Is it easy to hot-wire?

[MissB]

I think our contractor has hot wired a plug.

[Kali]

1. I know that term from starting cars

but yes pretty easy to wire a plug wrong - find the breaker for it and shut it off, then it is pretty easy to fix or call your contractor to come fix it

what makes you think this has happened?

edit to add http://www.do-it-yourself-help.com/wiring_receptacles.html

lots more, google "wiring new wall receptacle"

[MissB]

2. Perhaps I'm not being clear.

These guys brought in some sort of metal box to plug in our 220 circuit. My dryer is plugged in to the plug, plus there are two wires running to the plug. And their metal box had power running to it this evening, at the same time my dryer was running. They said that they'd unplug their box each day and plug my dryer back in, and I've never looked closely until tonight when I discovered both things apparently working off the same outlet.

This is a no-no, right?

[Kali]

3. it's probably fine

especially if they have their stuff turned off now

anyway you can post a picture? I know there are better qualified people than me around here - I'd more likely take the "ranch-rigged" approach that is sounds like your workers have done.

bottom line is don't touch any bare exposed metal wire and even if everything was running and it overloaded the circuit most likely the only thing that would happen is it would trip the breaker for that circuit.

talk to them tomorrow (Monday?) or just call - they didn't do what they said they were going to do and you are concerned shouldn't be a big deal. You could probably turn the breaker off and pull their stuff off, but not if you aren't sure about what they have done and you would be doing.