Hooray! I got my employers' approval to get some electrical work we've badly needed for a long time in our lab/office suite done. I have no word-of-mouth recommendations of local electricians to go on, so I'm checking around online and trying to get quotes. As such, I have a few questions on how to most effectively screen for quality, recognize a fair price for the work, and deal with the etiquette aspects of the quoting process. [more inside]
posted by aecorwin on Jun 28, 2012 - 10 answers

Upgrading electric wiring in an old house. Help me sound smart when I call contractors. [more inside]
posted by zvs on Jul 18, 2011 - 14 answers

Just moved into a new apartment with older electric service. I have a few related questions about how my wiring works, and I'd greatly appreciate your input. [more inside]
posted by Admiral Haddock on Jun 6, 2011 - 7 answers

How do I hook up this commercial oven without frying it or myself? [more inside]
posted by tomatofruit on Jun 28, 2010 - 5 answers

DryerFilter -- In an early 20th century apartment in San Francisco, which is cheaper to achieve a dryer (i.e., the appliance that accompanies a washer): hiring an electrician to install 220 voltage, or hiring a plumber to run a gas line from the stove? Which is ultimately more energy efficient? [more inside]
posted by ClaudiaCenter on Nov 14, 2006 - 14 answers

Where can I find good electricians, plumbers, handymen, and whatnot in Baltimore? Is there a centralized resource where people can find out who's good, who's cheap, whose repair work is going to need repairing by another contractor, etc etc? Must one rely on word-of-mouth or blindly picking a name from the phonebook?
posted by schroedinger on Aug 8, 2005 - 4 answers