Mac, You have already received great advice, different strokes for different folks. Three things I would add:
Accepting an offgrid customer is a bit like getting married. It is a long term commitment. You want it to be a happy one. What does that mean to you? In my experience it is prudent to exercise particular caution when these situations include the extra element of a landlord / tenant relationship. After all, even though you got the call from the tenant, you will be working on property and equipment owned by the landlord. In your case, the landlord, an electrician, installed the system. It's a mess. Big red flag there. Why didn't the landlord get the call instead of you? If he did, and couldn't fix it, why wasn't he the one to call you? Auto starting generators? There have been many posts here on this topic. Some controversy and technical challenge exist, only more so in this case. 'Nuff said. Dick Ratico Solarwind Electric --- You wrote: I agree with Joel and Allan's comments; I just would add that I too have done many repairs, and rewires and found them to be decent customers. I also have never been sued, by using Joel's method of avoiding problem clients. Usually the rewire turns into a system upgrade ( I always do a complete load analysis) and before I know it, I'm selling modules, and batteries too. Just don't get caught in fixing one little thing, then getting call backs for everything else. You either create a system designed for their use, that is installed correctly, or you don't have your name on it. BTW, it does not all have to meet 2011 code, as it's repair of existing wiring, and so you have quite a bit more lee way. Old off grid customers that have been struggling for years make very good, informed customers that appreciate how much better the system works after, and spread by word of mouth, the good news to their off grid neighbors. This type of work is not for the squimish though, and I have had my share of 4 am worry sessions over some of this work. Also bill by Time and materials, you never know what you're going to run into, till you get everything off the wall. Ray Walters On 11/23/2011 11:23 AM, Allan Sindelar wrote: > Mac, > 1. Write notes on your concerns on your daily service record for the > site visit. Express strong concern. > 2. Write a cautionary note on the invoice to the landlord. > 3. Decide if you'd to tackle a system rebuild, or if you don't want > to get near it. > 4. If you can do it discretely, consider letting the tenant get (or > at least see) a copy of what you send to the landlord. > 5. Send the bill, wait two weeks and then call the owner to discuss. > What you advise depends on the answer to 3. > Allan > > *Allan Sindelar* > _Allan@positiveenergysolar.com_ <mailto:al...@positiveenergysolar.com> > NABCEP Certified Photovoltaic Installer > NABCEP Certified Technical Sales Professional > New Mexico EE98J Journeyman Electrician > *Positive Energy, Inc.* > 3201 Calle Marie > Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507 > *505 424-1112* > _www.positiveenergysolar.com_ <http://www.positiveenergysolar.com/> > > * > * > > > > On 11/23/2011 9:43 AM, mac Lewis wrote: >> Hey wrenches, >> >> Wanted to see what everyone does in a case like I just encountered. >> I got a call from a tenant for an off-grid system installed by the >> landlord (supposedly an electrician). I went up there to look at the >> site and it was a mess. System lacked OCPDs, there were gouges in >> the insulation of the wires, loose terminals, nothing ran in conduit, >> etc... I was called up there to see why the generator was not auto >> starting. I got the auto start working, expressed my concern to the >> tenant about the workmanship and left. Now I'm wondering whether I >> should have touched the system at all. What would you do? Is there >> liability here? >> >> Thanks >> -- >> >> >> >> Mac Lewis >> >> * >> >> "Yo solo se que no se nada." -Socrates >> --- end of quote --- _______________________________________________ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Options & settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules & etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org
