Please ensure your electrics are up to date!!!!!!!!!

Mary_Hartnell

It was so bad I took a picture to send to the landlord.

Perhaps the time has come for compulsory certification of rental property.
Especially if there is a chance of killing members of more than one family.

(Flat conversions. "Student" type occupants etc.)

Just as with financial products I am not in favour of too much nanny state, more practical and theoretical education is required.

As with the birds nest above, you cannot inspect-in safety, it has to be an attitude of mind.

arpo

Hi, I have recently had a new rcd,mcb split load consumer unit fitted the electrician said that I would need mains smoke alarms fitted to comply with regulations. Last Nov. we had 2x10yr battery alarms fitted by the fire brigade.Does anyone know whether the regs state that I must have the mains alarms fitted?

baldelectrician

montag451 wrote: »

It was so bad I took a picture to send to the landlord.
a fair proportion of landlords don't care. I have a few good landlords and have weeded out the poor landlords.


Point is , if you see something as dodgy as this do you walk away and say nothing or tell the customer the truth and look like your trying to create work for yourself.

Is it not an obligation to tell people of the potential dangers in their home ?
You have a duty of care to take all reasonable steps- unlike gas people electricians can't cut off supply (but can refuse to connect) if dangerous.
I tell the landlord in writing and issue a 'potentially dangerous install cert ' to cover myself.
I have also started giving a copy to the tenant.

It's not just about fleecing people dry.

You can take a horse to water but can't make it drink

dwarvenassassin

arpo wrote: »

Hi, I have recently had a new rcd,mcb split load consumer unit fitted the electrician said that I would need mains smoke alarms fitted to comply with regulations. Last Nov. we had 2x10yr battery alarms fitted by the fire brigade.Does anyone know whether the regs state that I must have the mains alarms fitted?

They do NOT have to be mains powered. However, mains powered with battery back-up and interlinked IS recommended.

Mary_Hartnell

Now we have the Feed in Tariff (FiT); who is thinking of being certified?

craigyp2009

Mary_Hartnell wrote: »

Now we have the Feed in Tariff (FiT); who is thinking of being certified?

I am but its a flamin nightmare, the competant person scheme people want to inspect certified work's that you have done, but a work that has been done by myself cant be certified, by me till i'm on an approved scheme and checked etc, and nobody can certify it because they were'nt there!!

can LABC inspect and certify after work done so I can get inpected by ELECSA and get into scheme?

Mary_Hartnell

craigyp2009 wrote: »

I am but its a flamin nightmare, the competant person scheme people want to inspect certified work's that you have done, but a work that has been done by myself cant be certified, by me till i'm on an approved scheme and checked etc, and nobody can certify it because they were'nt there!!

can LABC inspect and certify after work done so I can get inpected by ELECSA and get into scheme?

http://www.heatingandventilating.net/news/news.asp?id=6643&title=ELECSA+certificates+first+MCS+applicants+

Background
A Streamlined Organisation
LABC is the trading name of District Surveyors Association Limited.
LABC represents the views of the building control departments within the local authorities of England and Wales. It was formed in June 2005, and became operational in October of that year.
It had two predecessor bodies: the District Surveyors Association, formed to present the views of local authority building control officers to Government; and LABC Services, a local authority controlled company set up to market local authority building control in the face of competition from private sector approved inspectors.
Combining these functions has led to increased efficiency and effectiveness.

LABC Training is exclusive to LABC members and customers, and in Edition 4 of our Training Catalogue, we have introduced some exciting new courses. These courses include five new Best Practice and Update courses which are ideal for you to attend with your customers and business partners.

My understanding, (I only know what I have read and been told, I'm nothing to do with the industry, just as consumer) is that this qualification is a bit like a driving test.
The certifying organisation checks that you can talk the talk. and then inspects the installation you put forward as your "apprentice piece" installation. Provided you have walked the walk correctly both the installation and you get certified.
After that they check up on you say annually?

There are other certifying companies, would you like me to try and name a few?
Though I can see the cost and convenience aspects of keeping all your eggs in the one basket.

craigyp2009

No thanks its fine (my head is currently somewhere up my back-end, with looking at the various competent persons scheme's available), my main trouble is that building control want £300 to inspect my work which of course means I have to include this in any quotes I give, which while I am trying to be as fair as possible to the customer (by giving my cheapest possible quote), in most cases it is pricing me out of the market, I cant see why on earth in todays current climate of un-employment the local council's cant make it a bit cheaper for say your first couple of installations so that people wanting to go self employed (therefore reducing un-employment) can actually stand a chance.

I mean to charge £300 ish for a service which once on a competent persome scheme would actually cost about a tenner (lets for argument sake call it worst case of £20), that makes quite a substantial difference to a quote for a potential customer.

I mean if I quoted say £2500 for a massive re-wire but fred bloggs down the road quote's £2200 for the self and same work to be done, who would you go for?

redlady_1

Hi all, I moved into a house in December and I am now going to get the electrics inspected. I know the fuse board is fairly new and that some of the wiring is new. The last time they were checked was in 2005. I have been quoted £120 to check them. Can anyone tell me whether this is good or not please?

zax47

About right (maybe slightly low) for a PIR (Periodic Inspection Report), depends on the size of your property / number of circuits. I would charge £125-150 for a typical 3 bed semi here in West Yorks, depending on the number of circuits. Usually works out as 3-5 hours or so inspection & testing and 2-3 hours or so writing up. If he's there half an hour then he's not done a proper job!

You can get an idea of typical costs for a PIR here.