communication

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readydave8

readydave8

re member
Location
Clarkesville, Georgia
Occupation
electrician
Went to help a friend with a problem on a mobile home today, turned out to be an obvious bad neutral as turning on washing machine would cause some lights to dim and others to brighten, 130v L1-N, 115v L2-N.

Checked at meter and got similiar readings so it must be on POCO side. Called POCO and explained to man who was obviously just a phone-answerer, but felt like we had explained well enough for him to pass it on. He instructed us to turn off breakers, seemed silly since there's a main below meter but turned it off anyway.

When customer got home there was a note from POCO tech: "Found problem to be main breaker off, next time try resetting main before calling in problem."

No attempt was made to check neutral. And if I understood the story correctly, a $87.50 invoice?

I'm thinking about calling POCO tomorrow. And being nice. And insisting on talking to someone that knows at least a little bit about electricity (happens to be the product they're selling).
 
FWIW... Once you do get to talk to a person that has a little electrical background I would bet they will waive the charge since the communication you had rightfully expected to be conveyed wasn't.

Pete
 
This is where you need to get and write down the operators name and the request for the service number, or what ever it takes to make that bill go away.

:thumbsup:

Leave a note at the breaker and at the meter, state what is the problems... & with your cell phone.

Granted it's easy to arm chair quarter back!
 
readydave8 said:
Went to help a friend with a problem on a mobile home today, turned out to be an obvious bad neutral as turning on washing machine would cause some lights to dim and others to brighten, 130v L1-N, 115v L2-N.

Checked at meter and got similiar readings so it must be on POCO side. Called POCO and explained to man who was obviously just a phone-answerer, but felt like we had explained well enough for him to pass it on. He instructed us to turn off breakers, seemed silly since there's a main below meter but turned it off anyway.

When customer got home there was a note from POCO tech: "Found problem to be main breaker off, next time try resetting main before calling in problem."
Click to expand...

I apologize for laughing.

Reading this story made me think of this:
http://www.ajokeaday.com/Clasificacion.asp?ID=2
 
Thanks to those who suggested leaving a note, I never would have thought of that. I glad I didn't this time since I consider this a great story, I've been getting laughs with it all day, even from non-electricians.

My friend talked to service man in person, he came back & found frayed places on neutral, replaced span (triplex) from transformer to weatherhead, everything working fine now.
 
I sure feel lucky

I sure feel lucky

I don't call the POCO phone number unless I have a question about my utility bill.
I call the POCO Contractor phone number for any electrical business I need to conduct with them. Linemen don't answer the phones, but the (generally) girls that do answer the contractor line have always seemed to understand the info I've needed to convey.

I always assumed it was like this everywhere.
I'll repeat, I sure feel lucky.
 
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