Money maker.

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ptonsparky

ptonsparky

Tom
Location
NE (9.06 miles @5.9 Degrees from Winged Horses)
Occupation
EC - retired
We are updating the lighting in a amall grocery. Changing the old ballasts and lamps to t8 with electronic ballasts. Called the SED to make sure this does not need a permit. Oh, but it does. A few at a time would be maintenance this is not. How many inspectors out there carry around an 8' ladder so they can take apart a fixture to see if we put in the disconnect? Our permits are very reasonably priced, but gee whiz.
 
ptonsparky said:
We are updating the lighting in a amall grocery. Changing the old ballasts and lamps to t8 with electronic ballasts. Called the SED to make sure this does not need a permit. Oh, but it does. A few at a time would be maintenance this is not. How many inspectors out there carry around an 8' ladder so they can take apart a fixture to see if we put in the disconnect? Our permits are very reasonably priced, but gee whiz.
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I don't carry an 8' ladder, but I bet you do. See you at the job site.:happyyes:
 
ptonsparky said:
We are updating the lighting in a amall grocery. Changing the old ballasts and lamps to t8 with electronic ballasts. Called the SED to make sure this does not need a permit. Oh, but it does. A few at a time would be maintenance this is not. How many inspectors out there carry around an 8' ladder so they can take apart a fixture to see if we put in the disconnect? Our permits are very reasonably priced, but gee whiz.
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I think it's a good thing that this job needs a permit and that way the work will be done by a licensed EC.

On the other hand I wonder how many contractors would even check to see if it does need a permit? Most contractors would just say they are doing a few at a time, a few today and a few tomorrow.
 
cowboyjwc said:
I don't carry an 8' ladder, but I bet you do. See you at the job site.:happyyes:
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That's fine. But be there when I am. We don't have to call for final until we are done. I can apply for permit online, start, finish, request a final online all before the inspector is within two hours of the place. They have smart phones and are updated 24/7 but their areas are large.
 
ptonsparky said:
That's fine. But be there when I am. We don't have to call for final until we are done. I can apply for permit online, start, finish, request a final online all before the inspector is within two hours of the place. They have smart phones and are updated 24/7 but their areas are large.
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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.
 
permit holder is responsible to provide to amd means fioor access to all work requiring inspections. it's amazing how some folks react when i inform them of that. "you failed my inspection why" i couldn't access it or see it. simple. read the code book and the ordinances. you'll eventually figure it out
 
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PEDRO ESCOVILLA said:
permit holder is responsible to provide to amd means fioor access to all work requiring inspections. it's amazing how some folks react when i inform them of that. "you failed my inspection why" i couldn't access it or see it. simple. read the code book and the ordinances. you'll eventually figure it out
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Get sign guys all the time that call for inspection and are not there. "Did I pass?" "I don't know I couldn't get up to it."
 
They don't, but you have to.
I had a job where we put one single light pole and I had to have a bucket truck on standby for 4 hrs so the inspector can check if the head was grounded.

ptonsparky said:
We are updating the lighting in a amall grocery. Changing the old ballasts and lamps to t8 with electronic ballasts. Called the SED to make sure this does not need a permit. Oh, but it does. A few at a time would be maintenance this is not. How many inspectors out there carry around an 8' ladder so they can take apart a fixture to see if we put in the disconnect? Our permits are very reasonably priced, but gee whiz.
Click to expand...
 
We've got a city inspector who just up and decided he wants to look at service changes before we lock the meter base up now. Usually we have POCO disconnect, rebuild the service, call the POCO when we're close enough to reconnect and then they slap the meter back in. Then, finish the rest of the job and call for final. But now the inspector wants to look inside the meterbase/metermain first, which means we have to wait for him to show up before we can call the POCO back out. There's not much to look at, we do all the grounding in the panel? Just that much longer the customer is without power....

I sure hope he's Johnny on the spot. How do you all handle service changes?
 
Cow said:
We've got a city inspector who just up and decided he wants to look at service changes before we lock the meter base up now. Usually we have POCO disconnect, rebuild the service, call the POCO when we're close enough to reconnect and then they slap the meter back in. Then, finish the rest of the job and call for final. But now the inspector wants to look inside the meterbase/metermain first, which means we have to wait for him to show up before we can call the POCO back out. There's not much to look at, we do all the grounding in the panel? Just that much longer the customer is without power....

I sure hope he's Johnny on the spot. How do you all handle service changes?
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I know it's different in a lot of places, but here if the meter is not locked the EC cuts the tag (utility notified before hand) and then cuts the service, does the panel change out and rehooks everything up. I come out and do one inspection and then I release it to the utility and they go out and crimp the service entrance conductors and lock the meter (meter locks are fairly new out here).
 
cowboyjwc said:
I know it's different in a lot of places, but here if the meter is not locked the EC cuts the tag (utility notified before hand) and then cuts the service, does the panel change out and rehooks everything up. I come out and do one inspection and then I release it to the utility and they go out and crimp the service entrance conductors and lock the meter (meter locks are fairly new out here).
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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.
 
In our area the POCO wont reconnect permanantly until they see a green tag.A few lineguys i have dealt with will resplice if they see a permit. They are the practical ones becuase they know a complete inspection requires all redtags of any sort to be taken care of in a timely fashion and they know that the green tag will come eventually.
 
PEDRO ESCOVILLA said:
permit holder is responsible to provide to amd means fioor access to all work requiring inspections. it's amazing how some folks react when i inform them of that. "you failed my inspection why" i couldn't access it or see it. simple. read the code book and the ordinances. you'll eventually figure it out
Click to expand...

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.
 
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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.
 
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