Field notes from the licensed trades — every Friday.
Expanded GFCI and tamper-resistant requirements are catching working electricians off guard on rough-in. Here's what changed, where it bites, and how to stop redoing work.
A jumper between neutral and ground on every receptacle in the house read 'correct' on a three-light tester for twenty years. It was a shock hazard the whole time.
A run capacitor that reads in-spec can still be the problem — and plenty of things downstream of it stop a compressor too. Here's the order I work the no-start condenser.
We priced out the three pool field-service platforms on the math that actually matters — what you pay as your route grows. The per-pool model and the flat model are not close.
Texas auctioneers renew through TDLR with six hours of CE — two of them mandatory laws and rules. Here's what counts, the reporting step that trips people up, and where to get it.
Texas cosmetology renewal has specific mandated CE topics, a TDLR provider number that must be on the certificate, and a reporting step that trips people up. Here's the breakdown.
Most AFCI trips that look like false alarms are real faults the breaker is correctly catching. A field-tested diagnostic sequence before you swap the breaker.
The short answer is no — Texas does not automatically report your continuing education hours to TDLR. But some CE providers do. Here's how it actually works.
The 2026 National Electrical Code adoption is rolling through state-by-state. These are the five changes most likely to catch a working electrician off guard on a real job.
Five HVAC CE providers advertise the same 8-hour course length. The actual time investment varied from 6.5 hours to 11 hours. Here's the breakdown.
Over-sized AC systems short-cycle, fail to dehumidify, and burn out compressors years early. A field-practical guide to Manual J load calculation without the spreadsheet drama.
A restaurant service call turned into the first time I genuinely thought I might pass out on the job. What the leak looked like, what I missed, what I do differently now.
A side-by-side comparison of continuing education requirements for licensed electricians in the three largest electrician-licensing states.
The continuing education rules for Texas water well drillers and pump installers are more particular than most people realize. Here's what counts, what doesn't, and what to do.
A call to look at a tow operator's service panel turned into the strangest live-equipment situation I've ever seen — and a reminder that not every dangerous job site is a job site.
Late fees, work restrictions, and the path back. A practical guide to what TDLR actually does when a Texas electrician license expires.
We compared five online CE providers for licensed electricians on price, state reporting, and course quality. Here's the honest breakdown.
We compared four online CE providers for licensed HVAC techs on price, state reporting, content depth, and platform experience. Here's the honest breakdown.
A Garland service call turned into the worst NEC violations I've found in residential. Coat hangers, taped bare copper, and a panel that should have burned the house down.
