Mike
Hi Amp Electric
Wiring services for medical marijuana growers
