How can I speed up?

[chcnorris29]

Hello,
I am an apprentice electrician doing work mostly on domestic 3 bed house rewires (do flats and other houses as well but most are 3 bed houses) we normally do the rewires in 1 day (start about 8 and finish time varies between 2-3 (if lucky) and 4-6 most of the time)
The issue is that it the it takes me too long to do the upstairs (loft, fit lights and switches and chop, Capp and fit sockets then clean up) and it can take me all day to do this and some times the people I work with have to come up and fits some of the sockets as they have finished the downstairs.

How can I speed up?

Thanks.

 

[ruaribedford]

Speed will come the more you do them,just concentrate on doing them to the best of your ability first

 

[Rockingit]

Practice!

although in fairness, you've got the rub end of it being given the loft all the time.

 

[Clive P]

Hi,

The only tip I can give you probably do anyway. Set up your cable drum under a hole left by one of the old ceiling roses, go to your farthest point and pull the cable through the hole , clipping as you go back to the next point. Loop in your live feed then clip back to the next point and so on.
This is a quick way of pulling in your feeds between lighting points.

Regards.

 

[Adam W]

Practice, yes - the more you do it the quicker you'll get. If you try to rush it you'll end up making mistakes or getting injured.
Otherwise you could ask the guys you're working with who have seen what you do and might be able to suggest a quicker way of doing it.

 

[mnbs 4x4]

I would far rather have an apprentice that is a bit slower who does a good tidy job than some speedy smart arse that has to go back and fix mistakes, the hare and the tortoise spring to mind.

 

[SaveWithRay]

My advice would be, don't do it alone, Work together.

In my job I often work together even with people i don't know. and I know I will not receive all the possible income, but the work can be done more efficient, for the customer.
and next day you have the next Customer

 

[chcnorris29]

Thanks for the reply.

As for the lofts I do not mind so much and I have another guy push cable up and I just dress them round and drop them at the next location.

I do my best to make the work as neat as I can (we only 1st fix then plasterer and 2nd fixer follows so can only do so much until plastered ect) and I make sure it is done correctly to the best I have been taught. And I try to work quickly but I do not let been quick stop me doing it correctly.

Thanks again.

 

[Harryb]

Crimp new cables onto the old and poke em in the loft. I rewire houses 1st and 2nd fix in half a day by myself. My Electrical Trainee course has already paid for itself LOL

Don't worry about how fast you are. It takes as long as it takes to do properly

 

[Richard]

A re-wire in day,and your worried your going too slow..really?!

 

[Richard]

Crimp new cables onto the old and poke em in the loft. I rewire houses 1st and 2nd fix in half a day by myself. My Electrical Trainee course has already paid for itself LOL

If you say so!!

 

[stuartcourt]

Crimp new cables onto the old and poke em in the loft. I rewire houses 1st and 2nd fix in half a day by myself. My Electrical Trainee course has already paid for itself LOL

I think he is joking and OP you can work for me anytime speed is obviously not your problem

 

[rocker]

What size crew are you working in to do rewires in a short day? As has been said, you aren't slow, so don't worry about it and just concentrate on doing a tidy job. If you ever find yourself in S Wales, I'll give you some work!

 

[TaffyDuck]

Doing it right slowly is quicker than doing it badly quickly and having to redo it. Speed will come with time. If you are a 3rd year perhaps you should be quick as an experienced guy but year 1 & 2 dont worry about it

 

[shocking_eg]

how the hell can you completely rewire a 3 bed in a day ??

is trunking involved ?? lol

 

[stuartcourt]

upstairs of 3 bed house, so guess at 5 lights and 6 switches (inc 2 way) 10 sockets and smoke det, 1st and 2nd fix in 6 hours (inc testing) thats 8 minutes an item inc stripping out old, chasing, fixing boxes and capping. Someone has had to much redbull and how fast is your mate, he must be breaking sound barrier. This is of course no lunch, speaking or breaks

 

[shocking_eg]

upstairs of 3 bed house, so guess at 5 lights and 6 switches (inc 2 way) 10 sockets and smoke det, 1st and 2nd fix in 6 hours (inc testing) thats 8 minutes an item inc stripping out old, chasing, fixing boxes and capping. Someone has had to much redbull and how fast is your mate, he must be breaking sound barrier. This is of course no lunch, speaking or breaks

my thinking exacly.

sounds like - old cables are reused lol

 

[Sharpend]

Dunno but he did say his mate passed the cable!

 

[sjhall]

He said they only do 1st fix .... Either way it sounds hard depressing graft

 

[stuartcourt]

not in the first place he said fit lights etc

 

[Sharpend]

It's a case of first fixing followed by second fixing anything that does involve plastering. Hence the comment about lights.

 

[stuartcourt]

yes he does say that in another quote but first post very misleading and still I would not worry about speed if I was him.

 

[atm84]

One of my sparky mates reckons he know a team of sparks that rewire houses in a day- 1st and 2nd fix. Every time he tells me about them he says "I know you won't believe me, I can't believe it my self but I swear they do it all in a day" he also says that they often leave a mess, huge holes left in the ceiling around pendents, often leaking pipes after where they have disturbed fittings or screwed through pipes but its still a rewire in a day.

 

[MDJ]

Hello,
I am an apprentice electrician doing work mostly on domestic 3 bed house rewires (do flats and other houses as well but most are 3 bed houses) we normally do the rewires in 1 day (start about 8 and finish time varies between 2-3 (if lucky) and 4-6 most of the time)
The issue is that it the it takes me too long to do the upstairs (loft, fit lights and switches and chop, Capp and fit sockets then clean up) and it can take me all day to do this and some times the people I work with have to come up and fits some of the sockets as they have finished the downstairs.

How can I speed up?

Thanks.

Experience and practise, after a few years you will want to slow down lol

 

[baazab]

no way one day re-wire! he must be useing wirles switches

- - - Updated - - -

no way one day re-wire! he must be useing wirles switches

 

[Jay Sparks]

I used to follow a 5 gang team that would 1st & 2nd fix a 3 bed house in a day....not including the plastering....that was done buy someone else!! They used "safety box's", these were in place between the back box and socket/switch front, so the plasterer could do his stuff and not have to disturb the wiring!! All RCBO aswell!!

 

[trev]

Ah well so we're back to the "One day rewires- is it possible" thread. I thought we hadn't had one for a while.
Anyway, here's my experience of them.
A few years ago when out of work I got a call from an agency regarding domestic rewires for Mears, the rate was ok so I said I'd go. When I got there I was told it was what used to be known as a Sanatogen job - one a day, every day. The squad consisted of 4 sparks and about a thousand labourers, sparks were to pull cables and the labourers were to do all the donkey work of chasing, lifting boards etc.
One pair of sparks were given the RFCs to pull in, once that was done they went on to the single point stuff, cooker, smokes, shower etc, while the other pair pulled in the lights. Now with the job flooded with people it's really easy to get someone to stick a fishing rod up a hole then shout for them to pull it. I can assure you, dear reader, that a rewire in a day is easily achievable.
Where it falls down is quality. Chases are put in seemingly at random because not all of them were used all of the time, boxes not properly sunk or squared, holes in ceilings made with a hammer not a pad saw and (most damningly of all) short cuts taken on testing.

 

[Jay Sparks]

Ah well so we're back to the "One day rewires- is it possible" thread. I thought we hadn't had one for a while.
Anyway, here's my experience of them.
A few years ago when out of work I got a call from an agency regarding domestic rewires for Mears, the rate was ok so I said I'd go. When I got there I was told it was what used to be known as a Sanatogen job - one a day, every day. The squad consisted of 4 sparks and about a thousand labourers, sparks were to pull cables and the labourers were to do all the donkey work of chasing, lifting boards etc.
One pair of sparks were given the RFCs to pull in, once that was done they went on to the single point stuff, cooker, smokes, shower etc, while the other pair pulled in the lights. Now with the job flooded with people it's really easy to get someone to stick a fishing rod up a hole then shout for them to pull it. I can assure you, dear reader, that a rewire in a day is easily achievable.
Where it falls down is quality. Chases are put in seemingly at random because not all of them were used all of the time, boxes not properly sunk or squared, holes in ceilings made with a hammer not a pad saw and (most damningly of all) short cuts taken on testing.

Trev, I know where your coming from.....as far as I know, the only tests the guys did was a Zs, Ze, Pfc!!!! That was just to make sure it was safe!!lol I would go in, about two weeks later, after the plasterer, kitchen fitter and decorator and do the full set of tests!!!! I was told, they didnt do the IR test because all circuits were on RCBO's and if there was a fault, the rcbo would trip straight away!!!!!

Makes you think!!!!lol

 

[trev]

Jay, these monkeys would do a Ze and a global IR, if there was enough time(Lol) they'd test the RCD and that was it. The rest, they'd just make up, when I called them out over it they'd say "Well it's a rewire, you know it's all ok" I was bloody glad it wasn't my name going on the EICs

 

[Jay Sparks]

Jay, these monkeys would do a Ze and a global IR, if there was enough time(Lol) they'd test the RCD and that was it. The rest, they'd just make up, when I called them out over it they'd say "Well it's a rewire, you know it's all ok" I was bloody glad it wasn't my name going on the EICs

Exactly what they said to me!!lol "Its a rewire, if owt was wrong, the rcbo would trip within seconds"!! If I found owt wrong when I did the full tests, the company would send them back to sort it out.

All I can say, is that at the time I was still wet behind the ears and I did what they said!!! It was only after a few months, I reallised what I was actually doing!!lol

 

[Adam W]

" if owt was wrong, the rcbo would trip within seconds"!!

Ah, the old 'bang test'.

 

[Jay Sparks]

Ah, the old 'bang test'.

Cant beat it!!!! Thats how I met the wife!!!lol

 

[Knobhead]

Ah, the old 'bang test'.

Done it many times with old PILC's, some over 50 years old. One I know of is now 75 years old and still going, I re-terminated it 25 years ago.

"It's a bit low".
"Once it's warmed up it'll get better."
They did, never had one fail.

For industrial the minimum reading isn’t what it says in the 17[SUP]th[/SUP].
Based on 1M Ώ you lot would condemn every large motor or feeder circuit in a plant.

I was taught (M&Q) 1/10,000 leakage current is permissible based on the circuit FLC. So say a 550V 400A feeder. What would you let it go at?
You can work it out for yourself, I have it in a spreadsheet.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Exactly what they said to me!!lol "Its a rewire, if owt was wrong, the rcbo would trip within seconds"!! If I found owt wrong when I did the full tests, the company would send them back to sort it out.

All I can say, is that at the time I was still wet behind the ears and I did what they said!!! It was only after a few months, I reallised what I was actually doing!!lol

and even then they`d be talking out of their botty holes....caus it would be mS...wouldn`t it....lol..

 

[Jay Sparks]

and even then they`d be talking out of their botty holes....caus it would be mS...wouldn`t it....lol..

Trust you to pick upon that!!lol

 

[lamb]

Ah, the old 'bang test'.

On site round here they call it "Tested 50 times per second"

 

[POWERFULL]

By rewiring so "fast" it is obvious that your cable runs are not clipped as they should be and are they run at 90d or
at a tangent between points ?
Remember it is your competencies that your employer and yourself are monitoring.
Is the work you do all surface ?