 Electrician (by Tonia [RI]) Mar 21, 2023 2:22 PM
 Electrician (by Robert J [CA]) Mar 21, 2023 2:58 PM
Electrician (by myob [GA]) Mar 21, 2023 3:35 PM
Electrician (by plenty [MO]) Mar 21, 2023 4:01 PM
Electrician (by myob [GA]) Mar 21, 2023 4:27 PM
Electrician (by Hoosier [IN]) Mar 21, 2023 5:08 PM
Electrician (by myob [GA]) Mar 21, 2023 5:18 PM
Electrician (by Robert,OntarioCanada [ON]) Mar 21, 2023 5:40 PM
Electrician (by Vee [OH]) Mar 21, 2023 7:12 PM
Electrician (by PG [SC]) Mar 21, 2023 9:39 PM
Electrician (by Phil [OR]) Mar 22, 2023 7:33 AM
Electrician (by don [PA]) Mar 23, 2023 2:43 AM
Electrician (by Tonia [RI]) Posted on: Mar 21, 2023 2:22 PM
Message:
Called an electrician about an outlet sparking on the outlet on my well pump. He came right away with a $200 service call fee. He then swapped the outlet for a direct wire. When I inquired he said it should be on a dedicated line (the outlet was dedicated to the pump). . I wish he asked me first because then I got a larger bill then expected. Should I address this with him? I know nothing about electricity but to me it's a bigger job then just swapping an outlet. Any thoughts or feedback would be appreciated. --172.56.xxx.xx |
Electrician (by Robert J [CA]) Posted on: Mar 21, 2023 2:58 PM
Message:
I am a contractor -- electrical, plumbing, general A & B, concrete, structure, etc. When I get called out to do a job, some landlords do not specify their concerns on pricing. They simply want to know the "RIGHT" way to solve a problem.
This was a case of a cracking pool. Client purchased a multi-million dollar house with a constant cracking pool. The seller indicated the pools crack comes back and has to be re-done every couple of years.
The new owner asked me to fix the crack. So I gave them a written estimate for $3,750. They heard the price and didn't bother to read the estimate -- they wanted their dog to bite me in the rear end as I left the property. Then the owner called a pool company and paid $8,000 for the pool to be resurfaced. They jack-hammered the old surface and re-finished the surface, NOT addressing the crack. Two years later the crack came back, causing now $12,000 in earth movement. Then the owner had the pool fixed again, not dealing with the crack. The pool was re-surfaced and the crack was cosmetically fixed again. Then the pool began to leak at a rate of 6 inches per day.
Anyways finally the owner read my old estimate and saw I was going to cut into the crack and install torquing metal brackets to hold the pool together every foot along the crack and inject epoxy and Hydraulic Cement. They asked to do that repair. Of course the price had changed and they hung up the phone on me. The owner then called another firm that now wanted $7,000 to install the brackets and another $5,000 in testing. This new total was more than three times my original estimate.
So what I'm trying to demonstrate is my original estimate was out of line for a crack repair, but if the owner read my complete estimate they would have learned I was binding the two pool surfaces together using new modern techniques which would solve the problem once and for all.... --47.147.xxx.xxx |
Electrician (by myob [GA]) Posted on: Mar 21, 2023 3:35 PM
Message:
without seeing the outlet its tough to Monday night quarter back. I will say this. If you have a direct outlet anyway it sounds to me like it should have been direct wired. Believe it or not outlets and their connect screws cause amp draw from the circuit. A well pump has a big draw and the line voltage and amperage should be full power-- not any drop or excess resistance. --108.239.xx.xx |
Electrician (by plenty [MO]) Posted on: Mar 21, 2023 4:01 PM
Message:
So know you got the much needed direct line. So pay the bill. What do you want? --172.59.xxx.xx |
Electrician (by myob [GA]) Posted on: Mar 21, 2023 4:27 PM
Message:
just read Roberts post. His analogy comes under the heading: never time to do it right always time to do it twice.
The beatings will continue until moral improves. --108.239.xx.xx |
Electrician (by Hoosier [IN]) Posted on: Mar 21, 2023 5:08 PM
Message:
Pay the bill. You should have been more clear with him or her up front...
"Mr/Mrs Electrician, I'd like a detailed estimate before you make any repairs please."
--99.92.xxx.xxx |
Electrician (by myob [GA]) Posted on: Mar 21, 2023 5:18 PM
Message:
Tonia did the 200.00 service call fee also include the hard wire? If it did that sounds fair at todays pricing. --108.239.xx.xx |
Electrician (by Robert,OntarioCanada [ON]) Posted on: Mar 21, 2023 5:40 PM
Message:
What a dedicated line means that nothing else is connected to the circuit breaker or fuse where pump, microwave, dishwasher has to be on one line. In the house a 15 amp circuit was connected to dishwasher and microwave where if both were used together the circuit breaker would trip as the current draw was more then 15 amp. Brought two dedicated 20 amp circuits to microwave and dishwasher were 15 amp was sufficient as new code requires 20 amp for kitchens. A pump will draw a lot current although intermittent draw. In the house almost all the bulbs are LED where the stove, clothes dryer and demand water heater is natural gas where using electricity for heating is expensive. Compared to overall average of a single family house in the province of Ontario the power consumption is less then half of a typical 2000 square foot house. If installled solar panels on roof would never recover expense over lifetime. Was shopping a Lowes today where the lights went off then when left store all the traffic lights were out where realized the store has emergency generator that kicked in when power went out. --68.69.xxx.xxx |
Electrician (by Vee [OH]) Posted on: Mar 21, 2023 7:12 PM
Message:
A pump I assume has water involved so that would require a GFCI protection, is the breaker a GFCI style? Next is the breaker within -line of sight- of the pump meaning can anyone servicing the pump observe another person who might turn on the flow of power? Not knowing what is there it may have been an outlet which had worn off the slides or the cord plug with the same wear. --76.190.xxx.xxx |
Electrician (by PG [SC]) Posted on: Mar 21, 2023 9:39 PM
Message:
I would pay the bill. May be a little high BUT - key word - he came right away - he fixed a potential fire issue - And if the well is your source of drinking water a return to service asap is important.
Just a guess from your description you probably had a loose or corroded connection at the receptacle. Replacing the receptacle with a direct wire was the right thing to do.
Please consider using this as a lesson learned - establish a relationship with trades people or a good handy man you can TRUST before you have electrical, plumbing, HVAC, Well or other house hold problems. --72.173.xx.xxx |
Electrician (by Phil [OR]) Posted on: Mar 22, 2023 7:33 AM
Message:
If you are out of town by several miles, that could be a cheap price. Company has to pay travel time there and back.
Electrician brought it to code, could not do otherwise. Pay the bill --76.138.xxx.xxx |
Electrician (by don [PA]) Posted on: Mar 23, 2023 2:43 AM
Message:
Hoosier--Electricians and other tradespeople are not gonna drive out there, look at the problem, go back to their shop, send you a detailed estimate, and then go back out to the job IF you approve it. Maybe for a major remodel, but not for a little job like replacing a single electrical connection.
Tell them that is what you need, they are gonna tell you to call someone else or charge you $100 to go out there and prepare the estimate. --73.141.xxx.xxx |
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