Overall evaluation: Incompetent, and unreliable. Don't hire!
Paid him a total of $5500.00 to:
Replace/upgrade service panel, including breakers and all other needed hardware
Replace/upgrade entrance wire and entrance hardware
Replace aluminum wire to range with copper wire.
Replace/upgrade meter enclosure to include an outside main breaker
with additional breaker to support a new solar panel installation.
Replace and existing external generator hookup wire with a surface mounted
jack on exterior of house.
Was supposed to move existing identification of wires from current breakers
to the new breakers in the new service panel.
As part of the new entrance/service panel was asked to keep the knife switch functional to allow safe access to service panel in the future but there was also supposed to be a new main breaker in the service panel because the old service panel was a 'split' panel which is no longer consider safe (since there is no main breaker).
He was also asked to install an Emporia monitoring system in the new service panel.
This was all supposed to be completed to comply with National Electrical Code. He originally came and inspected the wiring and service panel and gave me the quote the next day. I gave him approval to begin and gave him $3000.00 as down payment. (Assumption was for materials and to begin with the remaining paid upon completion)
When he returned for the first day of work he was late.
On the second day he was late again. Every day that he came, he was late. I could not predict when he would come or not. He also would not return calls when he was a no-show for a day. In all, it was two and half weeks that elapsed before he was mostly complete. He never called an inspector which he said he was going to do. Now I know why. (See list below)
List of items done incorrectly or not to code:
1. Didn't replace all breakers, used some of the wrong kind that could be made to work. Service panel he provided was a GE, and he provided nineteen GE breakers, but eight (8) breakers were either Eaton or SquareD which don't completely click-in properly. He re-used from the old service panel.
2. When he made these new connections, he did not use a torque wrench to measure whether the proper torque had been used on the connections to the breakers or anywhere else in the service panel or outside.
3. Didn't rerun wires properly (to code) into the new service panel; they were unprotected, should be in conduit or run from behind the backing panel.
4. Although he correctly re-used or provided new wire cable clamp connectors for the service panel, some were loose and some were facing the wrong direction.
5. Didn't repair/complete the external ground connection properly, only had one which failed inspection by National Grid. Used an internal wire connector instead of external and didn't bury the ground connection. Solar Co. corrected to pass inspection.
6. Ran new wire up through existing roof pipe and replaced wiring head, but did not weather-seal the pipe or the new head causing water to run down into the meter enclosure! (Identified by National Grid when they came to replace the meter)
7. When he replaced the wire of the entrance, called National Grid for a
self-disconnect/connect and used splicing connectors which are not rated for outdoor use and positioned wires which facilitated rain water running down them into the meter-enclosure.
8. Didn't identify any of the circuits with new labels so when it was complete, couldn't tell what breakers controlled what circuits.
9. Didn't run the wire exiting from service panel to the external generator jack in conduit to protect it even though it ran from the bottom of the service panel up the wall in the basement. He did use a 50 amp NEMA connector for the generator plug.
10. Did not affix any of the wires entering the service panel or exiting using any kind of wire staple as required by code. Including the main entrance wire.
11. Inside the service panel, he ran out of ground connections so he connected a significant number with wire-nuts together instead of adding a new ground-bar.
12. When he hooked up the two-phase sub-panel which had three 4-gauge wires he used a 12-gauge wire for the ground and did not run it in the provided protective conduit. He removed red-tape identifying phase from one of the wires.
13. He never cleaned up after himself even though he had a helper working with him. We had to clean up all the stripped wire insulation, extra wire, packaging, etc.. It was a considerable mess.
14. Half the wire clamps on the service panel were facing the wrong direction and some were also not tightened. Had to rip-out every single wire
from service panel and re-wire it myself. I also had to install the Emporia
monitoring system myself.
15. And finally, he asked me to pay him before done. Never saw him again! read more
