This really grinds my gears...

[electricalperson]

my favorite part of working in a resturant or other food place is opening a celing tile and getting hit in the face with a dead rat those resturants i never want to visit again

 

[stickboy1375]

my favorite part of working in a resturant or other food place is opening a celing tile and getting hit in the face with a dead rat

At least it was dead, no? :grin:

 

[360Youth]

I know of several HVAC firms that have on-board licensed EC. It would be nice to get a call from a regular customer on the work, but sometimes the HO likes the convenience of "one call, one coordination." Can't really fault 'em for it.

 

[ptonsparky]

Seems like the only person worried about having a license to do electrical work in NE is the electrician, everyone else just does whatever they want to do. Enforcement of licensing requirements is almost nonexistent for small and some not so small jobs.

 

[peter d]

They ran two brand new circuits for the equipment and wired it all up for her. I just let the owner know they should not have done the work and she was pretty surprised. Anyone else deal with this problem?

I see this more often with AC contractors wiring their own equipment. Most of the plumbers I know and work with in this area will use an EC to wire a boiler.

As an aside, the plumbing contractor probably charged way more to do the electrical part of the job than an EC would have. :roll:

 

[JohnJ0906]

As an aside, the plumbing contractor probably charged way more to do the electrical part of the job than an EC would have. :roll:

If this is true, maybe we should learn something from it. :wink:

 

[peter d]

If this is true, maybe we should learn something from it. :wink:

I would certainly hope so, but I'm not holding my breath. :roll:

 

[LarryFine]

my favorite part of working in a resturant or other food place is opening a celing tile and getting hit in the face with a dead rat those resturants i never want to visit again

Right on! I want to eat where the cooking doesn't kill them.

 

[LarryFine]

If this is true, maybe we should learn something from it. :wink:

I already have. When I replace a water heater, I certainly don't call a plumber.

 

[stickboy1375]

If this is true, maybe we should learn something from it. :wink:

Nope, I just had my furnace and water heater cleaned, they charged $96 dollars an hour plus a fuel sur-charge, (I dont feel bitter about what they charge) so I tell my boss and he just shrugs his shoulders, I guess Im the idiot and I really now know what I have to do.

 

[peter d]

Nope, I just had my furnace and water heater cleaned, they charged $96 dollars an hour plus a fuel sur-charge, (I dont feel bitter about what they charge) so I tell my boss and he just shrugs his shoulders, I guess Im the idiot and I really now know what I have to do.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

Likewise,

You can tell an EC (even your boss) he's not charging enough, but you can't make him raise his rates.

 

[petersonra]

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

Likewise,

You can tell an EC (even your boss) he's not charging enough, but you can't make him raise his rates.

You can also raise your rates and lose some part of your business to someone charging less.

 

[stickboy1375]

You can also raise your rates and lose some part of your business to someone charging less.

Better than working for free IMO.

 

[peter d]

You can also raise your rates and lose some part of your business to someone charging less.

Yup, that could certainly happen

Or you could just keep your prices the same and you'll be just like the sea of staus quo EC's who are just working and scraping by. No thanks, I'd rather work for someone else and get a paycheck every week than work as an EC for cheap.

 

[brian john]

most hvac and plumbing contractors around here have an electrican on staff.

From my days of doing residential work I concur with this statement EXCEPT that I would say the guy had an electrical license, based on the majority of work I saw he was hardly an electrician.

What bugs you I am sure and drives me batty, is seeing hack style work on a project where I (or others) have done a nice installation or with a regular customer.

 

[tmbrk]

Last summer I called a competitor of mine whose ad is just under mine in the Yellow Book. They are plumbing/HVAC guys that also do electrical service work. I asked what their rate for electric work was and the guy told me $143.00/hr plus materials which was about $20/hour more than what I was charging at the time. I knew from doing the numbers that I should have been charging around this much but was afraid I was too high. Long story short, it took a plumber to show me not to be too timid and charge what I am worth.

 

[stickboy1375]

What bugs you I am sure and drives me batty, is seeing hack style work on a project where I (or others) have done a nice installation or with a regular customer.

EXACTLY MY POINT!!! Everything looks good except what so and so heating/cooling contractor did.

 

[peter d]

Last summer I called a competitor of mine whose ad is just under mine in the Yellow Book. They are plumbing/HVAC guys that also do electrical service work. I asked what their rate for electric work was and the guy told me $143.00/hr plus materials which was about $20/hour more than what I was charging at the time. I knew from doing the numbers that I should have been charging around this much but was afraid I was too high. Long story short, it took a plumber to show me not to be too timid and charge what I am worth.

Thank you......

 

[LarryFine]

You can also raise your rates and lose some part of your business to someone charging less.

The response to that is: Would you rather work (to make up numbers) 40 hours for $3000, or work 20 hours for $3000?

 

[quogueelectric]

Went back to a regular customers house to change out some light fixtures, I inadvertently tripped a gfi protected circuit so I went to the basement to reset the breaker, I notice right away all the steam humidifiers I wired were gone and a brand new system was installed and wired, so I asked the owner who did the job and she replies so and so heating contractor.

They ran two brand new circuits for the equipment and wired it all up for her. I just let the owner know they should not have done the work and she was pretty surprised. Anyone else deal with this problem?

Yeah I have had pool guys steal breakers from me to use on thier work and I cant just pull them off the breakers and tell the customer call the pool guy when I am doing a 14,000 dollar basement apartment. But eating the 16$ pisses me off cause that would be a nice lunch or something that he stole on me. Pisses me off I didnt get the pool also all hv colors he probably stole the wire too so he could come in a lot cheaper.