You may like to check out the new regulations at the following web site.
http://www.odpm.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1130907
Electrical Work in the Garden
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter
Piglet is a part p electrictian, I am sure he is right, and he's got no reason to lie to us, he wouldn't want to be away from Mrs Piglet for the time it would take to do all of our electrical projects. 
I don't know whether £600 was fair for the job Compo, but I hope you got more than one quote. Sometimes people give high quotes if they don't really want the job, if you still ask them to do it they are 'compensated' for the irritation of a job they don't want. But it is also true that getting the appropriate qualifications to get the certificates costs time and money, as does maintaining the certification, so certificated electrictions are going to cost more. Personally having lived in a house with unsafe electircs and an unhelpful landlord I'd rather be safe than sorry.
I don't know whether £600 was fair for the job Compo, but I hope you got more than one quote. Sometimes people give high quotes if they don't really want the job, if you still ask them to do it they are 'compensated' for the irritation of a job they don't want. But it is also true that getting the appropriate qualifications to get the certificates costs time and money, as does maintaining the certification, so certificated electrictions are going to cost more. Personally having lived in a house with unsafe electircs and an unhelpful landlord I'd rather be safe than sorry.
-
pigletwillie
- KG Regular
- Posts: 723
- Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2005 6:38 pm
- Location: Leicestershire
The problem is that whilst just doing a small job may be straight forward and cheap to carry out, the electrician has a duty of care to ensure that what he wires to is in a condition that meets the regs. If you have old wiring and poor earth bonding it may be difficult to achieve this without further extensive work being involved which of course drives up costs and people into the hands of cowboys and bodgers who charge less, or indeed to do it themselves.
Kindest regards Piglet
"You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind".
"You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind".
-
pigletwillie
- KG Regular
- Posts: 723
- Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2005 6:38 pm
- Location: Leicestershire
Hi Peter, the regs are not retrospective.
Kindest regards Piglet
"You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind".
"You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind".
-
Compo
- KG Regular
- Posts: 1420
- Joined: Thu Mar 16, 2006 8:58 pm
- Location: Somerset
- Been thanked: 6 times
I get everyone's point and as a professional myself It is frustating when your advice is dismissed by dangerous DIYer's, however another qualified electrician is going to install a new two way fuse box, splitting the supply as it comes from the electicity board fuse, install electrics to my outbuilding all for £280 and a certificate to boot. For a further £80 he will give my existing wiring a good check and give me and hours labour in that to put right any faults he finds, finally he will put all that in writing, Beccy was right the other guy did not want the job, he should have just said.
Whilst we are on the topic, what about cheap solar low voltage power for lotment sheds etc? anyone got any ideas or sources, I would imagine low voltage stuff is ok for DIY'ers it would be great to have a light for the shed....Any ideas
Whilst we are on the topic, what about cheap solar low voltage power for lotment sheds etc? anyone got any ideas or sources, I would imagine low voltage stuff is ok for DIY'ers it would be great to have a light for the shed....Any ideas
If I am not on the plot, I am not happy.........
-
pigletwillie
- KG Regular
- Posts: 723
- Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2005 6:38 pm
- Location: Leicestershire
Check out ebay for solar lights.
That price isnt so bad Compo. People are quite happy paying £30-40 per hour at the vet but baulk to pay for something that might just save their life.
Its human nature I guess, people dont forget to buy their lottery ticket but forget whilst their in the newsagent to buy that battery for the smoke alarm!
That price isnt so bad Compo. People are quite happy paying £30-40 per hour at the vet but baulk to pay for something that might just save their life.
Its human nature I guess, people dont forget to buy their lottery ticket but forget whilst their in the newsagent to buy that battery for the smoke alarm!
Kindest regards Piglet
"You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind".
"You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind".
You can spend a lifetime in Electronics and not fully understand Electricity apparently. When a qualified Electrician explains that there are various reasons why an RCD will not work, especially if it is not fully earthed. I feel that you should take note of what he is saying.
I have a number of RCD’s fitted for various Outbuildings especially my Tunnels. Over the years it has cost me a small fortune which I consider to have been money well spent. My underground armoured cables are all buried deeper than 18” which was considered at the time to be regulation depth but perhaps this may well have changed now. As an employer I have a duty of care for my employees. Now I appreciate that the employer bit may not concern you BUT you have a duty of care for anybody who may assist you. You know, the person who kindly waters for you when you go on holiday or away from the property for the day. You may know the pitfalls in your own installation but that person is totally unaware of your possible “Heath Robinson” installation and may be in grave peril. You have a duty of care for that person although they are not strictly your employee.
My advice is to read and inwardly digest the postings made by Piglet who after all is only trying to assist you. Remember that electrocution is normally a one-off job!!
If you have fitted your own RCD and are in the slightest doubt then do the sensible thing and have it checked out by somebody who is deemed competent to do so.
You know that this makes sense.
I have a number of RCD’s fitted for various Outbuildings especially my Tunnels. Over the years it has cost me a small fortune which I consider to have been money well spent. My underground armoured cables are all buried deeper than 18” which was considered at the time to be regulation depth but perhaps this may well have changed now. As an employer I have a duty of care for my employees. Now I appreciate that the employer bit may not concern you BUT you have a duty of care for anybody who may assist you. You know, the person who kindly waters for you when you go on holiday or away from the property for the day. You may know the pitfalls in your own installation but that person is totally unaware of your possible “Heath Robinson” installation and may be in grave peril. You have a duty of care for that person although they are not strictly your employee.
My advice is to read and inwardly digest the postings made by Piglet who after all is only trying to assist you. Remember that electrocution is normally a one-off job!!
If you have fitted your own RCD and are in the slightest doubt then do the sensible thing and have it checked out by somebody who is deemed competent to do so.
You know that this makes sense.
JB.
