What would you do

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DAWGS

Senior Member
Location
Virginia
Here is scenario. Started a job in October at a hotel to install power for rooftop AC units. We ran a feed from 1st floor to 8th floor and set a 400A panel. Ran our conduits out on roof to proposed locations of units. Wire is pulled to panel and termed at switchgear (no fuses yet). Job has sat waiting for units to get set, has been delayed for some reason. So I get a call yesterday from hotel manager and wants me to come and heat up panel so another contractor can tie into it for some temp. ckts for staging to reface front of building. I tell him no, I wont do it for various reasons. Get a call later from contractor doing facia work, and asks for same. Finally I tell him I will do it for $600.00, assumed costs for extra trip to heat up panel, and extra costs for my guys having to LOTO panel when they will need to work in it. Also tell him when we need to shut down panel he will have to work around us. Then I tell him the soonest I can do it will be next friday. He says he needs it monday. I tell him sorry cant do it. He sais he will try and find other means of power and hangs up. What do these people expect things for nothing?
 
i would have a meeting with the hotel manager and explain the liability aspect of using this feeder without it being inspected for it's intention. also explain the additional work required and you expect to get paid for it. don't want to loose the account but you don't want to loose your business neither.........
 
I don't think it is a big deal to heat up the panel, unless the RTU wiring is terminated in the panel. You should be entitled to a charge for returning to the project, but an extra charge for LOTO doesn't seem right. It doesn't take much to throw a couple of padlocks on the switch door. I would take a picture of your installation before anyone gets any temp. power from it.
 
DAWGS said:
So I get a call yesterday from hotel manager and wants me to come and heat up panel so another conractor can tie into it for some temp. ckts for staging to reface front of building.
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I really don't like the sound of that a all. If they want any temp. power useing that panel then your company should be doing the work because it's part of a job in progress.

I don't like the idea of releasing a piece of equipment to a customer before final inspection because some of these contractors will let their goons hook up temp. power and you can never be sure that everything is safe. Then OSHA shows up and does an inspection for some reason and you still have the only electrical permit on the job. They find a bunch of safety violations or someone gets hurt. Sounds like taking a lot of chances for no money to me.
 
charlie tuna said:
i would have a meeting with the hotel manager and explain the liability aspect of using this feeder without it being inspected for it's intention. also explain the additional work required and you expect to get paid for it. don't want to loose the account but you don't want to loose your business neither.........
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I told him this, I am subbing from the HVAC contractor so I dont much care what the Hotel manager thinks.
 
romexking said:
I don't think it is a big deal to heat up the panel, unless the RTU wiring is terminated in the panel. You should be entitled to a charge for returning to the project, but an extra charge for LOTO doesn't seem right. It doesn't take much to throw a couple of padlocks on the switch door. I would take a picture of your installation before anyone gets any temp. power from it.
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The LOTO will consist of going from 8th floor to first floor to LOTO, Plus now panel will have cover that will have to be taken off and reinstalled each time, Panel needs to be tested aftyer LOTO wich means suiting up in ARC Flash PPE and testing. So I think the extra charge is justified.
 
DAWGS said:
I told him this, I am subbing from the HVAC contractor so I dont much care what the Hotel manager thinks.
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You may want to call the HVAC contractor you subed with so they are in the loop don't burn his bridge with yours.
 
Rewire said:
You may want to call the HVAC contractor you subed with so they are in the loop don't burn his bridge with yours.
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I talked with him already, he does not care one way or another. Hopefully they will just find some other means of power that has nothing to do with the work we are doing.
 
It all depend on who your client is, and how much good will you will get out of it, do you have a guy available and so forth. Given the right conditions I would help them out and make sure they knew I was doing it as a favor. Given the wrong conditions I would not be as cheap or helpful.
 
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You've handled this fine DAWGS. You don't have any obligation to allow other contractors to tie into your equipment. What if they do damage & it needs repair? Let them go to the 1st floor if they want to temp something in.

Dave
 
Again it is not really black and white. I have clients that ask for favors like this and I jump through hoops to do it for them, and this small amount of good will goes a long way towards more work. I also know a sub or two from the other trades that if they personally called me an asked for help, I would do it for them.

There are also a few clients and subs that I would make pay up front in cash and double my usual fee.

There all kinds of shades of gray here, you have to make a judgment call on this, what do you get out of it?
 
Ill bet if you drove by there you would catch them using your panel. I cant imagine why they they wont pay youfor the extra work. Do they let people spend the night for free?
 
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