ECN Forum Forums Photo Discussion Forums Photos for General Discussion Did you know: It gets cold in the winter?

Yup,the struggle continues

They want timers added. They want the stuff placed higher, lower, or not put in at all. They want it fixed, but nothing changed. The hack work they fired the incompetent contractor over is now sacred, and they don't want the obvious support issues addressed, for fear that it will cost more and take time. They want me to do "Dept A" now, later, or not at all.

It's amazing how quick folks are to say 'my way or the highway.' I think they've become so accustomed to untrained hacks that they simply can't imagine what good work looks like. Ask any engineer here- the guys doing the work are little more than retarded chimps with tool belts. Safety is paramount- but don't bother us with that pesky NEC thing!

Hundreds of these things to do, and they want me to 'scavenge' parts?

I submit that this place has had so many bad experiences with bad contractors simply because .... they want hack contractors. They're a bad customer.

Reno:
I once was called by an owner of quite a few office buildings in the local area. I looked at some plans, and gave them a cost to do the tenant fit-up.

My foreman called me day one, hour one and asked me to 'get over here'.

Seems like the 'owner' liked to use OLD boxes, BX, devices, etc. Told my guys to deduct the materials.

The kicker was when I saw a partition wall that they cut above the base plate & moved to one of the new locations, and said 'just splice the wires'.

We all left!!

Do you have any idea what happened after that?

They probably got the trunk slammer back. The 'lady' was a little miffed that I walked, but....not my style to participate in hack work.

BTW, I submitted a letter to the Twp that we did no work, and please remove my co. as the Lic. EC on the job.

Getting your name off of the paperwork was a smart move.
Now nobody can blame you for a half-baked job that someone else did after you left.

I've been practicing "guerrilla craftsmanship." That is, I've started with the easiest fixes, and been quietly doing them as I please.

Guess what's happening? They like what they see, and I'm getting a bit less micro-management.

For example, today I took one instal that had clearly been done by someone who had never held a bender before. All the pipe wiggles were in an attempt to hang the pipe from a bit of strut - while still leaving the box swinging in the wind. Simply by using beam clamps, I was able to replace the 'worm' part with a simple straight piece - and everything was supported.

Another heater needed but a 7/8" offset in the pipe to look nice and neat. (That's what happens when you have a mix of deep and shallow strut).

It seems to be the little things that count. For example, I've been using a cheap toner to find breakers - something never done here before - and marking the pipe at the device with the circuit ID. In 20 years, no one has thought to do that. It's been all 'guess and flip.'

I've had more than the usual bunch of naysayers to contend with - in fact, part of me suspects the only reason I got this job was so folks could watch me fail. Instead, the critics are losing credibility.

John,

That is the first thing I tell contractors around here. If you didn't do the work, contact the building dept. to see who did. Make sure your name is not on that permit. Even if you started it, but someone else finished it, again, call then write a letter stating that you are no longer the contractor of record. You don't want you name caught up in some legal suit if something goes wrong.

I also tell the EC's around here, if you bid on a job, think you have it, and submit a permit to the GC, check in now and then to see if the work was done. Sometimes the GC will take your permit with your lic. on it, and let someone else do the job.

If I see a job that looks really bad, I check the permit to see if there is a lic. EC on the job. Sometimes there is a lic. EC signed permit, but the job is so, hacked up, I would call the EC to see if he really did the job or not.

As I go about working on these heaters, I am struck by the great variety of competency shown by the various tradesmen. Some clearly knew their stuff; others, it seems, had never worked with stranded wire before. Bending pipe? Clearly some of these guy's first time as well- and without any clue about fastening to structural iron!

I've learned that this CUSStomer actually had multiple contractors doing these installs. They have no kind words about any of them - while this same grumpy customer does all it can to interfere with my doing my work.

Example: I'll be working on a heater at the east end of the complex, when someone will get upset about a heater running in the south 40- so they'll have me drop everything to immediately answer the complaint.

Technically, I'm not there to clean up the pipe; I'm there to add timers to the circuit. These folks would have me hang another box in free air!

A few of the heaters need to be relocated. I'm having trouble persuading these folks to get a REAL plumber to move the gas lines- they seem to think 'anyone' can thread pipe.

I've been marking the pipe, right at the timer, with the circuit that powers the unit. That's been a real furball of its' own.

Imagine: 20 years in operation, and no one has seen any merit in identifying circuits. I think I've started something My use of a toner is scoffed at, though I've challenged anyone to show me a better way. Hot gloves? They proudly showed me a new pair they keep locked away, 'just in case' OSHA ever asks; forget about actually using them!

I can't understate the seriousness of the mess I'm dealing with. Several folks have lost their jobs - one at the middle management level - partly because of their campaign against me and my work.

For example: a heater I had reported as 'completed and working' failed to light the other day, when a cold snap came in. The cause? About 50 ft. of 3/4" black iron gas pipe supplying it had vanished. Gone. Professionally removed - this, in a plant rife with abandoned lines and mysterious wires.

Little things like that - and the plain neatness / competence of my work (when compared to the previous efforts) are winning folks over. Not that I'm bragging - my work is nothing exceptional - but the previous stuff was so bad.

Reno...

WRT labeling...

I was shocked at how often old work was not labeled. I simply presume that the boys ran out of time or it was no prority for their bosses.

In service work, just that alone has kept me on a job ten times as long as expected. The client had a fouled up lighting situation -- not to be believed. Based upon prior service electricians (my own fellows) the client expected that three days would get them by.

However, once the client's management found that I was mapping out all of their circuits, cleaning up all of the old work at the same time addressing dead high bays -- all over the place -- they wouldn't let me go.

The firm was making 'cake' from such a long service call. So my star was rising.

My advice to all service electricians is to leave the work looking better than when you found it. There is a LOT of trash work out there! Once you're on site, expand your scope of work, with permissions, which normally come fast and easy. Such work expansion never upsets your boss -- quite the opposite, in fact.