ELECSA Certification Scheme Elecsa Technical Support

[Midwest]

I'm registered with Elecsa, and quite often use their Technical Support facility.

Recently I emailed Elecsa with a couple of questions for their tech support, using the main email address. As I hadn't received a within the week, I emailed again on Monday, no response.

Today, I rang customer services, and spoke to a nice young lady, who offered to forward on my email, if I sent it direct to her. I did, but she replied back 'I've just been informed that we no longer offer advice over email and that would be why you haven't received an email back.......'.

I replied back, with a rather snotty response (not her fault), i.e. what am I getting for my increased fee's this year etc.

Are other Elecsa/NIC members aware of this change in membership. Bit peed off. Might jump ship to Stroma at this rate

 

[westward10]

My company is with Elecsa but I have never used Technical Support. Sounds a bit of a joke, do you have to do it by phone now or send them a letter !

 

[Midwest]

I primarily used email, find you get more information that way, reg numbers etc and more in depth explanation than when speaking to someone. But sounds like that's no more, just phone in. Will wait for a response about value for money etc, if they reply to that! But I was only going to do sparkin' for a couple more years, so was going to stay with them. If this is what you get, might as well pay less and go with Stroma!

 

[Leesparkykent]

maybe they don't want to leave a paper trail

 

[Midwest]

Too late I've kept the emails! I know it can be time consuming, and as we've seen on this forum, interpretation of BS7671 is imprecise, reading something back makes more sense. Well it does for me!

Perhaps they'll drop their 'Fully Charged' from the helpline in the Connections Mag as well.

It's bit like going to the solicitors for legal advice, and they don't won't actually commit to anything, but still charge you a fortune for the pleasure.

 

[Octopus]

Elecsa technical support went down the toilet when they merged with the NIC a few years ago....

 

[westward10]

From recent Posts on here it seems you can speak to different people and get conflicting responses. What is the point.

 

[Octopus]

The last time I called them before I left them, my call was routed to the DIY type help desk that the ESC have - to say they lacked technical knowledge was an understatement.....

 

[Midwest]

Well I have to disagree, till now the advice has been exemplary IMO, but I'm just a lowly self trader. They were very useful to hear another view on the regs, as I've used this forum before for advice, a great deal of thanks there.
Time will tell.

 

[Admin]

Heard nothing but good about Strom so far.

 

[NDG Elecs]

maybe they don't want to leave a paper trail

Nail hit firmly on head there I reckon Lee! The couple of times I have spoke to tech support hasn't filled me with much hope tbh. That's with another scheme, but I can well imagine they do not want any kind of evidence of what they have advised.

 

[sparkdog]

Don't know why they don't just make ELECSA NIC & be done with it.It always bothers me that they offer NIC a greater range of shop products like work wear.

 

[hightower]

Funny, I was reading an article this morning in Professional Electrician while munching on my coco pops, it was written by Elecsa and was regarding sizing main bonding in an installation. Basically the article went on to say that with 4/6/10mm tails the bonding will be 6mm, 16/25mm it MUST be 10mm bonding because with 25mm tails it is assumed to have a 16mm main earth. Nowhere in the article did it mention that it's acceptable to size the main earth based on the adiabatic, and in certain circumstances it's okay to have a 6mm bonding with a 6mm earth on a TNS/TT system.

Just a complete dumbing down of the regs.

 

[Midwest]

Left hand, Right hand; I've just received an email response from Elecsa Technical Support, answering my question I sent via email.

 

[Admin]

So no actual formal rules, just depends on who you speak to on the phone and / or email lol

 

[Midwest]

I did send an email asking for clarification about email advise, but got the response to my technical question first. I will seek further clarification.

 

[Midwest]

Having to ring Elecsa Technical asking guidance on how to wire up a metal hot tub in a garden shed - only joking -
They did confirm, they still do offer guidance via email. So we can all sleep soundly in our beds , those that pay their fees. So that Cable & Stantiforth duo, can gallivant across the countryside.

 

[Pete999]

Not a fan then Midwest? that makes at least 2 of us.

 

[Midwest]

Not a fan then Midwest? that makes at least 2 of us.

I would be if they didn't charge as frigging much. Tempted to move to Stroma, but as that park bench is beckoning, I'll probably stay.
It does make you wonder what you get for your money, whoever you are with. Just see them, Certsure, sending their road shows across the country, and then charging members to go to them, when you are already paying them handsomely
............................and another thing..................just spent two hours on the phone to Sky to reduce my bill. My lad said tell 'em your leaving, and they'll knock off 50%. Yeah right. Makes my blood boil. Bloody TV. It was simpler when there was just BBC1 and BBC2 on Tuesday evenings only, with High Chaparral at 8pm. And the signal cut out half way through.

 

[sparkdog]

Yes, I was a telly engineer in those days (we had a proper title not technician or repair man) anyway reliability wasn't a hot point. Sometimes you were lucky to make it to the front gate before it broke down again. Oh, and the essential bit of kit, the neon screwdriver to check polarity as most tellys had the mains connected direct to the chassis.