Electricians

First, evil skwerl #5 passed this earthly life 2 days ago...  I THINK (and hope) it is the last.

Seeond, what on earth passes for an "electrician" these days?  I had a person from an A rated Angie's List service here today and it was like watching someone butcher a chicken with a machete. 

OK. it was a LITTLE complicated and I knew that going in.    So I contacted a top-rated company .  And to hell with the cost.  I like jobs done right. The stairway has a ceiling light way up at the top.  I wanted to replace it with a fake tiffany lamp I am sorry (but of course honored) to have inherited..  The stairs ceiling is the only place to put it so that relatives will see it but not bang their heads on it.  So basically, this fake Tiffany lamp is a matter of family pride I must endure.  I am not allowed to tell my older relatives it's fake.

Plus I decided it would be a good idea to add an old ceiling light at the bottom of the "damn it dark down there" stairs for safety and have it come on when the upper light was lit.  Two stairs, two lights, existing switches.  Logical.

The electrician who came out yesterday failed utterly.  I've done some electrical work in the basement, so I understand circuits in general.  I even know how light switches are connected to lights.  So when the electrician explained what he was going to do, I had my doubts , but he IS the professional from a top-rated company, right?

I told him I thought he needed to snake a wire through the walls to directly connect the upper light and the new light at the bottom.  I got one of those "who is the professional here" looks.  So, OK, do whatever works and I'll just stay out of the way.

I was right, he wasn't.  It's hell understanding how things work sometimes.  There are parts of the job I understand VERY well, but parts I don't.  There was NO WAY I was going to rebuild the wiring and support for the heavy lamp, and there was NO WAY I was going to snake wires through the walls.

But when he failed the 3 switch connections, I was resigned to the idea that I had to manage the switches carefully.  Until after he left and I discovered that one switch turned on only the upper light and then the other two would turn one OFF and the other ON!

What would YOU do?  I emailed the company and told them what was wrong.  I emailed because I wanted things in writing...  They are sending a more experienced electrician and a helper (to hold the damn lamp up in place while it s being properly wired, I assume) Friday.

Complaining works.  But I will wait and see the results.  If it all works, I may take pictures to show.

But damn, I'm aggravated...  And I haven't been in bed yet since 11 am Tuesday.  "Seriously annoyed" keeps me awake.