Retrofit RCBO's to a Wylex Consumer Unit?

zax47

fto wrote: »

£300-£400 for a full board change........No wonder so many private houses still have no rcd protection.If a split load board costs under £100,thats some profit for less than half a days work.

Half a days work? Plus the pre-change testing to see if all circuits are OK, and the post-change testing for certification (plus writing up time) and then all the remedial work because the crappy re-wire you gave some cowboy £500 for 2 years ago is making all the RCDs trip continually! There's lots more to it than swapping a board over (and that's assuming you haven't got to extend every bloody circuit to re-locate the box somewhere accessible under the new regs).

Half a days work? You're having a laugh, right?? Come and do it - properly mind, not some half-arsed cowboy job - in half a day and I'll f'kin pay you, you joker!!

fto

Gees, touched a nerve...........If takes less than 2 hours to change a consumer unit (on average). So you are telling us testing & writing the cert, takes 6 hours.I never mentioned remedial work & if the rcd trips continually its almost always a appliance.Just because someone is cheaper than you,does not make them a cowboy..................

zax47

fto, I'm not entering a debate with you about this. I do this work, it's my living - you patently do not. I know what's involved and how long it takes - you only think you do. If you wish to think that it all can be done, correctly, in the time and at the cost you suggest then fine, it's your error. Long may you live, happy in your ignorance.

Maybe you would care to have a look here to get some real-world figures for CU change costs, rather than rely on your vivid imagaination? You will see that £300-400 is a typical cost, a few at £275 maybe but not lower.

muckybutt

zax47 wrote: »

Half a days work? Plus the pre-change testing to see if all circuits are OK, and the post-change testing for certification (plus writing up time) and then all the remedial work because the crappy re-wire you gave some cowboy £500 for 2 years ago is making all the RCDs trip continually! There's lots more to it than swapping a board over (and that's assuming you haven't got to extend every bloody circuit to re-locate the box somewhere accessible under the new regs).

Half a days work? You're having a laugh, right?? Come and do it - properly mind, not some half-arsed cowboy job - in half a day and I'll f'kin pay you, you joker!!

Gotta agree with you on that one zax, always getting customer can you justify your charges well theres public liability, vehicle tax, vehicle insurance, nic fees or whatever, costs for submitting reports, ongoing training, cost of tools and equipment etc etc etc the list goes on and everything has to be taken into consideration.

zax47

Exactly MB, people won't believe you when you tell them that on a job like a board change, after all my hourly fixed costs are taken into account, my "take home pay" is around £7.50-£8.00 per hour. If I did it for £200 then I'd be paying the customer!!

Of course the unqualified cowboy will do it for £200 quid. He puts £100+ straight in his back pocket, doesn't pay Tax or NI or and Registration fees or have any PLI or any of the things that a PROPER tradesperson has. And where will they be found when you want them back to sort out the crap job they did or to get the long-promised EIC or Part P paperwork- NOWHERE! All my jobs have an insurance backed guarantee provided by my scheme registration company. Does a cowboy offer that?

drc200

fto wrote: »

Gees, touched a nerve...........If takes less than 2 hours to change a consumer unit (on average). So you are telling us testing & writing the cert, takes 6 hours.I never mentioned remedial work & if the rcd trips continually its almost always a appliance.Just because someone is cheaper than you,does not make them a cowboy..................

It is the common belief that all tradesmen are trying to make a quick buck! I watch cowboy builders too.

I, like zax47 am a qualified sparky I am registered with the NIC-EIC. I often quote for new consumer units and main bonding upgrades, Unlike zax I do not do a pre test but prefer to explain to the customer (also on my estimate) that I will replace the consumer unit and test all circuits as required by the IET wiring regs, I will not connect any faulty ones until the fault is rectified, so far no one has ever asked me to leave the circuit dosconnected, they have always been appreciative of my honesty and have the fault rectified. Remedial work is not an option it has to be done or left disconnected, its my name on the certificate at the end of the day.

But in line with your comments, it is only a couple of hours to change the consumer unit, BUT remember the testing, usually without any prior installation information will take the rest of the day if not more, then another hour at least to notify the council and print/fill in the report.

This doesnt include time spent estimating for people who dont want to pay for a proper job, and days lost training to keep up to date with new practices not to mention buying test equipment, taking your regional engineer to prove you can do the job to your approved body and replacing test equipment you only bough 2 years previous.

Most tradesmen are honest, its a shame many people don't realise this and choose the bloke down the pub that knows a bit about about 'lectrics. I frequently put right DIY and cowboy work done on the cheap, it doesnt pay in the long term.

KillerWatt

zax47 wrote: »

Half a days work? Plus the pre-change testing to see if all circuits are OK, and the post-change testing for certification (plus writing up time) and then all the remedial work because the crappy re-wire you gave some cowboy £500 for 2 years ago is making all the RCDs trip continually! There's lots more to it than swapping a board over (and that's assuming you haven't got to extend every bloody circuit to re-locate the box somewhere accessible under the new regs).

Half a days work? You're having a laugh, right?? Come and do it - properly mind, not some half-arsed cowboy job - in half a day and I'll f'kin pay you, you joker!!

Couldn't have put it better myself
:T:T:T