As a client, what is the appropriate course of action?

[veedee]

Electrician replaced existing downlights with new ones (as according to him, the new ones are better, than the existing ones I purchased). The new lights required a bigger hole cut out. Enlargement of the hole would be easy according to the electrician.

However, upon review of his work, I have seen that he has cut the hole excessively large.

The downlight can sits in the hole, however there is a unsightly gap which allowing you to see into the ceiling void

When I queried this with the electrician, he said that as he was enlarging a hole without any existing plasterboard for his arbor to grip to this is the result.

Of the 5 lights he enlarged, two are excessive. They will need repair work

I explained to the electrician that I wish he had told me before that this was a possibility. If he had, I would have kept my existing lights as is.

What I want to know is whether it is fair for me to knock a little off his fee as I need to call someone else to repair this job. Or is this unfair?

Also asking him to repair the job is probably a no go as he is the type of electrician that does not make good whenever he chases walls or cuts into plasterboard

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

It all sounds a bit odd, both his changing the new lights for other new ones and making a mess of cutting the holes - no reason why he couldn't cut the holes properly to size without doing more damage - yes, charge him for the repairs of the damage he has done.

Are you sure he was actually qualified?

 

[veedee]

Thanks for your response. Thankfully, he is fully qualified

Overall, he is a decent chap and prior to this he gave me the impression that he takes pride in his work

By way of background -

1. I purchased some downlights and made the hole cutouts myself
2. My electrician was doing other works for me. However he made a comment on the 'downlights he prefers to use' and he explained his reasons why
3. I was persuaded, so I returned my lights and purchase the lights he recommended. However this would require the electrician to enlarge the hole.
4. He made a mess of two of them. Subsequently, these require someone to make good

 

[AndyPRK]

Well if he fitted the lights he wanted then knock £50 off !

 

[jelliottelectrical]

It is difficult to enlarge existing downlight holes, using a padsaw is one method and very messy, usually leaving a result as you have described. There is a nifty trick, with some holesaws, that you can put the one hole saw inside the other, using the smaller one as a guide in the existing hole.

Out of interest, given you had already bought the lights, why did you decide to go with the electricians choice?

 

[veedee]

It is difficult to enlarge existing downlight holes, using a padsaw is one method and very messy, usually leaving a result as you have described. There is a nifty trick, with some holesaws, that you can put the one hole saw inside the other, using the smaller one as a guide in the existing hole.

Out of interest, given you had already bought the lights, why did you decide to go with the electricians choice?

If the electrician had warned me of the risk prior to the cutout then I would have no issue or comebacks if he'd cocked up. However he assured me that this was 'easy'.

I went for his lights as they were

1. Cheaper
2. Aesthetically more attractive
3. Higher lumens

 

[ericmark]

With my hole saw I can fit two saws, the inner saw is original size, outer is new size, so I can enlarge hole without going over size, I can understand a mistake with one, but not two, and I would have to repair error before fitting lamp as once in place can't do repair.

He should arrange for the repair, if he can't do it himself, and personally I would not pay him until job is complete, so in other words not until repair done, if you have to arrange for the repair then you will then know how much money to knock off bill to cover for repair, however I have in the past done work where it was pre-arranged that other trades would make good. So I was not expected to fill in a chase down the wall, so there were times when I have banged a hole in the wall hunting for a back box which a plaster has covered, so not always appropriate for electrician to make good.

I have had the plumber back here many times making good damage done when fitting shower, and repairing central heating, I paid him to do a complete job, not just the plumbing, and he has arranged for joiner and heating engineer to do work which he could not do himself. I did not ask him to do this, it was all part of the service.

But you said

doing other works for me

so he may have arranged not to make good, in which case you can't really hold money back.

 

[Simon35]

With my hole saw I can fit two saws, the inner saw is original size, outer is new size, so I can enlarge hole without going over size, I can understand a mistake with one, but not two, and I would have to repair error before fitting lamp as once in place can't do repair.

He should arrange for the repair, if he can't do it himself, and personally I would not pay him until job is complete, so in other words not until repair done, if you have to arrange for the repair then you will then know how much money to knock off bill to cover for repair, however I have in the past done work where it was pre-arranged that other trades would make good. So I was not expected to fill in a chase down the wall, so there were times when I have banged a hole in the wall hunting for a back box which a plaster has covered, so not always appropriate for electrician to make good.

I have had the plumber back here many times making good damage done when fitting shower, and repairing central heating, I paid him to do a complete job, not just the plumbing, and he has arranged for joiner and heating engineer to do work which he could not do himself. I did not ask him to do this, it was all part of the service.

But you said so he may have arranged not to make good, in which case you can't really hold money back.

I wouldn't call patching up oversized downlighter holes 'making good'. Nor would I be paying for any part of the downlighter works until it was completed satisfactorily.

I'm sure this electrician knows he or she has made a b******* of it, not out of lack of skill or deliberate action. Just ask that it be put right in a timely manner.

 

[Risteard]

I wouldn't call patching up oversized downlighter holes 'making good'. Nor would I be paying for any part of the downlighter works until it was completed satisfactorily.

I'm sure this electrician knows he or she has made a b******* of it, not out of lack of skill or deliberate action. Just ask that it be put right in a timely manner.

I don't believe that you have a right to withhold money for this.

 

[Simon35]

I don't believe that you have a right to withhold money for this.

Why not, the job hasn't been done properly.

 

[333rocky333]

If you wrap insulation tape round the smaller blade it will wedge in the larger blade and act as a quide or use a scrap bit of plasterboard drill the new size hole in that and then hold it over the old hole to quide the blade.
Theres multiple ways to do it, going at it wrecklessly with a holesaw as all Electricians know, unless carefull will have the blade , skidding all over the shop.
I would have stayed unpaid and sorted it.
Messing 1 hole up is bad enough but to do it twice

 

[Deleted member 18243]

He doesn't need the holes enlarging, by holesaws within holesaws or any other method; he needs the holes to be smaller - because the electrician has already enlarged them too much for the new lights.

 

[jelliottelectrical]

He doesn't need the holes enlarging, by holesaws within holesaws or any other method; he needs the holes to be smaller - because the electrician has already enlarged them too much for the new lights.

Sorry, but the op clearly stated that the holes needed to be bigger for the new lights. It’s just that the electrician has made a balls up of enlarging the holes.

 

[333rocky333]

He doesn't need the holes enlarging, by holesaws within holesaws or any other method; he needs the holes to be smaller - because the electrician has already enlarged them too much for the new lights.

I realise that, but an excuse of having nothing there for the pilot drill to engage into is to me not acceptable, this is something every installer encounters at some time and as stated he tackled the task inappropriately, there is no one to blame other than him, so to me he should have rectified this after the first hole, not go on and repeat it.

 

[sparkwright]

Never a good idea to volunteer to make downlighter holes larger.

I carry some filler, and some test pots of white and magnolia emulsion for such eventualities.

However, it may be that the damage was beyond a quick repair - as the filler would probably have just dropped out.

Often the only way is to cut out a large square in the ceiling, and replace with a new square, then drill the downlighter hole. Not a particularly quick job.

They do a downlighter that fits most size holes, but they are quite large overall, but it would save a lot of messing around. You probably won't like the look of them.

SEND US SOME PICTURES THE WORK HE DID.

Really the electrician should have discussed how HE would sort this out, either by doing it himself, getting someone in, or knocking some money off.