Fire Mountain Solar LLC

I rarely leave negative reviews, but this interaction was bad enough that I think other people should know what to expect. My family is camping in the area for the week and relying on a small solar setup so my wife can work remotely and we can keep our phones, computers, and small refrigerator running. This morning our batteries were over-discharged, and I traced the problem to a failed MC4 connection on the negative cable from our solar panels. I searched Google for solar/MC4 help nearby. This business came up near the top and was listed as open, so I drove out there. When I arrived, I explained the situation and showed the owner exactly what I needed: one new MC4 connector crimped onto an existing cable. From the beginning, I felt like I was an inconvenience for showing up. He explained that he isn't really a storefront and that his crew was already out for the day. That's completely understandable. I asked whether he could still make the repair, and after looking at it, he said yes. As I followed him toward the shop, I realized he probably didn't take cards and asked. He said he only accepted cash. I didn't have cash with me, and because he was closing at 10 a.m., I didn't realistically have time to drive to an ATM and back. What bothered me wasn't that he charged for the connector. It wasn't that he charged labor. Businesses should absolutely be paid for their time and materials. It was the complete lack of willingness to work with someone standing there with an extremely simple repair while trying to keep his family's basic power running for the week. When I made a frustrated comment about being turned away over such a small part, instead of simply explaining the cost or ending the conversation professionally, he became angry and started yelling at me about the price of the connector and labor. At that point I got in my truck and left. I wasn't asking for hours of free work. I wasn't demanding special treatment. I was standing there with a cable that needed a single MC4 connector crimped onto it, ready and willing to pay, and the only immediate problem was that I didn't happen to have cash in my pocket. A business owner is certainly free to operate cash-only, close whenever they want, and decide what jobs are worth their time. But how you treat someone when they're standing in front of you asking for a little help says a lot more to me than any advertisement ever could. I drove away without the repair, but more importantly, knowing this is not a business I would ever choose to give my money to again.

Horrible service and installation

I hired FMS 8 years ago to install a hybrid solar/ wind system and Tim did nothing right in the installation. He told me the wrong wire size to bury for the wind turbine ($1,500), wrong size pipe for the solar rack ($400), and the wiring is a mess. right now I am working with an electrician to get it all cleaned up and I'm looking at another $5,000 to get that done. Before you hire FMS, do some research and find a quality installer.