Replacing an old CU with a new one

[EFLImpudence]

Not impossible but exceptionally unlikely in a domestic property. Perhaps tested with main bonding in place and one or more of your neighbours has a TNCS/TNS supply.

...and if so, that is not Ze.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

That's me. Shamefully irresponsible.

Well, yes.

You know that Naz is not fit to be doing this, so any advice/suggestions are advising him to do it and suggesting what to do.

I've heard the argument many times about harm reduction, but it simply does not hold water. Given the hypothetical situation of being called to account for your role in an unfortunate outcome, you have a choice between:

• "I knew that he was dangerously incompetent, and I repeatedly advised him to not do the work and use an electrician. Sadly he took no notice."

• "I knew that he was dangerously incompetent, so I tried to help him in doing the work by giving him a few tips. Sadly this did not work well."

 

[Naz1977]

Well, yes.

You know that Naz is not fit to be doing this, so any advice/suggestions are advising him to do it and suggesting what to do.

I've heard the argument many times about harm reduction, but it simply does not hold water. Given the hypothetical situation of being called to account for your role in an unfortunate outcome, you have a choice between:

• "I knew that he was dangerously incompetent, and I repeatedly advised him to not do the work and use an electrician. Sadly he took no notice."

• "I knew that he was dangerously incompetent, so I tried to help him in doing the work by giving him a few tips. Sadly this did not work well."

Well I have used 2 electricians so far and by the looks of things they have both turned out to be waste of space!

First one came to be recommended by an estate agent and charged me £150 last year, second one I found looking around and charged me £100 !

So if you are now saying the first electrician hasn't also done his work right, then where do I stand?

Either get another electrician who will charge me and send me a certificate/report which is not worth the paper written on, and end up with a dangerous installation OR
Get it done myself, knowing I have followed the book and done things correct.

 

[Naz1977]

Wrong, it's 230.




The book you are incorrectly quoting from isn't the regulations either, it's an out of date version of the on site guide or some other unionised equivalent.

I am looking at my 17th Edition OSG.

Which part is incorrect?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Well I have used 2 electricians so far and by the looks of things they have both turned out to be waste of space!

Stop thinking that using the cheapest people you can find and then p¡ss¡ng them off with your attitude and your desire to make it cheaper still by supplying your own materials is going to get you a quality job.

 

[Naz1977]

How much do you charge in Essex for work then?

£150 for an EICR is not cheap! If someone doesn't want to do the job ( Sorry should say realise they can't just rip me off) , then they should simply tell me that they are not interested.

Needless to say I will be asking for my money back from the second electrician and if they refuse, then county court it is!

 

[phatboy]

£150 for an EICR is not cheap!

Yes it is, it's very cheap. In fact it cannot be done properly for that price, assuming they are working because they need money to live.

You have NO IDEA what is involved and how long it takes.

 

[Naz1977]

Hmm, yes I do, but you don't know the size of the property!

it is a 2bed bungalow! With 2 lighting circuits, 2 radial circuits, 1 cooker and a ringmain for new kitchen!

It doesn't take that long to test 6 circuits and disconnect and ...

He had the full use of the property for a day and I believe he was here for 1/2 day.

If this was a house, with multiple circuits and ..., yes fair enough. But doesn't take that long to remove 6 bulbs, remove all electrics which there was none connected as empty house, and then do the tests.

 

[aptsys]

Hmm, yes I do, but you don't know the size of the property!

it is a 2bed bungalow! With 2 lighting circuits, 2 radial circuits, 1 cooker and a ringmain for new kitchen!

It doesn't take that long to test 6 circuits and disconnect and ...

He had the full use of the property for a day and I believe he was here for 1/2 day.

If this was a house, with multiple circuits and ..., yes fair enough. But doesn't take that long to remove 6 bulbs, remove all electrics which there was none connected as empty house, and then do the tests.

How much do you think 1/2 a day plus the additional time for the paperwork should cost?

 

[Naz1977]

Depends on the day rate of the leccy.

If he is doing it right, then he is filling the paper work at the same time so no additional time is required to fill in the paperwork?

At £150 for 1/2 day is a £300 a day leccy. I am gonna p!ss some people off and say I think £300 a day is towards the top of the day rate of a leccy. i would expect a top of his game all singing and dancing leccy to have a no more than £350-400 max day rate.

But as said, this is a bungalow and an EICR is something that should be a basic for any competent leccy and if you know what you are doing, it is not going to take you more than 1/2 for my bungalow at most.

Personally I can't be bothered to pay £600 to be NICEIC member and then about £1000 for test equipments that I will use once and that's it. If I were to re-start being a leccy, then yes I would do that since it seems any Joe can go and become a leccy nowadays as long as you pay your fees! Even becoming a leccy, I don't think I can earn what I earn now as a contractor, so I stay within the field I am in now.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

'bye then.

 

[Naz1977]

'bye then.

Wasn't expecting ANYTHING constructive from you pal anyway.

Glad you have decided to leave us.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I'm going nowhere.

I was just politely bidding you farewell - sooner or later the penny will drop even for you that your presence here is pointless.

 

[securespark]

Nice.

 

[Naz1977]

Nice.

I have given thanks to whoever has helped so far and has provided valuable help. However reading through the posts ( no just from me but form anyone else asking for help) , BAN has never provided any help as such!

If you don't have anything helpful to say, then just shut up. He ( BAN) doesn't have to reply to anything but seems to want to get his ( Or maybe her you never know) nose in!

That's the whole point of having an open forum so that ANYONE can ask for help. If you don't agree with something that is going on, you don't have to get involved.

IF I was designing a whole new installation, then fair enough. But I am merely upgrading/changing a like for like CU be it more up to date with more protection. I am NOT running any new feeds/circuits!

And yes i know the work needs to be declared to the authorities, but as has been said this has been spoken about and they are happy with an EICR once the work is complete to confirm all is good. But it seems both leccy's that I employed to do the job, decided to not do a proper job!