Electrical Question

[notlist3d]

I was curious how other miner's dealing's with electricians goes?  

I was going to get a 240 30 amp breaker with wiring from a subpanal.  The cord would run from sub panel less then 10 feet in current configuration.  I figured I would get a quote maybe put two of them in depending on price.   It went good until the electrician saw a few miners he was hesitant I explained I was running computer equipment.    He looks at it and i says he will send me a quote... his ballpark was $500 dollars for 1.   I thanked him and sent him on his way as 500 for 1 breaker and 10 foot of line seemed rediclous.

He sent me a quote in mail to replace the whole subpanal!  It was a replacement box, put all brand new breakers to replace pretty current square d name brand breakers, with this I would get 1 new 240 breaker with 10 feet of cord. (and yes box was nice and had room for a 240 just to drop in).   His official quote 500 for labor and a little over 500 for parts bringing it to over 1000 dollars. Needless to say I will be having another company come in.   Best part was he suggested I have a second opinion, I honestly think he just did not want the job.

When you miners upgrade your electricity do you ever find electricians to be weary of a few miners?  Or putting in a decent 240 line in US?

[MCHouston]

I do not use electricians, all my meter installs, load centers, and dedicated circuits I installed to NEC code myself.  Although I have been involved with other people in my area that used electricians and they have just been more curious then anything.  The miners never really concerned them under any circumstance.  Only thing I can think of is your electrician maybe worried about the load you will put on your 30A circuit he would installed, so he wants to replace the cheaper Square D load center with something of higher quality GE, Siemens, etc.

Do you know if your Square D is using an AL bus?

[notlist3d]

I do not use electricians, all my meter installs, load centers, and dedicated circuits I installed to NEC code myself.  Although I have been involved with other people in my area that used electricians and they have just been more curious then anything.  The miners never really concerned them under any circumstance.  Only thing I can think of is your electrician maybe worried about the load you will put on your 30A circuit he would installed, so he wants to replace the cheaper Square D load center with something of higher quality GE, Siemens, etc.

Do you know if your Square D is using an AL bus?

I don't know for sure. The ones he was going to replace were 110's 10 and 15 amps so really not needed.  It's worked great for a few years. He also called it a Main when I called him.  Somehow he thought it was a Main not a subpanal.  So sounds like there was further mixups.  I'm not sure if he was trying to cheat me.  Or with the amount of times he said I should get a 2nd quote if he just did not want the job.  Which is weird since he did a free quote, and the company does a great job on cooling/ac's.  But this was first time to try their electrical side of business.

[MCHouston]

I do not use electricians, all my meter installs, load centers, and dedicated circuits I installed to NEC code myself.  Although I have been involved with other people in my area that used electricians and they have just been more curious then anything.  The miners never really concerned them under any circumstance.  Only thing I can think of is your electrician maybe worried about the load you will put on your 30A circuit he would installed, so he wants to replace the cheaper Square D load center with something of higher quality GE, Siemens, etc.

Do you know if your Square D is using an AL bus?

I don't know for sure. The ones he was going to replace were 110's 10 and 15 amps so really not needed.  It's worked great for a few years. He also called it a Main when I called him.  Somehow he thought it was a Main not a subpanal.  So sounds like there was further mixups.  I'm not sure if he was trying to cheat me.  Or with the amount of times he said I should get a 2nd quote if he just did not want the job.  Which is weird since he did a free quote, and the company does a great job on cooling/ac's.  But this was first time to try their electrical side of business.

Only reason I can think of to replace the panel if you have room for the breakers is cause it has an AL bus and he thinks you will do a continuous load more then 80% which AL can handle just a little safer to do with CU buses.  I am not a electrician but if it was me I would not replace it for a 30A circuit, a 60A+ yes but not a 30.

BTW: 2 Pole 30A Breaker, 10 ft of 10/2 Romex, and the outlet box and cover plate is like $75 of parts.

[notlist3d]

I do not use electricians, all my meter installs, load centers, and dedicated circuits I installed to NEC code myself.  Although I have been involved with other people in my area that used electricians and they have just been more curious then anything.  The miners never really concerned them under any circumstance.  Only thing I can think of is your electrician maybe worried about the load you will put on your 30A circuit he would installed, so he wants to replace the cheaper Square D load center with something of higher quality GE, Siemens, etc.

Do you know if your Square D is using an AL bus?

I don't know for sure. The ones he was going to replace were 110's 10 and 15 amps so really not needed.  It's worked great for a few years. He also called it a Main when I called him.  Somehow he thought it was a Main not a subpanal.  So sounds like there was further mixups.  I'm not sure if he was trying to cheat me.  Or with the amount of times he said I should get a 2nd quote if he just did not want the job.  Which is weird since he did a free quote, and the company does a great job on cooling/ac's.  But this was first time to try their electrical side of business.

Only reason I can think of to replace the panel if you have room for the breakers is cause it has an AL bus and he thinks you will do a continuous load more then 80% which AL can handle just a little safer to do with CU buses.  I am not a electrician but if it was me I would not replace it for a 30A circuit, a 60A+ yes but not a 30.

BTW: 2 Pole 30A Breaker, 10 ft of 10/2 Romex, and the outlet box and cover plate is like $75 of parts.

Yea it was crazy they do good AC work so I assumed their electrical side.   I will find a honest one or do something less I just worry about putting in a 240 30 amp myself. 

But there is no way I am paying 1k for a job that should have taken 15-30 minutes.   Literately drop in the 240 and run a line and then I would buy a PDU for it to go to. They were not providing PDU I wanted to pick it out myself.

I still am in shock he is certified and bonded, etc.  When he called the subpanal the main breaker over the phone I just could not believe the lack of effort put in or stupidity.

[notlist3d]

I was looking at it again.  I appears he was putting in breakers for nothing.  His materials listed a breaker for each spot. 

No idea why put in a breaker when it's not wired.  It just was one crazy quote.