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Electrician has no idea!

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I purchased a new small greenhouse a few months ago to use for cuttings, it was just the right size to fit in front of my main greenhouse and be out of sight. I thought that i would need to get the electric into that greenhouse, before i am ready to put cuttings in there. I thought that while he was here he could also put some new heater bars (or whatever they’re called) into the greenhouse fan heater in the main greenhouse, mend the light in the main greenhouse, take the greenhouse fan heater out of the third greenhouse and replace it with tube heaters all at the same time while he was here. I wanted tube heaters in the third greenhouse because the fan blows the ferns and bruises them, brown ferns don’t look good on the stand. The man that came out to give me an estimate had not included most of what i had asked for in the estimate, i phoned up and told him what he’d missed off. Friday one of the electricians came out to do these jobs, they weren’t aware of most of what needed doing. They have mended the light and put the new heater bars in the fan heater. They have put the tube heaters into the third greenhouse, and a double electric socket into the little greenhouse. Now they will have to come back to fit a light and heater in the new little greenhouse, as the message hadn’t got to them what was needed.
I moved the foilage Begonias, Ivys, and ferns into the third greenhouse and put the new tube heaters on. Checked the temperature and it had gone down to 40 F over night, thought that the tube heater must not be powerful enough for the size of greenhouse. Checked it again next morning and the same result. Yesterday when i went down to check the greenhouses i discovered that the main greenhouse fan heater was running constantly. I had to unplug the heater. I phoned the electrician and said it was an emergency and i needed to get the thermostat fixed as a frost was forcast that night – He wouldn’t come. I must admit i was worried that i might loose my plants if i couldn’t get it fixed, I phoned a different electrician and luckily they came out and fixed the thermostat. The heater is now working in that greenhouse, thankfully as there was a hard frost last night. The tube heaters went down to 40 F again. As the first electrician has already started the job he will come and put the heater in the new greenhouse and, hopefully correct the tube heaters in the third greenhouse. Although i have used that electrician, and Stan my Begonia growing friend has as well, we have both decided that we will not use them again now. At one time they could be relied on, obviously not any more. We shall both be using this new electrician and hope that there is a service available when we need it, we have been assured that they will. We shall see!!

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Comments

 

oh my goodness some people!!!!! poor u and poor ickle plants!! Well we had the electrician out to put lights into the barn he first of all put the switch 12ft in the air so we couldn't reach it! We got that changed and all was well... until it rained!! He'd used indoor fittings on the exterior of the barn the switch filled with water and when switched on we were treated to a wonderful if not terrifying firework display!! Oh well we live and learn I suppose! :)

8 Apr, 2008

 

Sounds a bit of a nightmare Mark, I noticed that the Temp was down to 40f yesterday morning in my smaller unheated greenhouse, it is lined with bubble plastic. I tried a Parafin heater a couple of years ago but that was a bit of a disaster as one morning it had burned out and the whole house and plants were covered in thick black soot- what a mess, I have never lit it since.

8 Apr, 2008

 

Why can't they get it RIGHT and be reliable? You are the customer and are paying them for a service. Well, you won't be recommending them to anyone, will you? Glad your expensive plants are OK.

8 Apr, 2008

 

Ickledigga, sounds like there must be a few bad electricians about. Could be dangerous, electric and water don't mix and i would have expected an electrician, of all people, to know that.
Spritzhenry, I certaily won't be recommending them to anyone. It's a good job that Stan and myself had thought ahead and purchased a couple of spare thermostats. The waterproof ones that should be used in greenhouses can't be bought off the shelf at the wholesalers, they need ordering - what use is that, if there's a frost - the plants would be dead. We have a spare thermostat, a spare heater, and spare heater bars to be sure we are covered in an emergency. All the electrician needs to do is come and fit them properly, then we will need to order more spares.

9 Apr, 2008

 

There are some less than bright sparkies (as my dad would term "electricians") around, aren't there. What a nightmare for you, Mark, and Ickle, too. Hope there's some light, and heat, at the end of the tunnel for you now, though.

9 Apr, 2008

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