An electrician explaining electricity is like a cop explaining the law.
They're hired to follow an instruction book. That doesn't mean that they have the least idea of the whys and wherefores of what's in the book.
Look at any of 1,000 videos of cops making up laws, falsely citing either the Patriot Act of 9/11, or explaining that parts of the Constitution and Bill of Rights don't apply in certain circumstances.
I'd rather listen to a cattle farmer talk about bovine genetics - he's likely to have some clue!
For a random residential cable puller, sure. (there are good electricians who do small scale, but it isn't necessary to do most residential work; it's really more about knowing how to retrofit things in various eras of construction, techniques for opening walls/patching, etc. -- kind of general handyman stuff)
Commercial electricians. power engineers, etc. are quite smart.
To use your analogy, the residential cable puller is like a local street cop, but commercial electricians and power engineers are FBI, SWAT, or lawyers. EEs are judges and legislators. You wouldn't get a comprehensive view of the law by talking to only one.
(I took EE classes in college, although no power classes, and was really glad to know some commercial electricians when doing power systems for datacenters. It was all in unlicensed places, so there were no code/compliance issues, just performance and safety.)
As an EE, I say ask one specific branch of the Electrical Engineering profession.
see [1], here there are 3 specific sub disciplines you can test in, and all are considered "EE"
computer
electronics
power
you want to talk to an expert in the power arena, but from what I remember when studying for the exam, the content was mostly things way above residential (which is what this discussion has been about) and more of power gen and conversion. Y, delta configurations and conversions, power angles and factors, etc. the kind of thing you come out really knowlegable in one very small area and still clueless on the NEMA power plug.
But, conversely, be careful about asking a physicist to wire your home. They may not be conversant with the codes, which contain a lot of practical wisdom.
I once tried to convince a physicist friend to not use just solder on his ground connections. He thought that by using solder he was going above-and-beyond the code.
But actually, ground connections are required to be pressure-fit, not just soldered, to ensure that heating during a current spike does not allow the connection to separate.
Soldered (sweated) fittings are not allowed on gas lines for this reason though: If there was a fire you don't want the gas lines to leak after the solder melts.
What I said is correct according to the NEC. In fact, the relevant part of your link says:
"Soldered splices shall first be spliced or joined so as to be mechanically and electrically secure without solder and then be soldered."
So, the joint has to be totally secure, mechanically and electrically, without the solder.
My friend was relying on solder and tape, with an inadequate mechanical connection that relied partly on the solder to hold it together. His installation was therefore not compliant with the NEC, although he did not want to admit it.
If you read the explanatory note related to the code, it gives the rationale I gave. Maybe it's BS, but it's the NEC.
I was just saying you don't have to use a pressure type connector - you can use a wrap splice, then solder it. (Electrical tape is not sufficient insulation, but you said this was a ground.)
The NEC is even more restrictive with equipment grounding conductors, actually. You are not allowed to use solder-only connections on grounds. I don't want to go farther down the road, since we're only talking to each other, but here is a link FYI:
"Connection of Grounding and Bonding Equipment. Grounding conductors and bonding jumpers shall be connected by exothermic welding, listed pressure connectors, listed clamps, or other listed means. Connection devices or fittings that depend solely on solder shall not be used."
You really cannot just twist-and-solder for a ground. It is specifically forbidden by the NEC.
