Money maker.

[kwired]

This brings up a question I had here aproximately a month ago. Should inspectors have to be physically fit? Two different times two different cities inspector was unable to physically get to what needs to be inspected.
A. He was to large to fit in the manhole.
B. He was too old to climb the access ladder he couldn't walk without his cain and couldn't climb.
Just a thought, there should be restrictions in place for these persons so as to ensure that they are able to do the job that we as customers, contractors, and city citizens are paying them to provide. Likened it to the elderly person who just doesn't want to give up their drivers license but should be forced to due to the hazards that they put on the road.

I am bigger and probably just as out of shape as any inspector I have had, yet I got there to install it. They are just as capable of climbing or crawling to look at it if they want. I also know that they see the rest of my work and feel that it is somewhat pointless for them to go to every nook or climb a tower that has little to look at once they get to the top.
Sometimes they do ask questions about what is there. Sure I can lie to them, but I'm guessing they can tell sometimes who is trying to pull one over on them, and may actually go look at anything they have suspicions about. I would probably do that myself if in his shoes.

 

[cowboyjwc]

Is this one inspection the final inspection? Reason I ask is, we typically get the service entrance side all finished up just so we can get power back on as soon as possible. While we're waiting for the POCO to show up we finish landing the branch circuits, driving the rods, and taking care of all the miscellaneous work that doesn't keep it from getting heated back up.

One final inspection

 

[cowboyjwc]

I have worked on grain elevators and never had an inspector willing to climb the ladder to see what I did at the top. If they want access to see it, it is there, the same 125 foot long ladder permanently attached to the side of the elevator that I climbed when I was wiring it.

I have also installed wiring in attics and crawl spaces that they are more than welcome to crawl into if they wish to inspect it. They never do.

Had a contractor say to me just the other day, "hey I remember you, you're the guy that climbs in the attics.":happyyes:

 

[kwired]

Had a contractor say to me just the other day, "hey I remember you, you're the guy that climbs in the attics.":happyyes:

So would you climb 125 foot tall (or even taller) elevator leg to look at the motor on top? One that tall is often at least 20 hp but can easily be 100 or more depending on how much volume it is going to handle. Many times all that is up there for electrical is the motor. Sometimes there is area lights, sometimes a motorized distributor and associated controls.

 

[Cow]

So would you climb 125 foot tall (or even taller) elevator leg to look at the motor on top?

I'd be surprised if any inspector on a public forum such as this, would say no when asked directly. But then you get out in the real world, where the ladder rungs are frozen over with ice and the wind is gusting at 50mph....

I wouldn't expect anyone to want to climb it either.

 

[ptonsparky]

I'd be surprised if any inspector on a public forum such as this, would say no when asked directly. But then you get out in the real world, where the ladder rungs are frozen over with ice and the wind is gusting at 50mph....

I wouldn't expect anyone to want to climb it either.

On days like that, there is always paper work, coffee and a nicer day coming up.

 

[Cow]

On days like that, there is always paper work, coffee and a nicer day coming up.

Sometimes, it's wire the motor up or you're going home early. That usually motivates me to a point.

 

[kwired]

Sometimes, it's wire the motor up or you're going home early. That usually motivates me to a point.

Do you have something against home?

 

[cowboyjwc]

So would you climb 125 foot tall (or even taller) elevator leg to look at the motor on top? One that tall is often at least 20 hp but can easily be 100 or more depending on how much volume it is going to handle. Many times all that is up there for electrical is the motor. Sometimes there is area lights, sometimes a motorized distributor and associated controls.

If I didn't know you, yes I'd go up, it may take me a little longer than it used to, but I'd go up. If the situation was like cow mentioned, I'm not allowed to.

Now after our 2nd or third job, I may give you a break and not make you climb up there again.:roll:

 

[qcroanoke]

If I didn't know you, yes I'd go up,

Now after our 2nd or third job, I may give you a break

That is how I would do it when I was Q.C. in our shelters. I had 2 or 3 Electricians that if they told me Yeah, I fixed that. I believed them. Others, nope, I'm gonna look because in the end it was my rear end on the line if it was wrong or didn't work when the shelter got on site.

 

[kwired]

If I didn't know you, yes I'd go up, it may take me a little longer than it used to, but I'd go up. If the situation was like cow mentioned, I'm not allowed to.

Now after our 2nd or third job, I may give you a break and not make you climb up there again.:roll:

That is reasonable and is why most inspectors don't go looking in some places mentioned here on my jobs. They know what kind of work I do. It helps if they seldom ever have to ask/make you change something.

It does take me longer to climb up the leg than it used to also. Every time I make a trip up something like that I have a well thought out plan of what I will do, what to bring, etc. I don't want to make more trips than necessary, and will take a few breaks while ascending.

 

[ActionDave]

Do you have something against home?

I don't have much against going home, other than the the other people that live there; my wife and the two unfortunate results of the rare occasion that she was not upset with me or something to do with her mother.

But there is a cold drink in the fridge and some baloney and white bread, plus I get my turn on the computer after everyone else is in bed.

 

[jaylectricity]

Actually you need to be there when I am. Pretty small town, nothing more than 15 minutes away and that's if I miss all the lights. Phone in a request the day before and then call the day of and we'll set up a time.

Whoa, you live in a small town and you need all that to get an inspection? I have the cell phone numbers of the inspectors in small towns, they're almost always just a phone call away. You might have to wait a couple hours, but that's usually no problem.

 

[kwired]

Whoa, you live in a small town and you need all that to get an inspection? I have the cell phone numbers of the inspectors in small towns, they're almost always just a phone call away. You might have to wait a couple hours, but that's usually no problem.

People in populated areas of the country have a different perception of small town. Around here every town is a small town except for Omaha and Lincoln. To some people in some parts of the country those are also small. Everything else is smaller than 40,000 population or thereabout. Of all those 80% or more are less than 10,000, and most are even less than 2500. There are probably only two towns within 60-80 miles of me that are more than 2500.

 

[ptonsparky]

People in populated areas of the country have a different perception of small town. Around here every town is a small town except for Omaha and Lincoln. To some people in some parts of the country those are also small. Everything else is smaller than 40,000 population or thereabout. Of all those 80% or more are less than 10,000, and most are even less than 2500. There are probably only two towns within 60-80 miles of me that are more than 2500.

I'm a real city slicker in comparison, I have 8.

 

[kwired]

I'm a real city slicker in comparison, I have 8.

How many are not in your household?

There is an incorporated village called Monowi between Niobrara and Verdel - population one. Used to be two before the husband passed away. There are very few others in the nation that actually have only one or even two that actually are an incorporated village, don't remember the statistics anymore.

 

[cowboyjwc]

That is reasonable and is why most inspectors don't go looking in some places mentioned here on my jobs. They know what kind of work I do. It helps if they seldom ever have to ask/make you change something.

It does take me longer to climb up the leg than it used to also. Every time I make a trip up something like that I have a well thought out plan of what I will do, what to bring, etc. I don't want to make more trips than necessary, and will take a few breaks while ascending.

See we'd probably get along fine then.:happyyes:

 

[cowboyjwc]

Whoa, you live in a small town and you need all that to get an inspection? I have the cell phone numbers of the inspectors in small towns, they're almost always just a phone call away. You might have to wait a couple hours, but that's usually no problem.

Well like Kwired was eluding too, small is relative. There are about 160,000 people in town, I'm the only electrical inspector, plus I'm the plan checker. We do over the counter plan checks four days a week, so most days I don't even leave the office until 10:00 and that's if all of the appointments show up on time and we do an hour of training one day a week. I'm also in charge of off site plan retrivial and I didn't realize how often I needed to do that until I started doing it.

You won't wait two hours for me if I give you a time, sometimes the best I can do is a two hour window, but that's better than waiting all day.

We have cell phones, but we don't give the numbers out, to tell you the truth I don't even know my work cell phone number. It's for inspector to inspector or office to inspector. Our time is your time when we are on your site, I'm pretty sure that you don't want me talking to some other contractor when I'm supposed to be doing your inspection and I'm pretty sure he feels the same way. We also are considered first responders during an emergency, so we are supposed to have our phones on 24 hours, we don't have to carry them all the time, but they do want to be able to get hold of us within a resonable amount of time. If contractors knew that they would be calling at all hours and on my days off. It's hard enough for me to go out and not have to answer code questions all the time, with out guys being able to get hold of me 24/7.

 

[ron]

I don't carry an 8' ladder, but I bet you do. See you at the job site.:happyyes:

Does anyones insurance ever NOT permit you to use their ladder?

 

[iwire]

Does anyones insurance ever NOT permit you to use their ladder?

I know our company policy is to never lend ladders or lifts to anyone. .... But inspectors are not anyone.