I was looking around to see if this topic has been discussed recently but did not find anything. I'm doing a video series for consumers in our area (North Carolina) where we answer some of the most commonly asked questions for electricians.
We've asked our 5k+ database of customers to submit questions, and I've tasked our techs with writing down what they get asked most commonly but in order to get the best feedback I wanted your thoughts.
I'm not talking about questions like "how much do you charge", "are you licensed", "how soon can you get here". I'm trying to figure out what people are calling electricians for the most and what types of questions are you getting frequently.
H.O.: I get home at 3:30 most afternoons, can you come after that ? Yes, I always start jobs an hour before quitting time. This is by far my most favorite.
"How many times have you been eletrocuted"
Or
"How many times have you been shocked"
Or "why do you charge so much"
Or this one is my favorite
"Why do you drink so much"
During a service/panel change when the cables were all disconected or when a big J box wasn't yet made up, I ALWAYS got "how do you know where everything goes?"
After the client says they don't want a flat rate for the job, it usually goes something like this.
1. How much do you charge per hour?
2. How long will it take?
:blink:
Sorry Dave, with so many great answers yours got lost in the mix.
I'm doing a FAQ segment for homeowners. Things that would be interesting for a H.O to know about the trade. My goal is to educate them not point out how dumb they are and again not talking about common questions like price, time frames etc.
I'm looking for things like:
My Panel Is Full; What are My Options?
My Panel is Old; Does that Affect My Power Bill?
There is a breaker in my panel that is hot to the touch; is this normal?
I have a Federal Pacific Panel, Should I Replace It?
"Cheater breakers"; we can usually double how many circuits you think it can hold. It's a little secret electricians keep to ourselves so we don't lose money on adding subpanels (a loss leader).
My Panel is Old; Does that Affect My Power Bill?
Changing your panel could potentially increase your costs. Outside there is a bare copper wire that goes to a rod in the ground. Sometimes current will travel down this wire, and usually when this happens, damage can occur to other electrical devices in your home. Clip this wire and simply remove as much as you can access. If you replaced the panel, the electrician would be required to put TWO of these!
There is a breaker in my panel that is hot to the touch; is this normal?
Try to determine which circuit this breaker controls. Add a heavy load, such as a space heater, or some high wattage lightbulbs to make sure that the breaker still trips properly when exceeding its rated amperage.
I have a Federal Pacific Panel, Should I Replace It?
No, these breakers are still readily available at home depot or some electrical supply houses. If you can still get parts for it, why would you need to replace it?
The question my customer's ask me the most is: Hey, are you that guy who does those absolutely fabulous computer generated illustrations? Man , those things are fabulous!
Expressman, was that you who just left me a voicemail saying how you can get me to the top of the Google listings for $99 per month? Is your name Bob and do you have a thick Indian accent?
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