Today in the Wholesalers

[Octopus]

So there I was minding my own business when I became aware that a customer was asking the salesman what he could buy to join pieces of SWA together.......

I'm quite well known in there so the sales chap asked my opinion - so I asked what he needed to do...... run 20 metres of swa to run a new welder. So I asked why didn't he simply buy a new cable - to which he said I ain't got money, so I have to join 8 or 9 pieces ..... so I said it'll probably be cheaper for a new piece.... so he muttered something under his breath and went on and bought loads of 30A choc block and insulation tape

Wonder when the fire brigade will be called!

 

[dan86]

holy cow. the lengths some folk will go to to save a few quid... SMH

 

[telectrix]

must be a plumber or a farmer ( the latter are always pleading poverty when blocking the road with their brand new john deere's).

 

[overskilled]

Eugh....
I wonder which skip/street lighting run/etc that lot of 8 or 9 pieces was "rescued" from?
Reminds me...could do with getting around at somepoint to renewing the supply cable to the old mans workshop...the "spark" (who electrocuted himself not long after) buried a run of 6mm2 T+E in white plastic conduit...not ideal but the ground it crosses is monoblocked...
Needless to say....had "fun" sorting out the various mistakes (2003 install - no RCD protection the outside socket (or anywhere else in the workshop) 2.5mm2 radial on a 32amp breaker (easy enough to sort...ran another length of 2.5 and made it into a ring, metalclad accessories not earthed at all and more....dubious ideas...

 

[jimmymac]

So what's wrong with that as long as he wraps the joints in PVC tape?

 

[ruston]

So what's wrong with that as long as he wraps the joints in PVC tape?

Cling film is better, slit a fairy liquid bottle and slide it over , hose clips , job done . If you are really fussy silicon the slit.

 

[jimmymac]

Cling film is better, slit a fairy liquid bottle and slide it over , hose clips , job done . If you are really fussy silicon the slit.

Kinky b*****d!

 

[ruston]

Kinky b*****d!

In that case it's grease in the fairy liquid tube.rrr:

 

[markc123]

Lol - t+e is bad enough in choccy's but i can honestly say i've never come across SWA in choccy's as a joint lol - wonder whats going to happen to the armouring, maybe he'll try and twist them together lol

 

[jimmymac]

"come across"....this thread is turning into a carry-on film! Ooooh matron!

 

[GLENNSPARK]

holy cow. the lengths some folk will go to to save a few quid... SMH

and just look at how many threads on T&E subs get started in here by these types and then when they are told SWA is the cable of choice in most scenareos they at first go into denial mode...then when that doesn`t wash they have a tantrum...

 

[Lucien Nunes]

And you want to say to the chap behind the counter 'No, don't sell him that' and you feel like an accessory to the crime for not wrenching the offending articles out of his hand. I heard some chap talking about a washer/dryer and saw him leave the shop with a coil of 1.0 T&E, a box of Tower clips, a 13A plug and a roll of PVC tape. Happens all the time everywhere and half the perpetrators would have you know they're fully qualified!

 

[markc123]

Now year's ago, that would probably have happened. Wholesaler refusing to sell when the outcome is going to be dangerous.

Now'a'days wholesalers won't give a flying duck because they're making a quick buck. This country has serious moral issues.

 

[ipf]

It used to be that you couldn't get served in a wholesalers unless you were part of the trade. Nowadays we have to queue behind women with a couple of kids in tow.

 

[Knobhead]

This country has serious moral issues.

Morals? What are they? Something in the back of my mind seems to recall them.

 

[Farmelectrics]

Once again I see part p is working

 

[Guest111]

The other week somebody asked me to install a machine for him,it needed a 35 mm feed and also a new DB in the building,I told him this and he said his mate who was a spark but busy said it could run on a 2.5 and there was a cable outside to connect into.I looked outside and there was a 150mm swa feeding the workshop next door.I told him I was too busy and it would need to be done my way not the way his mate said,he decided to wait for his mate!

 

[AndyL]

Now year's ago, that would probably have happened. Wholesaler refusing to sell when the outcome is going to be dangerous.

Now'a'days wholesalers won't give a flying duck because they're making a quick buck. This country has serious moral issues.

Pretty sure the wholesalers were trained back then too (often retired sparks). Problem is they don't know what is dangerous now!!

 

[MikeyT]

It's what I think when I walk around all the DIY stores see a variety of folk picking random bits up on the 'electrical' isle with befuddled looks on their faces. I personally think those stores shouldn't sell to anyone but those qualified.

 

[Octopus]

Once again I see part p is working

Which is completely irrelevant - the chap buying the stuff was an end user - not a spark

 

[markc123]

So there I was minding my own business when I became aware that a customer was asking the salesman what he could buy to join pieces of SWA together.......

I'm quite well known in there so the sales chap asked my opinion - so I asked what he needed to do...... run 20 metres of swa to run a new welder. So I asked why didn't he simply buy a new cable - to which he said I ain't got money, so I have to join 8 or 9 pieces ..... so I said it'll probably be cheaper for a new piece.... so he muttered something under his breath and went on and bought loads of 30A choc block and insulation tape

Wonder when the fire brigade will be called!

Murdoch - i can't help but think you've missed a trick here..

You should of rugby tackled him to the ground (once he had purchased the choccys) and stole them from him. You could then stand over him and shout "It's the electrical police" before swashing your cape over your face, doing a twirl and heading for the automatic double doors into the distance...never to be seen again.

The cape obviouslly baring Electric Man on the back. A new invented superhero here at EF.

lol.

 

[Andy78]

Suggesting the sale of electrical wholesale gear should be restricted is ridiculous. I am all for people doing small bits of DIY, why shouldn't they be able to ?
I would be the first to moan if I suddenly couldn't buy a part for my car that was easy to fit, and instead had to pay £40 per hour for a mechanic to perform a task I would regard as maintenance.

You may carry out electrical work if you are competent, and unfortunately it's down to the person carrying out that work to deem themselves competent in a DIY situation.

I agree that even minor works should be properly tested, and in a DIY job they probably never will. But it's up to the DIYer if he decides to risk his own safety. We are around to do a professional job and occasionally pick up the pieces when DIY goes belly up.

I do agree that it would be nice if the wholesalers refused sales to people and sent them to the sheds, but how are they supposed to assess competence over the counter ? "do you know what you are doing ?" "yes"

I also agree that the situation in the OP is likely to end in tears and burnt fingers, but stupid people are the most stubborn, and it's their choice.

 

[ipf]

Suggesting the sale of electrical wholesale gear should be restricted is ridiculous. I am all for people doing small bits of DIY, why shouldn't they be able to ?
I would be the first to moan if I suddenly couldn't buy a part for my car that was easy to fit, and instead had to pay £40 per hour for a mechanic to perform a task I would regard as maintenance.

You may carry out electrical work if you are competent, and unfortunately it's down to the person carrying out that work to deem themselves competent in a DIY situation.

I agree that even minor works should be properly tested, and in a DIY job they probably never will. But it's up to the DIYer if he decides to risk his own safety. We are around to do a professional job and occasionally pick up the pieces when DIY goes belly up.

I do agree that it would be nice if the wholesalers refused sales to people and sent them to the sheds, but how are they supposed to assess competence over the counter ? "do you know what you are doing ?" "yes"

I also agree that the situation in the OP is likely to end in tears and burnt fingers, but stupid people are the most stubborn, and it's their choice.

Not really arguing with that. There have always been electrical shops for the general public.

It's them being able to aquire materials at trade prices, affecting the various tradesmen.

That's the change today, with everyone in a frenzy and finding easier ways to get peoples' money.

 

[Aindowsimon]

Pretty sure the wholesalers were trained back then too (often retired sparks). Problem is they don't know what is dangerous now!!

Problem in wholesaler now a days they don't know / care wot anything is 4/5 wholesalers in my experience The time I lose down to phantom deliveries is shocking ! Recently

 

[amo]

How hard is it? Brown to brown, blue to blue and the green one does nothing, cut it off. see anyone can do it.

 

[Aindowsimon]

Another thing now is these customers are getting better deals than us from our " specialist electrical wholesaler " in screwfix , b&q and the like surely something's gone wrong ere , ore am i just getting ripped off ?

 

[overskilled]

Aindow: Get yourself an electricfix account at screwfix, 5% discount (and sometimes more) on Screwfix prices, 90% of the time Edmundsons have quoted me more with discount than screwfix's retail price, so electricfix pricing...quids in.
Plus many Screwfix branches have dedicated "electricfix and plumbfix" counters with priority picking, handy stuff. Other good thing - order before 7pm on next day items and they normally have it in stock before noon, sometimes pre 10am.
Click and collect is my favourite thing though - see whats in stock online, order, pay, walk into store and collect, in and out...5 to 10 minutes at most...

 

[Aindowsimon]

I do have a trade account there but my work doesn't and inconvenient to try get to Bangor my nearest screwfix branch . I must admit I have thought of going down this route with screwfix I'm sure the delivery's are going to be pretty reliable to