lighting job turns into major rewire?? - fair?

debtfree1day

Hello
I have a plasterer replacing kitchen ceilings, who said I needed to organise a leccy to put lights in so when ceiling gets put back up he can dril into joists and install
i thought Id get 2 quotes:

chap 1 - walks into kitchen, asks about lighting prefernce, spot lights, downloghts, number of switches etc etc, quote arrives 1 day later. simple

chap 2 - walks into kicthen, similar questions but then asks to see mains...
show him this and he announces its not bonded at all, and all the electrics are dangerous AND he needs to bond from meter under floorboards and from gas to bathroom and kitchen and says he will come back with his mate on monday to give propoer quote but expect £1500+....and its dangerous, and priority etc etc. suggesting that I can the decorative work planned and spend money on this, and do decorative when I can afford later..

I have plasterer coming tuesday to start, and cant cancel him and not sure I can find more traders to give further opinions by monday when chap 2 returns. Are there any killer questiosn or do's and don't to watch out for, which will help me clarify that this is serious and needs doing?

I know I could ask chap 1 why he hasnt checked and get his view, but not sure I want to go down the play 1 against another route...

welcome your views

amcluesent

Chap 2 is a conman, don't let him back into the house. If you let him near the gas, he'll condemn the boiler and that'll be £3000

Earth bonding is 99% bull, dreamed up as a 'make work' for the trade, like power-flushing.

DVardysShadow

amcluesent wrote: »

...
Earth bonding is 99% bull, dreamed up as a 'make work' for the trade, like power-flushing.

While I would agree that the second quoter appeared to be on a mission to create work, I cannot agree that earth bonding is 99% bull. Earth bonding is what will save you in a bathroom if the hot tap has become live due to a wiring failure and you grab the hot and cold taps simultaneously, the cold tap being metallic to the street.

While the chances are remote, the country is big enough that such accidents used to occur quite often.

debtfree1day

2nd quote man did seem on a mission - I remember him saying when I phoned him he would need to check for bonding, and talking abour importance of new regs and certificates....

That said I dont want to ignore him and live to regret it...

wallbash

2nd quote man did seem on a mission - I remember him saying when I phoned him he would need to check for bonding, and talking abour importance of new regs and certificates....

So he was talking the job up before seeing it !

Get back to number one,

debtfree1day

i just did...he is coming back round later today

getmedebtfreeplease

amcluesent wrote: »

Chap 2 is a conman, don't let him back into the house. If you let him near the gas, he'll condemn the boiler and that'll be £3000

Earth bonding is 99% bull, dreamed up as a 'make work' for the trade, like power-flushing.

:rotfl:

No, earth bonding is what will save your life if a fault develops.
Under no circumstances let anyone carry out any electrical work unless they belong to a governing body and are able to self certify.
Insurance companies have the right to refuse claims, should you make one as a result of uncertified electrical work.

Inactive

getmedebtfreeplease wrote: »

:rotfl:

No, earth bonding is what will save your life if a fault develops.
Under no circumstances let anyone carry out any electrical work unless they belong to a governing body and are able to self certify.
Insurance companies have the right to refuse claims, should you make one as a result of uncertified electrical work.

You can of course provide a link to this legislation?

wallbash

Sparky#1 may now turn up and actually see the need for earth bonding and a full rewire and then charge a whole lot more than if you went with Sparky#2! I would suggest actually asking sparky#1 whether the earth bonding is acceptable/existant ...and whether a full rewire is deemed necessary.

Yes , but at least he might be turning up with the idea of just doing what the OP wanted.
In the course of the job , it would be quite acceptable for him to point out any problems.

chap 1 - walks into kitchen, asks about lighting prefernce, spot lights, downloghts, number of switches etc etc, quote arrives 1 day later. simple

Thats wot the OP wants .

mkaibear

debtfree1day wrote: »

Hello
I have a plasterer replacing kitchen ceilings, who said I needed to organise a leccy to put lights in so when ceiling gets put back up he can dril into joists and install
i thought Id get 2 quotes:

chap 1 - walks into kitchen, asks about lighting prefernce, spot lights, downloghts, number of switches etc etc, quote arrives 1 day later. simple

chap 2 - walks into kicthen, similar questions but then asks to see mains...
show him this and he announces its not bonded at all, and all the electrics are dangerous AND he needs to bond from meter under floorboards and from gas to bathroom and kitchen and says he will come back with his mate on monday to give propoer quote but expect £1500+....and its dangerous, and priority etc etc. suggesting that I can the decorative work planned and spend money on this, and do decorative when I can afford later..

I have plasterer coming tuesday to start, and cant cancel him and not sure I can find more traders to give further opinions by monday when chap 2 returns. Are there any killer questiosn or do's and don't to watch out for, which will help me clarify that this is serious and needs doing?

I know I could ask chap 1 why he hasnt checked and get his view, but not sure I want to go down the play 1 against another route...

welcome your views

The second one is either more conscientious or looking to make work for himself. The first one provided the quote for what you wanted and could easily turn round and say "actually you need earth bonding and a new board and... etc etc" when he's doing the job.

Get the first guy back in and be sure he looks at the board and bonding as well as the ceiling.

Then get a third guy and ask for a third opinion.

yumyums

We are having some electrical work done in our kitchen soon and the guy who came round to quote looked at the consumer unit and checked for bonding etc and said everything was up-to-scratch. I would have felt more comfortable with your chap #1 if he'd at least had a look.