Electrical Magic

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Address: Huntsville, AL 35810, USA

Phone: (256) 466-6606

State: Alabama

City: Huntsville

Zip Code: 35810

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Reviews

Very rude and unprofessional.

My family and I were displaced after the series of tornadoes that came through (Huntsville) Alabama early last year; so I decided to look into the logistics of getting our portable generator hardwired into the house so we could at least power the essentials if a similar event happened.  I finally decided against it after finding out that the automatic transfer switches (the equipment you NEED to safely hook up a portable generator to your home wiring) were $500 and up.  After a while though, I thought "what the heck", I'll call my electrician just to see what he had to say about it.  He convinced me that I didn't need an auto-transfer switch and that they could potentially harm my generator if it couldn't provide sufficient power to the transfer switch when the power goes out again (which is technically true).

He went on to tell me that a manual transfer switch is what I'd want, and that it and all of the other equipment he'd need could be purchased from Home Depot for under $100.  He came with me to the store to show me exactly what I needed.  I found out after hecompleted the job that what he told me to purchase wasn't a transfer switch of any kind at all, it was just a breaker switch.  Any knowledgeable electrician will tell you that hooking up a portable generator into your home wiring without some kind of transfer switch can be very dangerous.  A simple breaker switch doesn't prevent electricity from the generator from back-feeding into your home, and in turn back into the power lines.  This has the potential to overload the home wiring (fire hazard) or kill a city worker should they be repairing your local power lines when the generator's on.  Which isn't as unlikely as it may seem, considering that repairs are more likely to take place during an outage, when you'd invariably be using your generator.

Before I was absolutely sure of this, I contacted Huntsville Utilities to get someone out to inspect it.  After telling them the name of the company who performed the work, they told me that he wasn't licensed and that they'd be sending a city worker and electrical engineer for inspection.  Upon arrival, they confirmed that the setup was dangerous and that he'd been performing work without a license, for which he'd be given a citation at the least.  They asked me for my receipt as evidence, so I don't remember exactly how much I payed for the labor, other than it was between $100-150.  I also spent $350 for the generator and $75 for the breaker switch, cable, and plug altogether.  No matter how you look at it, he was either being intentionally disingenuous in telling me that the breaker switch was a manual transfer switch and the inherent risks involved, or he was completely unaware.  Either way, I think it's criminal negligence and should prevent him from performing electrical work (not to mention his lack of license).

Needless to say, I've reversed the work he did on my breaker panel.

So basically he (either aware or unaware) potentially risked the lives of me, my family, and Huntsville city electrical workers all for a little over $100.  Not to mention that I'm out $525-575 between what I spent on the parts, generator, and labor;  I had no desire for the portable generator unless I could have it integrated into my home wiring.  I'm also unable to return it.  All in all, I suppose I have to blame myself partly for taking him at his word and not understanding the situation at the time.  I hope this review inspires people to look past cheap prices and demand to see people's credentials before hiring.  And above all, continue to support sites like Angieslist.

In summation: if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it probably wants to rob you blind.

 15 years ago (22-05-2012)

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