Sometimes thing work here.

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,097
6,247
113
South Coast
We've had electricity problems where we live, forever it seems. Twice now we've paid a local electrician to climb the pole and do repairs, not only for us, for all the neighbors. Everyone said don't bother calling Edesur, they don't respond.

This time we lost electric around midnight on Wednesday night. We had a DR1 friend staying with us for a few days (Matilda), and we had plans for lunch in SD so we went. By the time we returned that afternoon, the batteries on the big inverter that powers the fridge and a chest freezer had died. The batteries powering the house on the other inverter held longer, but the candles came out Thursday night.

Electrician said we needed 18' of some specific wire, and since we needed paint too Mr AE drove to Pappaterra with the painter first thing Friday morning. Turns out the painter has a good friend who's a supervisor with Edesur, and makes a call. By 11 am there's a crew out there and they work at the pole replacing all the cables, and then came to our house to replace our cables. As luck would have it, the moment they finished the electric went off. Gave the guys a 1000 peso tip and crossed our fingers. And ran the generator again for hours.

Had another friend from DR1 visit (remember Talldrink??), and waited for the electric to return. At 6 pm houses down the road had power, right on schedule. Not us or our neighbors. It's Friday night and we're thinking nothing can be done until Monday.

Matilda then tells me Edesur does work weekends. I googled the phone# and Mr AE called, both of us thinking it was a waste of time. He spoke about two minutes, was told someone would be right out, gave him a case #, and we waited, not expecting much to happen. Lit all the candles again. Ran the generator for the food.

The phone rang about 30 minutes later, Edesur man asking Mr AE to wait outside so they knew where to go. By now it's pitch dark. Within about 45 minutes I heard the inverters beep, and we were fixed. Turns out the other Edesur crew neglected to connect one of the wires. Another propina offered, and we breathed a sigh of relief.

Mr AE came in laughing because the neighbors were all blessing him, as though he had accomplished a miracle. We realized most of them have no cell phone, and would have no clue about procedure to call. Now I think they know. Almost felt like American customer service.
 

Cdn_Gringo

Gold
Apr 29, 2014
8,671
1,133
113
The squeaky wheel sometimes does get some grease if only to keep the bill payments coming in.
 

JD Jones

Moderator:North Coast,Santo Domingo,SW Coast,Covid
Jan 7, 2016
11,697
8,127
113
Ran the generator? Is it finally up and running?
 

RonS

Bronze
Oct 18, 2004
1,457
65
48
Great story! I love the members of the forum! As crazy as it gets on here sometimes. :rolleyes:
 

LTSteve

Gold
Jul 9, 2010
5,449
23
38
We've had electricity problems where we live, forever it seems. Twice now we've paid a local electrician to climb the pole and do repairs, not only for us, for all the neighbors. Everyone said don't bother calling Edesur, they don't respond.

This time we lost electric around midnight on Wednesday night. We had a DR1 friend staying with us for a few days (Matilda), and we had plans for lunch in SD so we went. By the time we returned that afternoon, the batteries on the big inverter that powers the fridge and a chest freezer had died. The batteries powering the house on the other inverter held longer, but the candles came out Thursday night.

Electrician said we needed 18' of some specific wire, and since we needed paint too Mr AE drove to Pappaterra with the painter first thing Friday morning. Turns out the painter has a good friend who's a supervisor with Edesur, and makes a call. By 11 am there's a crew out there and they work at the pole replacing all the cables, and then came to our house to replace our cables. As luck would have it, the moment they finished the electric went off. Gave the guys a 1000 peso tip and crossed our fingers. And ran the generator again for hours.

Had another friend from DR1 visit (remember Talldrink??), and waited for the electric to return. At 6 pm houses down the road had power, right on schedule. Not us or our neighbors. It's Friday night and we're thinking nothing can be done until Monday.

Matilda then tells me Edesur does work weekends. I googled the phone# and Mr AE called, both of us thinking it was a waste of time. He spoke about two minutes, was told someone would be right out, gave him a case #, and we waited, not expecting much to happen. Lit all the candles again. Ran the generator for the food.

The phone rang about 30 minutes later, Edesur man asking Mr AE to wait outside so they knew where to go. By now it's pitch dark. Within about 45 minutes I heard the inverters beep, and we were fixed. Turns out the other Edesur crew neglected to connect one of the wires. Another propina offered, and we breathed a sigh of relief.

Mr AE came in laughing because the neighbors were all blessing him, as though he had accomplished a miracle. We realized most of them have no cell phone, and would have no clue about procedure to call. Now I think they know. Almost felt like American customer service.

Miracles do happen. It's not what you know but who in the DR. You are now almost famous.
 

JD Jones

Moderator:North Coast,Santo Domingo,SW Coast,Covid
Jan 7, 2016
11,697
8,127
113
Not that one, STILL waiting for the service guy, he says he's going to get here. We shipped down a Honda 5500 kw last year as a backup, it's served us well.

I know the feeling. One of the factories in the free zone closed last year and left everything behind, including a brand spanking new F.G.Wilson generator. (The Free Zone will eventually sell it to cover the arrears of the factory owners.)

I've been trying to swing a deal on it ever since.

I don't even need it, but one day there will be some sort of disaster, and it will be worth it's weight in gold.
 

InsanelyOne

Bronze
Oct 21, 2008
895
28
28
I'm afraid I don't quite understand the title of this thread.  What you described is a bunch of things going wrong... not right.
 

LTSteve

Gold
Jul 9, 2010
5,449
23
38
I'm afraid I don't quite understand the title of this thread.  What you described is a bunch of things going wrong... not right.

You can't always get what you want, but you can get what you need. That line by the Rolling Stones sums up the DR in a nutshell.