Poor fault finding- Faulty lighting circuit- Pay or not?

[Lurcher66]

Hi folks,

Quick query for this still practicing regarding bill payment for a job not complete.

My partner recently employed an electrician to do some simple work, post a a bathroom re-fit. Extractor, lighting fit along with resolving a problem relating to switching of lights in hallway. Whilst all has been fitted , now the lights throughout the house dim or bright dependant on what is switched on. An example being , switch on the hall lights and the bathroom ones dim.

However the electrician involved is perplexed and cannot resolve the issue , but having been paid half upfront has invoiced for the remainder .

To my mind its simple, the job is not complete, therefore I personally wouldn't pay remainder.

As this is an older property, the lighting circuit is one loop covering both down and upstairs and I believe it's likely that he's mixed up the connections on fit.

I'll now go through the lengthy process of establishing what this chap has done and go from there, as it looks like he's walking away job incomplete.

Thoughts, pay or not to pay?

 

[littlespark]

If this is a new problem, it may not have anything to do with the electricians work.

If he’s fitted out the bathroom, and fixed the hallway problem that he was asked to do initially, then he has completed the job asked.

If another problem appears while he is there, it could very well be coincidence. If an older property, then I would expect many problems to arise around the same time as it all deteriorates at the same time.

It is not uncommon for one repaired fault to bring up a second as the first one more than likely caused the second… it’s just not apparent until after a repair.


Season of goodwill and all that…. Pay the man, and he might come out after having an epiphany and sort it…. Otherwise, you could end up paying over the odds for someone else to start the fault finding all over again.

Fault finding is not something we can just say “yeh, it’ll take 2 hours” or whatever…. It takes as long as it takes.

 

[ipf]

You mention an initial problem with the hallway lights switching. How long had it been faulty? Had it ever been correct?
Too many questions to be making a decision on a forum.
Though, if it was agreed to repair the fault, I would say an explanation is required, at least.

 

[buzzlightyear]

My partner recently employed an electrician to do some simple work, post a a bathroom re-fit. Extractor, lighting fit along with resolving a problem relating to switching of lights in hallway.

fixed ?

now the lights throughout the house dim or bright dependant on what is switched on.

not fixed relating to the above ,and was it there in the beginning or did he cause a problem ,you need to speak to him ,WITH OUT SHOUTING AT HIM .

 

[Lurcher66]

In essence chap was paid to fit lights in bathroom and extractor, the lights simply dont work. The hallway lights was an existing problem, which he attempted to resolve, but a very minor one in that the three way switch needed fixing. To be clear , now all lights in the house are affected by whatever' s been done. Is what it is and sometimes you just gotta suck it up, thanks to everyone for their feedback.

 

[westward10]

Are you saying the new bathroom lights don't function?
The dimming was an existing problem?
Did the previous bathroom lights work normally?

 

[Lurcher66]

The bathroom light worked normally before , as did the upstairs lights, there was a minor fault downstairs. I will give him the opportunity to put right, other than that it's a lesson learnt.

 

[loz2754]

Sounds like a case of crossed wires.
In this case the switched line and neutral at the light fitting have been mixed up, causing some of the lights to be effectively wired in series, hence the wrong light coming on, as well as the dimming effect.

 

[freddo]

The bathroom light worked normally before , as did the upstairs lights, there was a minor fault downstairs. I will give him the opportunity to put right, other than that it's a lesson learnt.

Perhaps I'm being negative, but if he couldn't correct the new problems he caused while he was there it is unlikely he will be able to fix them at all.

 

[LukeD]

Sounds like a case of crossed wires.
In this case the switched line and neutral at the light fitting have been mixed up, causing some of the lights to be effectively wired in series, hence the wrong light coming on, as well as the dimming effect.

something like this

 

[ipf]

Perhaps I'm being negative, but if he couldn't correct the new problems he caused while he was there it is unlikely he will be able to fix them at all.

I'll be positive and say I agree.

 

[DefyG]

Along similar lines.
I got a call to investigate fault on lighting circuit (which sounded quite simple) and coincidentally I was in the area so said I’d have a look for £60 (too cheap I know but I was like 2 roads away), and really expected it to be a simple fix!
So attended, found/rectified fault within 15minutes and client paid me £60 then said - ‘The other electrician charged £100 was here over an hour and didn’t even fix it’!!!!