Question to dealers RE: Electicians

[HotTubMan]

Just curious how often you delivery a tub a that dosn't work because of some bone head error by the electrical contractor.

We have a recommended electrician. He leaves the wires and we make the final connection. When our customers use Ed and have us install, the tub always fires up and works fine (99%)

When customers get there own electrician and install themselves it seems to be 50/50. We always ask "was your electrician certified" the answer is always yes, even if we ask 10 times to make them answer. When the electrician comes back to the house they always say "its the tub", we send out a tech, identify its not the tub. Some of these people get pretty upset. They seem to think that there electrician knows better, 9 times out 10 they seem to be wrong. Yesterday this lady was threatening, demanding a new tub etc etc. She had a second electrician check yesterday. Guess what? The original electrician messed up! I accepted the apology, begrudgingly.

Things like this happen to y'all too?

[Chris_H]

If you are a Hotspring dealer it happens 20 times more than if you are any other dealer.  Usually because the electrician doesn't know how to read pre-delivery instructions.

[Chas]

If you are a Hotspring dealer it happens 20 times more than if you are any other dealer.  Usually because the electrician doesn't know how to read pre-delivery instructions.

Oh abso-stinkin'-lutely !! I have two electicians whom I have used for 15 years plus. I have had training sessions in the store with their guys - and they even made up cool certificates' which they proudly hang on the wall of their office so they can keep track of who has been trained and who has not.

But tons of folks seem to think they have a better way to do things - and often end up in a screaming match with their precious electrician once I point out the obviously incorrect wiring they did...

That is: incorrect for a HotSpring spa.

Most common minor problem: running the neutral wire to the buss instead of the GFI breaker in the sub panel.

Most common major mistake: not putting in the sub panel at all.

[poolboy34]

all the bleepin time!!!!!!  It's Almost ALWAYS the ones who know someone who does electrical too.  I still can't see how any licensed or unlicensed electrician for that matter can mess this up..........there a diagram not only in the installation manual but also inside the flippin spa too!!!!  I don't know diddly poo about electrical stuff........and I can hook up a spa.  I agree with Chris H about a watkins spa though....they are tricky, and i'd imagine there's been a few cases of an electrician or 2 that has hooked up a watkins spa (hot spring, caldera)wrong and fried the circuit board.

Good call HTM, as always.  We only recomend 2 electricians, one company does alot of commercial stuff, and the other guy has his own electrical business and also works for the local power company to boot.  When either of them do the work..........never ANY problems.  Someone else does it......................more then 50% of the time it's wired wrong.

[HotTubMan]

Do any of you bill your new customers for making you come out to identify poor work by electrical contractors? (please, electricians dont take offence. Its just the bad ones or the fake certifications that irritate me)

I haven't yet, but I am beginning to think it is the right thing to do.

[wetone]

Same storey with us, we now strongly recommened 4 electricians that we know. They get their quotes and choose the one they want and everything works well. We had a customer last year do his own electrical and would'nt ya know it, no go, he would not let us look at how he wired the gfi in his panel, blamed the "lemon" spa. We replaced all the pumps and spa pack . No change, finely convinced him to let us see his gfi and yip there it is clear as day, nautral from the spa not wired to the gfi, I changed it myself in front of him, flicked the breaker and everything fired up, his comment... well at least I know you guys know how to service the spa

Difficult delivery + all the .......stuff and a full day was gone.

This customer has since sent in 2 people that bought a spa, so now I can kinda smile about the whole thing.

[Chas]

Do any of you bill your new customers for making you come out to identify poor work by electrical contractors? (please, electricians dont take offence. Its just the bad ones or the fake certifications that irritate me)

I haven't yet, but I am beginning to think it is the right thing to do.

Mixed blessing - I would love to have the steady income stream this would generate, but if I do anything that leaves a bad taste in the mouth, my customer will not buy their next tub from us.

I do go out, and if it's one of the simple mistakes such as a nuetral wire on the wrong lug, I generally fix it in a second or two (I pull a multi-driver out of my back pocket and do the whole job while talking about the weather or whatever..) and I look like the hero.....

If I discover a major blunder, I show the customer the page or pages in the pre-delivery booklet, or I underline the parts of the installation instructions that didn't get read, or I simply point out a missing wire or other part.

They usually get it and call the electician. The electrician assumes he is my superior, and calls me and cusses at me for making them look bad. I mention that reports turned in by a licensed contractor for unsafe work done by another contractor tends to carry a lot of weight with the Contractors State Licensing Board, and I would be glad to finish this conversation with them if the guy can't calm down and listen....

[stuart]

If I discover a major blunder, I show the customer the page or pages in the pre-delivery booklet, or I underline the parts of the installation instructions that didn't get read, or I simply point out a missing wire or other part.

They usually get it and call the electician. The electrician assumes he is my superior, and calls me and cusses at me for making them look bad. I mention that reports turned in by a licensed contractor for unsafe work done by another contractor tends to carry a lot of weight with the Contractors State Licensing Board, and I would be glad to finish this conversation with them if the guy can't calm down and listen....

 

I just tell the Electrician he can jumper the hot wires together and.........

I'm kidding Chas! Put the mouse down, back away from the keyboard and take a breath before posting in a tirade!!

I  have found that many electricians try to jumper the system and cause board and heater problems. Then they tell me that they are the professional and I don't know what I'm talking about (until they fry a board, then they want to be my best freind!).

[Chas]

Chas! Put the mouse down, back away from the keyboard and take a breath before posting in a tirade!!

I'm OK now. Thanks. Phew. I had to go get some caffiene to calm myself....

I  have found that many electricians try to jumper the system and cause board and heater problems. Then they tell me that they are the professional and I don't know what I'm talking about (until they fry a board, then they want to be my best freind!).

Oh - don't get me started on fried boards !! That's one thing I like about HotSpring - it's real tough to fry the board. But the HotSpots and Solanas can go up in a puff of smoke. NOTE - I am not implying any shortcoming on the part of these spa designs, if you are stupid enough to jam 220 into a circuit designed for 110 you should be very glad if you don't see smoke -   Oops, sorry.

We now return you to your regularly-scheduled tirade:

I have only had one board get cross-wired, and it just blew a little fuse on the board. I don't see that fuse on the newer IQ2020 board, but I haven't had any hacks burn one of those up on my either, so maybe they beefed something up or designed a safety diode or something.
Of course that one board that did get cross-wired (hot on the neutral) was in Malibu, a good hour drive from home... Luckily the Radio Shack in Malibu carries fuses for HotSpring spas...