Rewire

[Adam W]

I'm not asking anyone to be a "Sparkwatch" and I'm not trying to cast any judgement on anyone or upset anyone, as you do not know the person doing the work then how can you say "one who talks like he has had his head in BS7671".

All I'm trying to do is ensure the job is done correctly and within the current regulations how else do you check work being carried out is done correctly. Also it appears the regulations are a little ambiguous or at least not as clear as they could be and leave some of it open to interpretation rather than a cast in stone rule. As technology and materials move forward things change and as some of the stuff available now was not around or at least not in common usage when the regs were put together.

Well I don't know much about the job because I haven't seen it or met the electrician carrying out the work, but I'd be more than happy to stick my beak in and comment on something I don't fully understand.
The latest edition of the regs was released in 2008, amended last year. Presumably you're not looking to have this property rewired every year or so to keep up with developments in technology and materials?
If you don't trust the electrician doing the work then get someone in who you do - the worst thing you can do is start questioning everything and trying to change bits because you're unsure of the wording used in the regs book; the electrician's plan of action is more likely to fall apart the more you interfere with it.

 

[Knobhead]

If this guy isn't the elecrician, all I can say is god help whoever is.

Wouldn't surprise me if the day job is a trafic warden.

 

[cdavies33]

In years gone by maybe!! ...Now day's it is just as likely he is a fast track wanna-be electrician!! lol!!

And that's just the trouble, there is no up front distinction between the fully trained and experienced and the under trained inexperienced guy that turns up on your door step!!

I'm just trying to keep the faith in the industry E54, we must keep the faith!!!! lol Hopefully he's the proper job and not a Electrical Trainee.

 

[Grey Master]

I don't understand why you guys are getting at the OP, he sounds clued up eñough to want to be sure his spark is doing the right stuff.
You have no idea if the spark is a spark, if he is 17th qualified or jûst blagging it, Electrical Trainee or time served.
You make your feelings well known about those sorts but when someone wants to be reassured that their spark is doing things right you hjump on them as well!
Consistent if nothing else

 

[Adam W]

I don't understand why you guys are getting at the OP, he sounds clued up eñough to want to be sure his spark is doing the right stuff.
You have no idea if the spark is a spark, if he is 17th qualified or jûst blagging it, Electrical Trainee or time served.
You make your feelings well known about those sorts but when someone wants to be reassured that their spark is doing things right you hjump on them as well!
Consistent if nothing else

Exactly - none of us have seen the job either. The general idea is that a customer hires a tradesman because they know what they're doing, and will have reasons for doing things the way they do. If the customer is not confident that their tradesman is competent, they could pay for an inspection from the local authority or pay the electrician off and try to get someone else in to finish off what they started.

I can't think of anything worse than going to a job where the customer is looking over my shoulder with a copy of the regs book and asking me to explain it all to them, then dropping in things like "well I went on an internet forum and they said you were doing it all wrong".

If the customer were that clued up he would have been able to employ a competent tradesman.

 

[Des 56]

He is the spark
If he is not the spark,the spark should best become the ex spark

 

[robsparky1975]

I really can't help you with the 18th edition as I don't have doc and Marty McFly with me right now it is 17th still.

LOL,PMSL,ROFL,LMFAO and any other that would spring to mind,18th am i behind again dohhhhhhhhh!

 

[shagbite]

I don't understand why you guys are getting at the OP, he sounds clued up eñough to want to be sure his spark is doing the right stuff.
You have no idea if the spark is a spark, if he is 17th qualified or jûst blagging it, Electrical Trainee or time served.
You make your feelings well known about those sorts but when someone wants to be reassured that their spark is doing things right

you hjump on them as well!

Consistent if nothing else

i think you've got one letter too many in this part of your post. i just hope it's the H and not the J!

 

[shagbite]

If this guy isn't the elecrician, all I can say is god help whoever is.

Wouldn't surprise me if the day job is a trafic warden.

are we saying this is one of kingeri's jobs?

 

[rjwbrown]

Well that got some interesting responses, some useful others of no use what so ever.

If you took the scenario where it was said
“just tell me what you want and how, then leave me alone to do it! if you want to get involved..........stick the kettle on!”.

May be someone can answer this,
How is one supposed to know the job will be done correctly?

My view ask questions, probably beyond the remit of most home owners and if you know your stuff it should not be a problem.
I get asked questions all the time and do not have a problem answering and explaining, all be it in a slightly different field (mechanical engineering) so if you have knowledge pass it on, do not just moan about interfering home owners etc.

It's a bit like complaining about the learner driver in front of you on the road, we all had to learn and were probably the same, how easy we forget.

 

[shagbite]

Well that got some interesting responses, some useful others of no use what so ever.

If you took the scenario where it was said
“just tell me what you want and how, then leave me alone to do it! if you want to get involved..........stick the kettle on!”.

May be someone can answer this,

How is one supposed to know the job will be done correctly?

My view ask questions, probably beyond the remit of most home owners and if you know your stuff it should not be a problem.
I get asked questions all the time and do not have a problem answering and explaining, all be it in a slightly different field (mechanical engineering) so if you have knowledge pass it on, do not just moan about interfering home owners etc.

It's a bit like complaining about the learner driver in front of you on the road, we all had to learn and were probably the same, how easy we forget.

look, life's not black and white. you can never be 100% certain. but if you employ someone with a proven track record and who can provide solid testimonies from previous customers, you should be alright. ask to see his qualifications and examples of his work. ask for a guarantee and a contract stipulating everything you want doing. then get out of his way and let him crack-on.


if you're from an engineering background you should know this.

 

[Adam W]

If I'm stuck behind a learner driver I allow enough time for them to complete their manouvre and maybe try to overtake at the next safe place, I wouldn't wind down the window and try to teach them to drive.
If I take my car to the garage I let them have a look at it, explain what is wrong (which I usually half understand) then leave them to get on with it, trusting that they know what they're doing. I don't go and stand behind them with a Haynes manual asking for a step by step tutorial on exactly what they're doing and an explanation as to what everything means in the manual.
So how are you supposed to know the mechanic fixing your car is doing the job correctly? How do you know it was built correctly in the first place? Do you go to the factory while they're building it and ask them to explain the plans to you? Do you start querying the terminology on the plans and asking if it could be done slightly differently instead?
Or do you just leave them to get on with it?

 

[plugsandsparks]

Nice to hear a customer taking an interest, most of the time only thing i get to hear is after the event when something has been put in the "wrong" place.
A proper sparky should be looking to give the client what they want and keep within the regs. Just because one sparky does it a certain way does not mean there are not alternatives.
Having said that, think the OP needs to think about another sparky, one that has two ears and one mouth, used in that quantity.

 

[HandySparks]

I don't have a problem with the customer asking questions. I'm supposed to be the 'expert' with a good knowledge of the regs, and I should be able to explain to the customer why I'm doing something a particular way. If the customer still wants it done differently then, provided that it's safe, I'll do it (costed accordingly); after all, he's paying.

I recon that if you talk to your customers and agree a way forward, you'll be more likely to get a happy customer and therefore repeat business. If you don't have the confidence to discuss the job, you're probably just doing it 'how I've always done it', and not thinking it through (like always bonding to incoming water pipe, rather than determining whether it's actually required).

 

[MDJ]

My money is on the fact that the OP is actually the sparky.

Ah yes thats my view too, too many buzz words in the opening post, alarm bells ringing here too, glad I'm not alone, my money at bet fred for this one is only 2-1, a dead cert lol

 

[Welchyboy]

If I'm stuck behind a learner driver I allow enough time for them to complete their manouvre and maybe try to overtake at the next safe place, I wouldn't wind down the window and try to teach them to drive.
If I take my car to the garage I let them have a look at it, explain what is wrong (which I usually half understand) then leave them to get on with it, trusting that they know what they're doing. I don't go and stand behind them with a Haynes manual asking for a step by step tutorial on exactly what they're doing and an explanation as to what everything means in the manual.
So how are you supposed to know the mechanic fixing your car is doing the job correctly? How do you know it was built correctly in the first place? Do you go to the factory while they're building it and ask them to explain the plans to you? Do you start querying the terminology on the plans and asking if it could be done slightly differently instead?
Or do you just leave them to get on with it?

^^EXACTLY! Nothing worse than a customer who's been on the Internet for half an hour then starts to tell you how to do your job

 

[Des 56]

He wanted to move the meter andI said no as it is fine where it is and I did not want to fall foul of any of the supply company regulations.


You have yet to explain the strange issue quoted above that was in your opening post

 

[rjwbrown]

He wanted to move the meter andI said no as it is fine where it is and I did not want to fall foul of any of the supply company regulations.


You have yet to explain the strange issue quoted above that was in your opening post

The meter and CU are just inside the front door in a porch area on the right hand side of the door in a cupboard and the electrician wanted to move it, I already knew that the meter was not within his remit but he said he had done it before without any problems.
After some thought decided this was not a good idea as the move is the responsibility of the home owner not the electrician or who ever moved it.
The move was not a massive one a matter of a couple of feet, his reasoning was it made the wiring easier to run as it could all be placed in a stud wall but it would be in your face as you walked in the front door.

FYI: The ring mains and other services are under the floor (suspended timber) with the exception of the lighting which is all in the loft space and access from floor level to loft is easy as there is a new stud wall going in which the builders have left open until the cables are run. Do not forget this is a bungalow.

 

[shagbite]

i don't think he wants to move the meter. he probably just wants to move the cu.

 

[rjwbrown]

i don't think he wants to move the meter. he probably just wants to move the cu.

He wanted to move the meter as he was on about the length of the in coming cable and if there was enough slack it would be easy to move!