Mistakes that cost you money?

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SIRSPARKSALOT said:
Well, needless to say, we worked late that day doing two service upgrades. The one we were contracted to do and his neighbor's.:lol:
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That reminds me of the time my mother got her gutters replaced for free on her house in the same way. The contractor went to the wrong adddress. But it's difficult to go after the contractor for any corrections, complaints or warranty work when you didn't pay for. As I recall she did have some drainage issues.
 
cowboyjwc said:
And that's possible, but bidding a project had nothing to do with the mistake that you were talking about. In fact that's the same kind of mistake that got me a new garage door for free.:happyyes:
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templdl said:
That reminds me of the time my mother got her gutters replaced for free on her house in the same way. The contractor went to the wrong adddress. But it's difficult to go after the contractor for any corrections, complaints or warranty work when you didn't pay for. As I recall she did have some drainage issues.
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What is a costly mistake for one person often has a benefit for someone else, as you both mentioned, as well as the OP.
 
One of my most recent ones happened maybe two years ago while subbing. I was wiring a sunroom (had been a deck before) and wasn't allowed into the main part of the house - only into the basement where the panel was. When I went back to trim out, the GC said they wanted to add another line for something along the house wall. Ok, I got to work. It was framed strangely and I was having a hard time getting my drilling angle without being able to go inside to see the other side of the wall. Turned out there were two steps down from the deck level (which was even with the floors visible through doors on either end) into the dining room which spanned the deck on the other side of the wall but which weren't visible in the basement where I was drilling up into the exterior wall. My bit came up through an oak stair tread and for that I got thrown off the job.
 
That last one reminds me of one I had. It has been at least 10-12 years ago now.

Was wiring a bunk house, primarily for hunters to stay in. They had a loft with floor joists made from local cottonwood trees that were rough cut. I drilled these for wiring not knowing they were planning to leave these exposed. Owner had a big fit and actually made a bill for damage and repair and gave it to me with the difference deducted when he paid me.:(

I had no idea they wanted to leave these exposed, he acted like I was stupid - it was a rustic themed cabin. Well at rough in time everything is rustic you might want to mention you don't plan on covering a particular area otherwise how am I to know. :slaphead:

They were only 3/4 inch or so holes - I gave them idea of filling them and making them look somewhat like natural knots in the wood, which I thought was a pretty fair compromise considering everything.
 
I had a friend of mine hired a roofing company to re roof his vacation house. The roofing company called him and told him they were finished and he said - what? I'm at my house - you never came. what are you talking about?
the roofing company had the right address - wrong town.

my buddy then told him he would still let the guy roof his house to at least recoup his would be profit for his roof and the guy said ok but he wanted the money up front for the job. my buddy said - forget it - beat it pal.
 
templdl said:
That reminds me of the time my mother got her gutters replaced for free on her house in the same way. The contractor went to the wrong adddress. But it's difficult to go after the contractor for any corrections, complaints or warranty work when you didn't pay for. As I recall she did have some drainage issues.
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I once came home and found 3 cords of wood in my yard. My neighbor stopped by to ask how much I paid for it because he just ordered 3 cords of wood. I told him nothing, I think that I have your wood. The wood guy didn't want to move it again, so I bought it for a discount.
 
Restaurant Service Confusion

Restaurant Service Confusion

This thread got me thinking about a job I did just after I started my business.

A restaurant owner called me and said his 100 amp main was tripping during parties.
I took a look and it was actually a 100 amp sub panel that was way over loaded with AC units and kitchen equipment as well as receptacles that the DJ would plug into. So I gave him a quote to install a new 200 amp feed and upgrade the panel. I also relocated one of the AC units to the main panel. No problem the pipe run was on top of the roof and It was going pretty smooth just a day or so before mothers day (apparently one of his biggest days $). The main panel was a basic 3 phase 120 / 208 4 wire it even said so on the fairly new panel. It turns out the owner had a non licensed guy who worked at the counter at a supply house change his main panel in the past year or so. The guy used the wrong panel as this service was a high leg system. I turned everything on and started smelling smoke. I was running out to replace the APC battery back up and dimmers, it could have been worse.
You're probably thinking didn't you notice every 3rd phase open? Well I didn't because all of the breakers in the panel were 3 phase feeding sub panels and I trusted the tag on the panel. I was litterally shaking when I realized what had hapened and I now check with a meter everytime and never believe what the stamped tag on the panel says.
 
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Mike Lang said:
This thread got me thinking about a job I did just after I started my business.

A restaurant owner called me and said his 100 amp main was tripping during parties.
I took a look and it was actually a 100 amp sub panel that was way over loaded with AC units and kitchen equipment as well as receptacles that the DJ would plug into. So I gave him a quote to install a new 200 amp feed and upgrade the panel. I also relocated one of the AC units to the main panel. No problem the pipe run was on top of the roof and It was going pretty smooth just a day or so before mothers day (apparently one of his biggest days $). The main panel was a basic 3 phase 120 / 208 4 wire it even said so on the fairly new panel. It turns out the owner had a non licensed guy who worked at the counter at a supply house change his main panel in the past year or so. The guy used the wrong panel as this service was a high leg system. I turned everything on and started smelling smoke. I was running out to replace the APC battery back up and dimmers, it could have been worse.
You're probably thinking didn't you notice every 3rd phase open? Well I didn't because all of the breakers in the panel were 3 phase feeding sub panels and I trusted the tag on the panel. I was litterally shaking when I realized what had hapened and I now check with a meter everytime and never believe what the stamped tag on the panel says.
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Only panels I recall specifically recall that are marked 120/208 are custom factory assembled panelboards and usually in the bolt on breaker types. In stock off the shelf panels are always marked 120/240 and if you read fine print it may mention 120/208 is acceptable. I could be wrong but is doubtful this panel was custom ordered for this application, it could be one that was a wrong order for someone else and supply house was stuck with it - and the price was right because of that.
 
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Little Bill said:
Boy you (OP) got some timing!:( I'm doing a job right now using Wiremold. I had to order it because the SH didn't stock white. I got the quote/price from them for it and all the fittings. The Wiremold comes in 5' pieces and I asked them just to make sure. "These are 5' pieces right?" They said they were and I said, "ok so, $?? for them right? 5' pieces right?" Yep that's right.
So I came up with my estimate for the customer and waited for the Wiremold to come in.
When I went to pick it up my bill was way more than I figured. The Wiremold itself was the reason for the high total. I asked them if they made a mistake. They looked and said no, 100' of Wiremold at $? a foot, that's what it comes up to.
I take most of the blame but I did ask more than once about the length and price. Problem is they were quoting me per foot and I thought it was per piece since they only come in 5' lengths.:rant:
I had already told the customer the total price and couldn't back out on what I told them, so I guess I'm eating $200+, not good!:cry:
I won't lose on the material, but I'm basically installing it for free.
Why do they charge per foot for something that only comes in one length?
I've only used Wiremold a few times, and then only a piece or two. Also bought it at Lowes and didn't think about it being priced that way at the S/H.
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I'm sorry but that is beyond messed up. You should see if you can get the store to knock a little off the price. Why would they give you price per foot if you can only buy it in 5' sections? That is a mistake on there part IMO. Good luck
 
kwired said:
Not trying to pick on anybody but all the stories of wrong voltage, open neutral, and similar problems are easily detected by actually testing for voltage before connecting loads - especially for receptacle circuits.
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Really, I would never have thought of that until you brought it up. :roll:;):D
 
We have a job to replace a bolted pressure switch, top fed, some how, some way, when I ordered the switch I ordered a bottom fed switch. Major mistake, non returnable and this is a 2500 amp switch, being bottom fed makes it the rarest of the bolted pressure switches we see. Any other size switch and sooner or later I could sell it, this may sit on the shelves for years and years and at $6,500.00 (+ or - a few dollars) that is more mistake than I want to eat.
 
For anything other than 120/240 service I always go outside and stare at the transformer bank. A buddy of mine added a 120/240 panel to a center grounded delta system and he believed the code: "center leg is hot leg". Turned out the panels were wired according to the power company metering convention C-phase hot leg. He didn't burn up too much stuff.
 
Cost me more than money

Cost me more than money

We moved into a house that was almost completely knotty pine, walls and ceilings, except for bath and kitchen. In the den there was a track light that used a cord and inline switch on one of the walls. I thought the cord was tacky, so I went about installing a wall switch and another box to feed the track light. My drill slipped and I drilled through the wall into the dining room.

We had been in the house less than 10 days.

I hung a picture in the dining room over the hole ... and never lived down the error.
 
fmtjfw said:
We moved into a house that was almost completely knotty pine, walls and ceilings, except for bath and kitchen. In the den there was a track light that used a cord and inline switch on one of the walls. I thought the cord was tacky, so I went about installing a wall switch and another box to feed the track light. My drill slipped and I drilled through the wall into the dining room.

We had been in the house less than 10 days.

I hung a picture in the dining room over the hole ... and never lived down the error.
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You could have put a knot in the hole and hung the picture of your mother-in-law in the garage.
 
Utility paid for part of this one:

Our out of town crews wired up a new pharmacy. For whatever reason in this instance the power was not supplied until the store was nearly complete, which is not the norm for us when doing these pharmacies. So everything installed and ready to go. Well the utility was coming and the lead guy sent over one of the guys with limited experience, "since he was just going to close the breakers and get power in the building". The system was set up for a 208Y/120 supply. The power company gets finished hooking everything up, they tell the guy that their work is done and he can fire the joint up!!!! And that is JUST what he did. He slammed closed those little breakers as fast as he could and before you know it 480Y/277 was smoking the joint!!! Needless to say NO ONE was happy that day. He said when he was nearly to the last couple of breakers and he slammed closed the one for the lighting in the receiving bay where our MDP and other panels were and heard sounds coming from the lighting that shouldn't have been there he just froze. LOLOLOL

There were a few lights that did not have the switches turned on so not ALL was lost :rant: But from what I hear that was a LOOONG job to finish LOL!!!:happyyes:

One simple meter and a few seconds would have saved a LOT of grief and despair. Too bad some people only learn by their mistakes and some never learn :slaphead:.
 
kwired said:
Only panels I recall specifically recall that are marked 120/208 are custom factory assembled panelboards and usually in the bolt on breaker types. In stock off the shelf panels are always marked 120/240 and if you read fine print it may mention 120/208 is acceptable. I could be wrong but is doubtful this panel was custom ordered for this application, it could be one that was a wrong order for someone else and supply house was stuck with it - and the price was right because of that.
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You're right the panel was not ordered for the job it was labeled WYE possible from another job that never left the supply house. The guy who worked at the counter at the supply house would take (steal) whatever was lying around and install it on the weekends. From what I remember the high leg was phase C.
 
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I wired a super high end custom home about 5-6 years ago. The customer had a huge beam running right through his garage so he had to order a special garage door from somewhere across the country. It was the type intended for an airport hangar. I wired up the controller, the motor and the sensors and fired her right up... I never set the switches for it to stop. The motor mounted to the door was the only part really damaged.
It was more funny than costly at the time.
 
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