DO I NEED AN ENGINEER TO HOOKUP MY NEW Wii?
Do I need an engineer to hook up my new Wii? Let’s start with the basics…
Buying The Gaming System
Let’s say you are a wiz with electronics. So, head out to the store and buy the system. The helpful sales clerk arms you with all the cables that you’ll need for the installation; and advises you to buy a surge protector as an added safety measure.
Connecting Your Wii
Now you drive home and park in front of your quaint historic downtown cottage and haul your purchases inside. After opening the box and unpacking the system, you take a thorough inventory. OK, all the necessary parts are here.
So, after reading the instructions twice and identifying what gets plugged where; you get busy putting it all together. Following the diagrams meticulously, you wire the components and in no time, you power up your successfully installed Wii.
Houston, There’s A Problem
But, minutes later, you catch a whiff of something burning. So, what happened?
- Gaming unit you bought is defective and the machine melted down
- System was plugged into a defective wall outlet
- You carefully plugged the system into the surge protector; which was plugged into the extension cord; which in turn is plugged into the only wall outlet in the living room of the quaint historic cottage
- ANY of the above
What Went Wrong
Well, although an engineer was not required to hookup a modern video gaming system. Had an engineer been consulted on the Wii installation project, they would have foreseen the catastrophe. A plan would have been drawn up so the house could be brought up to code.
The situation would have also involved hiring an electrician to get the necessary permits and do the work. However, in order to acquire the necessary permits, the electrician would have needed stamped drawings from an electrical engineer detailing the proper electrical distribution to handle the homes’ load (amount of stuff plugged in and/or using electricity in the house).
Things to Consider When Remodeling
Although you still may not be convinced that an engineer is needed to install a Wii, the fact of the matter is most people don’t realize that there are any number of household projects that do require an engineer. If you are working on remodeling your home or business, check with your local building department for the do’s and don’ts of your upcoming project. Or give Kramer Engineers a call and we will walk you through the process.
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