Strange Requests

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chris1971

Senior Member
Location
Usa
I had a customer who wanted electrical circuits run to the gas gas dryer, water heater, gas stove so he could change all these to electric. A bit out of the ordinary but, certainly not strange until I went outside and noticed the gas meter was locked in the off position. Tell me yoour strange requests??????
 

readydave8

re member
Location
Clarkesville, Georgia
Occupation
electrician
get paid in advance

get paid in advance

I had a customer who wanted electrical circuits run to the gas gas dryer, water heater, gas stove so he could change all these to electric. A bit out of the ordinary but, certainly not strange until I went outside and noticed the gas meter was locked in the off position. Tell me yoour strange requests??????
If he can't or won't pay his gas bill, how do you know that he'll pay you?
 

ceb58

Senior Member
Location
Raeford, NC
If he can't or won't pay his gas bill, how do you know that he'll pay you?

Had a friend switched from gas to electric after several homes blew up. His wife demanded it.

This could be the case or the gas lines need repair/replacing. He may feel it cheaper to convert to elect. and pay one bill than have the lines repaired. If he cant pay the bill how is he going to pay for new appliances? But I still would be cautious as far as money goes.
 

chris1971

Senior Member
Location
Usa
I never did do any work for this guy. I didn't have a good feeling about this customer so, I gave him a high price. #10 for branch circuits? Did the customer tell you why they wanted that?
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Had a friend switched from gas to electric after several homes blew up. His wife demanded it.

There have been at least a couple homes around me that have had gas explosions but did not even have gas service.

The gas came in from underground gas leaks around the plumbing service.
 

readydave8

re member
Location
Clarkesville, Georgia
Occupation
electrician
I installed a contactor to run a range/oven circuit thru, added a switch at the top of basement stairs, customer hung a picture over the switch.

His elderly parents lived in the house and he wanted a way for them not to accidentaly turn on the stove, but still be able to use it when he came to cook for them. And make it not obvious what he was doing to turn circuit on.
 

tryinghard

Senior Member
Location
California
I never did do any work for this guy. I didn't have a good feeling about this customer so, I gave him a high price. #10 for branch circuits? Did the customer tell you why they wanted that?

He was applying "a little's good alot's better" design. I didn't do his work
 

bradleyelectric

Senior Member
Location
forest hill, md
Had a guy want me to run #8 from the panel to one of those $200. receptacles for his AV equipment. The room was on the lower level of a split foyer with a bulk head and no special acoustical attention. I figured it was a pretty ridiculous request and gave him a ridiculous price. I never heard from him again.
 

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
I had a customer who wanted electrical circuits run to the gas gas dryer, water heater, gas stove so he could change all these to electric. A bit out of the ordinary but, certainly not strange until I went outside and noticed the gas meter was locked in the off position. Tell me yoour strange requests??????

In Minnesota that is probably a strange request but here it's normal enough for a homeowner to give up gas alltogather.

Once they switch over to electric heat ( heat pump ) and get an electric water heater there isn't all that much left. I was at a home the other day where all they have left for gas appliances is a gas range. The man would like to get rid of it but his wife likes cooking with gas.

If I notice the gas meter locked in the off position I would casually ask how long they have been living at that address . There may be a good reason for the gas to be off other than not paying the bill. Switching over to total electric can be expensive so I do ask questions.
 

Mr 3phase

Member
I had a customer actually grab a peice of 2" pvc pipe and go up my ladder to see what it would look like againts the house...I had my back to her...when I turned around, and saw her, she got a stern talking to and the price of the job went up !
 

GUNNING

Senior Member
weird calls Hello?? hello??

weird calls Hello?? hello??

I get weird calls when my rates need adjusting. If someone feels as though its cheaper to call me and fix his radio than buy a new one its time to increase the hourly rate.

How much to fix the fridge, its broke cause the light is off (burned out).

I get how much to replace all my 2 prong outlets with grounded 3 prong devices (They will provide the devices).

I want my overhead service underground (Ill provide all material and permit). That one was a year ago, saw it yesterday and it still needs another ground rod and he wants his hugemongus new metal building wired. I told him to put the outlets in the slab in pvc and pre-plan. He didn't , the AHJ is peeved at him, and he is a Deputy Sheriff.

How much to replace the outlets in my living room, I replaced the breaker but they still don't work.

I need a fan replaced there is one there now so I don't need a fan box.

I call them "the weird calls" and when they start, I raise my rates till they stop.

When they come I'm speechless.

I get the Hello? Hello?
Sometimes I just don't know where to start.
Then they call back............ ugh.
 
Zero amp sub-panel

Zero amp sub-panel

Had a guy pay me to install a flush-mount breaker panel in the wall of a pool hall but with the guts removed and no wiring installed. He was obviously running numbers out of this place and he though this would be a good place to stash the evidence when he got raided, which I found out later was pretty frequently.
 
Dead Lite-bubs

Dead Lite-bubs

I was on a service call where a lady asked me if I "kept any dead lite-bubs" in my truck. She wanted to put them into the unused sockets of two and three lamp ceiling light fixtures where she would have only one 60 watt bulb. She said she did not want the electricity to leak out of the open sockets. She was serious.
 

RICK NAPIER

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
dead lamppost

dead lamppost

One customer wanted a lamppost out front but with no electricity run to it. She didn't care if it worked she just wanted it to look good. I told her to get a handyman to install it. Another woman wanted the noisiest bathroom exhaust fan there was so no one could hear her. I talked her into a radio.
 

mtfallsmikey

Senior Member
Not electrical in nature but....

Not electrical in nature but....

I sold/installed a bidet as part of a bath remodel, customer wanted to know where the seat was, told them bidets don't come with seats....
 
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