Chicago weekly inspections 18-27-210.6

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rajenkins said:
That was for a once a week inspection. Probably not worth fling up once a week.
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It was a joke..
You don’t need an inspection every week. What you need is an honest EC that will draw up a real maintenance contract.
call him when you need a light changed
 
First thing I'd do (now) is to contract another electrician to see just how much 480/277v equipment you actually have and tell you how much maintenance it might need.

What could be 480v?
transformers- practically no maintenance ever needed, maybe check the lugs every 5 years
panelboards- about the same

motors (mostly going to be HVAC)- your hvac company probably maintains them
elevator- the elevator company would maintain them

277v lighting- unlikely it'll be incandescent, mostly going to be florescent- replace those with LED and they'll hardly ever fail (or convert to 120v)

Have I missed anything?

And $400 for a weekly inspection? That guy had better spend at least a couple hours walking the entire building.... I'd be asking for a detailed scope of work.
 
I'd bet a week of lunches that this is one of those things that is NEVER EVER enforced in reality. Building owners are going to change their own light bulbs; I highly doubt that most even know this rule exists. Even knowing about it, I'd sleep well knowing I ignored it.


SceneryDriver
 
oldsparky52 said:
What happens if you don't do it? Does the EC call the city? Is your electricity cut off? Fine?
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Some EC's are like that. If you don't hire them, they'll call the village/city and report you. That's a stop work order and a fine. Not sure how much.
I've been tempted to do it a couple times after wasting hours on a walk through, composing an estimate, and not even getting the courtesy of a return phone call to say "no thank you, I'll be going with someone else," but I've never done it. Doesn't seem right.

We have some real dirty players in this city. It's HIGHLY competitive. The problem is a lack of ethics and conflating the ideas of "free market competition" with "win by any means necessary." And don't even get me started on the union and how they treat Independent EC's. They fly the banner of "working class solidarity" but somehow "the working class" doesn't include Independent EC's?
 
rajenkins said:
Got a call back from Chicago electrical supervisor of some sort. He tells me there is no weekly requirement.

He said that what I am talking about must be required because of some high voltage equipment, probably lighting. That explains the Chicago municipal code that the electrical contractor referred me to, 18-27-210.6, and the language in the contract about maintain equipment over 150 volts. The contract talks about maintaining and servicing:
480/277 volt distribution and load centers
277 volt lighting
277 volt heating
277 volt equipment

The gentleman explained to me that because of the high voltage any maintenance, and he said even changing light bulbs, required obtaining a monthly permit under 14A-4-403.1. That permit costs $75.

The contract calls for “preventive maintenance” with “inspection and identification of defect or required repairs.” I am starting to wonder if these $400 weekly inspections I have been paying for were not just to check for burnt out lightbulbs.

Thanks to everyone for your input and help. If anyone have a Chicago license and would be interested in being the electrician of record and having a legit contract let me know.

Thanks
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Interesting... Well you know for a fact, whether intentional or unintentional, the "weekly requirement" is untrue. So that helps.

14A-4-403.1 Electrical. Instead of an individual permit for each alteration or repair to an existing permitted electrical installation, the building official is authorized to issue a monthly permit in advance for each calendar month of the year, to cover all electrical alterations and repairs during the calendar month in a specific building or structure...

Sounds like the permit is issued on a monthly basis so you're covered in case any repairs need to be made, as opposed to going through the bureaucratic process every time a repair needs to be made.

Sounds like more of a convenience thing than it does a requirement though. Sounds like the degree of regularity is still open to interpretation although it does clearly state that you're required to keep a monthly record. You could do the permit thing and be covered month to month, that doesn't necessarily mean you have to pay the EC to come in EVERY month.

I'd check with your insurance carrier and/or your loan servicer (if you have one) to see if they require any explicit degree of regularity.

If I were you, and this is just my opinion, which I may get a brick through my window for, I would hire another EC and fulfill some degree of regularity for a year or so until you fall off this other EC's radar... after which, unless your insurance carrier or a loan servicer specifies otherwise, determine the degree of regularity for yourself. Could be every month, once every other month, once every 3 months, bi yearly, or annually.

Personally, I see no reason for a high degree of regularity unless you're running some kind of commercial operation with heavy duty motors under use every single day.
 
Although this does make me curious... what is it that actually requires a business like a factory running a production line to keep an electrician staffed (other than necessity obviously)? Is it insurance-based??
 
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