Help needed with electrics in garage, working one day, not the next!

inspect

Hi

Mcb is a couple of pound plus call out. It’s not a bad price, especially as he’s called out once already. I don’t see why you need a new mcb though, they hardly ever go wrong. Fingers crossed that it’s just a loose wire.

stolt

inspect wrote: »

Hi

Mcb is a couple of pound plus call out. It’s not a bad price, especially as he’s called out once already. I don’t see why you need a new mcb though, they hardly ever go wrong. Fingers crossed that it’s just a loose wire.

thanks, hes in the area on saturday so sad he would pop in then, does make me worry though a he said it could be a MCB and he has some of those in his van. I was going to take the cove roff myself and have a look but for £50.00 its not worth killing myself over

I didnt think £50.00 was bad either especially as you say he has been out once and some charge that for just coming out. fingers crossed, thanks

stolt

oh well the electrican came here today, tested the consumer unit and also the armoured cable that feeds the garage. He thinks that there is junction box (metal, either under the floorboards above the consumer unit which apparently converts the wire from the consumer unit the armoured cable that then goes in to the garage. The electrician is an old guy (68!) so he said he'll leave me to find that and then give him a call. Had to pay £50.00 today so this ones going to be expensive! he said it might be easier (although not cheap to put in new armoured cable to the garage).

inspect - i need your help, what do you think about that?

thechippy

Sorry, but I think you have a suspect sparky. It should be quite simple for him to determine the fault and he should not be leaving you to find things.

The armoured cable is unlikely to require replacement - it's as tough as hell. Hence the name.

stolt

thanks, i did have these suspicons too but went with him as he did seem genuine and friendly (maybe thinking about it he was overly friendly!!) Perhaps find another electrician for a second opinion then. The electrician was 68 so i suspect from his age that he didnt want to go lifting floorboards up etc. Do you think its fair of me to request that no call out charges are paid to any electrician coming out to look at it. I'm just worried that i'm paying out time after time and not getting any closer to finding the problem.

One thing the other electrician was doing was running a testing unit that lit up as he run it up armoured cable which i assumed meant it had power in the cable!! does that sound familiar?

stolt

incidently i have posted my job on one of these trade websites where tradsmen quote for your work, someone has replied and said this ''name and shame the man ? you need a new cable between house and garage saves all the messing about you will also need part p certificate £250.00 cable ,cert,labour''


does that sound reasonable and if thats the case i'm assuming whoever changes the cable would need to find the junction box that the other electrician was taking about which converts the wire into smaller wire so it can go into the consumer unit.

thechippy

It all sounds strange. Armoured rarely requires replacing and the new guy from the site is just assuming. I don't trust those sites anyway - try to go by word of mouth when finding a new sparks.

If a new guy comes out, he'll have the right to charge callout, but if he's good he'll sort out the fault.

Whereabouts are you anyway?

£250 for the cable?? How long is the run?

stolt

I assumed from the way it was wrote that it was everything the garage is about 20ft inc vertical walls. Will have to ask a few of the neighbours to see if they can reccomend someone. A local electrician has said he charges £40 callout and he said if he can't find the fault its refunded but he said he will find the fault and a solution. Just feel wary now.

thechippy

I don't know where you are. I'd pop in no problem, but you could be anywhere.
If you want, pm me with just your approx location.

stolt

Hi, I'm in rayleigh, essex so a bit of trek for you.