Doing work that is unnecessary

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In the old days, I would just refuse to do work that I felt was unnecessary.

Monday I realized that I have changed a bit. I still didn't like it....but I did it....for money.

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Typical light pole base hit by bus/truck. Pole was teaked at the bottom but the concrete base was completely intact. Most of the time they crack at or just below grade but this one was pristine.

Owners would not accept straightening out the base so, at an additional cost, I plucked out a yard of concrete, 24" round and 9' long, and sent it to the landfill.

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Threw some dirt in to soak up the water so the bobcat could drill out the bottom

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Did a temp refeed to other lights on the circuit, put a new sonotube into the hole to keep dirt out, and went home tired, sore and really dirty.

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I planned on taking pics of the bobcat wrestling the base out, and of the conduit 30" deep in rock hard soil but after spending a full two hours digging and laying with my head in the dirt hole, I forgot all about the camera.
 
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I HATE wasting resources though. I absolutely hate it.

I wouldn't make a very good government official.

Work is slow though so..........:rolleyes:
 
I know how you feel. About a month or so ago I got a call to give an estimate for a panel upgrade. The HO had a company out (a flat rate franchise) and they told her that she needed a panel replacement because there were "black marks" on the panel that meant it was over heating or the breakers weren't tripping or what ever they said. I looked at the panel and there was really nothing wrong with it except that it was getting old (probably an early 80's install) and there was some work done in the panel that was not all that neat.

I wrestled with whether or not to tell her that I saw nothing wrong and if it was on my home I would leave it or just give her a price for the replacement. A few years ago I would have just told her that there was nothing wrong and have a nice day. I wound up giving her a price and telling her that it was not as urgent as the other EC made it sound.

BTW I gave her a price of $1200 and could have done it comfortably for $900. The other company gave her a price of close to $5000.
 
I would find it more frustrating if they paid for that repair work but did not fix something else that was in dire need of fixing. That can be so frustrating.
Cool pics.
 
What is the pipe work to the plastic box, is it to hold the circuts away from work during construction ?
 
I plucked out a yard of concrete, 24" round and 9' long, and sent it to the landfill.
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Don't you have any concrete recycling places there? You're absolutly right that it's a shame to tie up landfill space with something that can be ground up and used a resource.
 
I believe he ran the conduit to the box to make a temp splice to power other poles. Is going to put a rod and stub out pvc to make ready for the pour Reconnect the old pvc to the new when he is ready to set the pole. Does look like 2 hots and a neutral with no ground in that pvc though.
 
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Was just on a job 24 similar bases. I think 9 or 10 ft 30" out round the rest square underground. The company tried to save money by sending service guys out to set the bases on the sly. They didnt square the bolts up with the road if I can get pics I will but it was a nightmare and all of the curbing was finished so they had to be dug out by hand. Some money they saved huh?? There is never enough time to do it right but always enough time to do it twice. 4 of the bases at seriously wrong heights also all direct burrial so you would damage the wire if you tried to nudge them with an excavator. I was quickly removed from the company upon my verbal opinion being expressed. :smile::wink:
 
What is the pipe work to the plastic box, is it to hold the circuts away from work during construction ?
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Correct. There was another circuit passing thru so I temp'ed it.

EGC is there. Bare wire in and out. Green went up pole.

Brown, yellow, orange, brown, bare in.....orange, brown, bare out.

I recieved the rebar cage, built according to specs. I'm going to need a crane to put it in place! I have never seen so much rebar in a pole base. There is barely enough room to get a conduit in there.
 
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