This month I would like to start off by addressing an e-mail I received in which the author wanted to know how to work with the electricians and avoid extra trips.
Of all the trades, the electricians are the ones who we have the most contact with. Making friends with them will always work to your advantage. Whether we are installing SuperValve, ElectraValve or hoses with pigtails for electric power brushes, we have to co-ordinate with Sparky.
To facilitate this co-ordination and ensure no extra trips, we make it clear to the customer/contractor that we need to come in at the same time as Sparky. Sometimes Sparky will drill the center of a tight bay and therefore we will have to add an additional inlet at the owner’s expense. It is amazing, when you explain to them that it will cost them money if they do not schedule you with Sparky, they respond accordingly.
In the same breath, we bring to their attention on our estimate cost sheets that say, “A Minimum Two (2) Week notice is required to help ensure time in our construction schedule.” Recently, a new account called us just as Sparky was finishing. We did a walk-through with Sparky and he told us which boxes we could leave our pigtails in and he said he would come back to hook/dress them up or do it on finish. We then informed the account that we would be back in exactly two weeks. We let them know that if one of our other scheduled jobs could be change, we’d be in sooner. If push comes to shove we will work on a Sunday, but only as a last resort.
We always run our wire and staple it according to code to the box Sparky wants. California code says we can just run the wire, not connect it. Some will tell you to run it to a light box and others will tell you to never do that. We just do as each Sparky says. We have a proper 6” and 18” 5/8” auger drill bit. The 6” works fine on our 18volt drill and the 18” on our right angle for when we have a lot of studs or thick wood to drill. If Sparky does not mind, we will put the wire in the box and strip the jacket and cut the wire accordingly. The more work we do, so he does less, will always make a friend and friends don’t mind doing a little extra once in awhile when needed.
While doing the walk-through, we will ask Sparky to keep to one side when drilling and running his wires so we do not have to zigzag through a bay. Many times we even mark off where we plan to drill to ensure that they don’t forget or another trade does not drill there.
We mark off where we want our outlet for our vac with the voltage and amps using a black Sharpe. If a particular receptacle is needed, we will also write that on the stud with our black Sharpie, ie. NEMA 620-R receptacle. On too many occasions, Sparky will not understand the word “here” and put it on the next stud over in the way of our unit. If we should catch this before dry wall and after he has left the job, we will make it clear to the site Sup. or G.C. that this will be a problem for them on finish.
Another trade we need to watch out for is the AC/heating people. They have the tendency to lay their ducts over whatever they want. This has surfaced to be a problem on a few cases where we had clogs or low airflow. Upon inspection, we discovered that the pipes over the years were clogged due to condensation and dirt build up. When those ducts chill from the AC, they chill the pipe and then the customer cleans on a warm day and voila we have condensation! Keep in mind that the only time the condensation can dry out is when there is air movement in a sealed pipe and air movement is when?
If we get in after them, then we might hang their ducts up or run scrap 2x4 along our pipe as the duct crosses our pipe. If we see them after we’re done, we make it clear to the G.C. and them that we need to be respected like any other trade.
If you should come in before the plumber is finished, you must do a walk-through with them. Too many times the plumber will change route and will have to cut you out or run his pipes touching yours. Once again, cold pipes running next to yours can cause condensation. On one occasion, a hot water pipe lying across the vacuum pipe melted down half way through. It did not make a hole, but collapsed the pipe. This was discovered while going through an attic checking for another problem on a service call on a 25 year old system.
Security, sound or low voltage companies have caused us trouble. On two occasions, the low volt company pulled their wire over our 18-gauge stranded wire and burned the outside jacket. This is a great reason why we use double-jacketed wire. On one occasion, they burned through the second jacket.
The dry wallers are the other trade that causes havoc. We have never had a nail or screw through our pipe, but on a few occasions we caught the dry waller talking our nail guards/plates off because they didn’t want to deal with them. Code requires a 5” guard/plate for a 2” pipe, available at any plumbing supply house.
The other problem with dry wallers is that they do not cut tight to the top and bottom of the plaster guard where the backup plate only has a 1/2” lip. This has caused the problem where the inlet will wobble with the hose going in and out. This too, is made clear to the owner/contractor at rough-in, that they will have to cut a section of dry wall on finish to give the proper strength, dry wall patch will brake loose.
Vaculine and Hayden are currently making the lip to 3/4” from 1/2” to help with this problem.
With that said, we used to, with great patience, use thin but strong pieces of metal to hold the mounting plate from pulling forward. Using a 1/2” x 5” piece, cut from an extra motor unit mounting bracket, we pre-drill the metal first, then use a dry wall screw to attach it across the 1/2” lip. This gives enough support on both sides of the hole to keep the mounting plate from pulling forward. We now make it clear that the dry waller failed to do his job, not us. They pay us an extra trip charge to come back and install the finish plate and double check the system after the patch and paint is done.
