Consumer Unit Changes - What make & what price?

[richy3333]

I'm up in the 'Heelands', 8 miles down a single track road. A 1.5 hour drive is nothing around here

Last time I went to Pembrokeshire I stayed near to Dale but explored all over the area.

 

[Spazz]

Ok makes sense.

Also just to let you know Dale is the smallest town in Pembrokeshire - that area only counts towards 5% at most of the county.

Pembrokeshire is the largest county in Wales by far.

Im not saying your not more remote - but Im sure you know what its like then - limited customers and loads of pub sparks with no Part P Scheme who do anything and everything.

Eitherway back to the topic!

 

[richy3333]

Where we live is the least populated area in northern Europe. There are fewer people per square mile than anywhere.

I look at it another way - the customer base isn't limited, but with historic and endemic 'pub sparks' (some of whom have worked on the said pub electric's too!) it's a case of educating 'Joe public' so they know why to use you. If you think you have it bad, we don't even have Part P in Scotland so it's more of a Wild West with electric's up here.

Either way, and regardless there's never any excuse for not doing something properly and as per the Regs in my opinion.

 

[Plonker 3]

NO BONDING - NO STARTING WORK!

Strange you seem to think different in this thread.

http://www.electriciansforums.net/e...-adding-light-switch-existing-cuircuit-2.html

 

[Welchyboy]

Strange you seem to think different in this thread.

http://www.electriciansforums.net/e...-adding-light-switch-existing-cuircuit-2.html

With all due respect after reading some of the above linked post it amazes me that this person is a 'registered electrician' just another example of the absolute joke that is 'PART P'

 

[richy3333]

Strange you seem to think different in this thread.

http://www.electriciansforums.net/e...-adding-light-switch-existing-cuircuit-2.html

Read this too and far from impressed

 

[Spazz]

Please note that this post was when I first started! First Job under myself. I was being shadowed by a registered sparky who was assisting me at the time.
He told me that I had to ensure earthing was inplace for the circuit I was working on only!
He also told me aload which was mainly wrong.

As soon as this was pointed out I corrected it! - it turned out there was bonding inplace but hidden behind the cupboard out of sight, I only found this out from doing a continuity Test of the pipe - socket and got a very low reading (<0.3 Ohms).

Just to give more info about this spark hes long gone now (from my work) but hes still working (NICEIC) registered and signing off other people's work.

I have done alot of research into Shock Protection as can be seen with regards to the RCD campaign which is with the AM Minister for my MP now in London and waiting for his view, then it will be in Parliament in the next few weeks. Will keep all updated on the FB page.
Yes I know alot dont like this but it will save lives if it goes through and it will generate alot of work for everyone as a result!

Since this job - I never touch a job unless I am 100% happy with all bonding in place and the earth arrangement is upto standard.

I also try and insist (as much as I can) to ensure that a RCD is in place (like I know others do as well).

Just to let people know - this was my first job - shadowed by another spark
Been doing non notifiable wok for 6 years before (that what was notifiable I was having LABC to sign it off as my grandfather was so tight not to go with NICEIC)
I corrected this within 1hr of realizing my mistake
I have since done my 17th Ed and doing my 2391 now - exam in 3 weeks (or so)
If anyone has any questions about my ability - take me on a job (I will work for free!) just pay my travel! and I will show you my level of skill!

 

[trev]

To be honest every member should be inspected at least 5 times a year - and I DONT mean planned inspections!

The scheme provider has the addresses of the customers that you have done work for - how hard is it to send a letter to them asking a few questions:

Would you be happy paying the massive increase in your annual fee that this would generate?
As for the rest of it, "Getting rid of the licensed cowboys" Sorry mate but Part P and Competent Persons Schemes and legislation has not exactly been a roaring success has it?

 

[oldtimer]

Would you be happy paying the massive increase in your annual fee that this would generate?
As for the rest of it, "Getting rid of the licensed cowboys" Sorry mate but Part P and Competent Persons Schemes and legislation has not exactly been a roaring success has it?

I tend to agree with you trev I think we are over regulated I mean what happened before registration companies popped up as for being inspected 5 times a year well yes if you have done a Schemie 5 week course and then all the rest of it . It has also not helped that they are badging anything with a pulse as long as it pays the subs only to turn out to be a box ticking exercise

 

[jase]

"NO BONDING - NO STARTING WORK!"


I'd love to be so busy I could turn down work because the customer does not want me to install it! I've even had cases of customers not wanting it because it wouldn't look nice and regulaly have to paint the cable black to keep them happy. Cant you just use a black one and sleeve it each end?? lol Don't get me wrong, I'm strongly advising it all the time but people just seem to be suspicious of my motives. They are happy to pay to get what they want but don't want to pay for essential safety precautions. I even tell them about the poor lady in Cornwall last year found dead in the bath by her daughter because the taps were live.
I had a strange installation for a friend last weekend, no internal stopcock, no idea where the incoming pipe entered the house. Plastic under the kitchen sink and in bathroom but metal pipes to the new washing machine and copper pipes feeding electric 'wet' heating system. Only one earth wire at conunit. (6mm) disapearing under kitchen floor (polished floorboards) and no sign of earth stake. (TT)
Got to presume 6mm goes to earth stake under kitchen floor due to Ze being reasonable but god knows about the water earthing. Can't lift kitchen floor to inspect without damage. Can't get an earth cable to visible copper pipes at rear of property without running cable surface front to back internally. Just had to recommend it but not heard anything yet about doing it and thats a friend!

......

 

[markythesparky]

dont forget that in order to change a fuseboard you should be doing a EICR beforehand to ensure that the circuits are adequate for the new board. this is obviously chargeable too. dont do things cheap, it will cost us all in the long run.

 

[Welchyboy]

dont forget that in order to change a fuseboard you should be doing a EICR beforehand to ensure that the circuits are adequate for the new board. this is obviously chargeable too. dont do things cheap, it will cost us all in the long run.

Pointless! I would not win any work this way! this also leads to having to do an unsatisfactory report to begin with, a eic to cover your work , then a satisfactory report after, loads of paperwork!!!

That would put the cost of my cu change up by at least £100 I'd rather do a good visual before quoting personally, maybe one In every three Jobs i have an rcd fault or a few minors to correct, but with a quick IR test before you quote, you know to add a bit on

I can tell a mile off what the cu change is likely to be like, if there's been loads of DIY add-ons or wether its been more or less untouched since its been installed

You have just got to be sensible with the wording on your quotation!

 

[sedgy34]

you can charge £400 all in and the DB i use is a crabtree starbreaker mcb,s clip in to the busbar as its fully enclosed very hard to get a ****er from these if your working on them live (obviously i always isolate to work on as i dont work live)lol

 

[Dave 85]

Please note that this post was when I first started! First Job under myself. I was being shadowed by a registered sparky who was assisting me at the time.
He told me that I had to ensure earthing was inplace for the circuit I was working on only!
He also told me aload which was mainly wrong.

As soon as this was pointed out I corrected it! - it turned out there was bonding inplace but hidden behind the cupboard out of sight, I only found this out from doing a continuity Test of the pipe - socket and got a very low reading (<0.3 Ohms).

Just to give more info about this spark hes long gone now (from my work) but hes still working (NICEIC) registered and signing off other people's work.

I have done alot of research into Shock Protection as can be seen with regards to the RCD campaign which is with the AM Minister for my MP now in London and waiting for his view, then it will be in Parliament in the next few weeks. Will keep all updated on the FB page.
Yes I know alot dont like this but it will save lives if it goes through and it will generate alot of work for everyone as a result!

Since this job - I never touch a job unless I am 100% happy with all bonding in place and the earth arrangement is upto standard.

I also try and insist (as much as I can) to ensure that a RCD is in place (like I know others do as well).

Just to let people know - this was my first job - shadowed by another spark
Been doing non notifiable wok for 6 years before (that what was notifiable I was having LABC to sign it off as my grandfather was so tight not to go with NICEIC)
I corrected this within 1hr of realizing my mistake
I have since done my 17th Ed and doing my 2391 now - exam in 3 weeks (or so)
If anyone has any questions about my ability - take me on a job (I will work for free!) just pay my travel! and I will show you my level of skill!

Having had a good read through this thread my suspicion that you are a massive drama queen as well as a hypocryt have been well and truly confirmed.

The thread about adding a light switch seems to have mysteriously disappeared but it looks like you've been caught out.
It makes me laugh the way you pretend to be on a crusade to save lives and then talk about how you'd love to see people meet a violent death on a motorway.

You say that someone who is willing to do a CU upgrade even if bonding isn't present is going to kill everyone and end up in prison yet there is no, nor has there ever been any, evidence that this is the case. Doing the job gives the customer a far safer house than not doing the job. (Im not saying I'd do it but I certainly wont condemn those who do)
You constantly tell people to walk away from any job that looks remotely troublesome then complain that you've only had two phonecalls in the past two months (or something).

You are now saying that we should all be subject to suprise assessments five times a year. So that'd put our annual fee up to £2,000 then, great.....Good luck finding someone to agree with you on this, its the most ludicrous thing I've possibly ever read on this forum.

You seem to beleive that because you are so unhealthily obsessed by rules and safety that you deserve to get all the work you can do, whereas people who rely a little more on common sense deserve to be dead or in prison and that you are the victim of some great injustice. The fact is, in real life, its the people with good business skills, good people skills and good judgment with perhaps a dose of luck that get the work.

I am firmly of the opinion that (even if you have convinced yourself otherwise) your vain campaigns to change the law regarding rented properties that will effect millions of peoples rent/earnings are in fact purely aimed at trying to increase your own income. The fact that you are volonteering to work for free in the above post is also rather concerning.

 

[Welchyboy]

I thought it was just me!, who is this bloke goin on about safety campaigns and spouting off about this and that and has a website that sound like a nationwide company however when you dig a little deeper he hasn't got a clue on even a basic install job, turns over 10k a year and hasn't had more than two jobs in the last month

 

[Octopus]

Changing the subject a little: if you want to develop your business into a successful one, it'll take time, especially in the current climate and ramming regulations down peoples throats, is more than likely going to have a detrimental effect on your customer base.