Just finished rewire - problems - help please!

nifferwilko

Hey everyone

My electrician has just finished a rewire on my house but there are a few things that I have a problem with. Can anyone tell me if they are actually problems or whether I'm making something out of nothing:

She has moved the room thermostat from the cupboard under the stairs to the room with the gas fire in (it's a back boiler). My radiators don't have TRVs on so am I right in thinking that whenever I have my gas fire on the thermostat will pick up the higher temperature in this room and adjust accordingly. Surely it should be in a different room to the gas fire?

I've got interlinked smoke alarms and she has placed the one in the room with the gas fire almost directly above it - will this mean it will go off more frequently with the gas fire on? Shouldn't it be further away from the gas fire to prevent false alarms?

Despite drawing 2 lots of drawings and marking the walls, she has put one socket in the wrong place and missed out two sockets in the kitchen. There are also a couple of light switches that don't work properly (they get stuck on the switch). Am I reasonable in asking her to fix this.

I wanted to check as I don't want to be seen as the unreasonable customer picking on pathetic bits. But I have paid a lot of money and I can expect it to be right - can't I?

Thanks in advance for all your help

HugoSP

nifferwilko wrote: »

Hey everyone

My electrician has just finished a rewire on my house but there are a few things that I have a problem with. Can anyone tell me if they are actually problems or whether I'm making something out of nothing:

She has moved the room thermostat from the cupboard under the stairs to the room with the gas fire in (it's a back boiler). My radiators don't have TRVs on so am I right in thinking that whenever I have my gas fire on the thermostat will pick up the higher temperature in this room and adjust accordingly. Surely it should be in a different room to the gas fire?

I've got interlinked smoke alarms and she has placed the one in the room with the gas fire almost directly above it - will this mean it will go off more frequently with the gas fire on? Shouldn't it be further away from the gas fire to prevent false alarms?

Despite drawing 2 lots of drawings and marking the walls, she has put one socket in the wrong place and missed out two sockets in the kitchen. There are also a couple of light switches that don't work properly (they get stuck on the switch). Am I reasonable in asking her to fix this.

I wanted to check as I don't want to be seen as the unreasonable customer picking on pathetic bits. But I have paid a lot of money and I can expect it to be right - can't I?

Thanks in advance for all your help

Thermostat. These are usually located in the hallway that will be an average temperature. The living room is perhaps not the best place, but then again, nor is the understairs cupboard - assuming there are doors to it. The living room is the better place out of the two.

The logic is this. She may think that you are likley to have the gas fire on on its own when the weather is not too cold. When it is very cold you will have the central heating on maybe without the gas fire. Only if the room with the gas fire on reaches a few degrees above that of the rest of the house will you feel the difference. Studies have shown that people will want all the rooms in their house at the same temperature, so, unless she can put it in a hallway, away fromthe gas fire then the option you have is to turn the rad in the living room off when the gas fire is on, thereby keeping the flame effect fire as a feature but making sure the ch works in the rest of the house.

Or just turn the stat up a bit.

Personally, I would get a plumber in to fit TRVs

Smoke Alarms. I'm going to have to admit some ignorence here, this is an area that I would refer to the installation manual about. I thought smoke alarms were what they said on the box. You shouldn't have smoke or fumes from your gas fire entering into the room, this is what your flu is for. Ask her and ask the manufacturer.

Drawings and markings. If your instructions were clear and consistant, then she has not done as asked, an it is clearly her responsibility to do what is asked of her unless there are specific reasons why she has not done so - for example the IEE regs. Ask her to explain the situation. She can then decide whether to offer you an explanation or redo this area.

Light Switches. The IEE regs state that all accessories must basically be in good working order. If they are not then you have a right to expect them to be replaced or fixed. In the case of light switches replacement only takes 5 minuites.

big_ste

Firstly if she has agreed to site certain sockets in certain positions as per a specification then it should be done as per contract.
If she has issued you a domestic electrical installation certificate on there, thier is a box which she must tick and sign for stating that all functional switching is working, if the lights dont work correctly then she is committing a fraud, challenge her to get them working if not report her immediatley to her part p provider( niceic/napit etc) who have a duty of care to rectify problems and the local council building control, and trading standards as she is defrauding you. If she has not given you a certificate (upto 25 days to do this from end of job) then she is also acting illegally so you have her by the short and curlies either way. THis electician sounds a right "gem" hope she does not turn "green" with anger when you challenge her
Did you get trade references or did you take the cheapest quote going? sometimes it pays to pay more.
If you are yet to pay her in full then get another electrician to right the job and knock his bill of hers
Hope this is of some help

nifferwilko

Thanks for your helpful replies.

I hadn't spoken to her before I posted so I just wanted to check that I wasn't being one of *those* people. As it turned out, when I rang her, it was all fine and it will all be sorted out.

I didn't get trade references (??) but she was recommended by both my Aunt and my parents. She's a good electrician but I think the job turned out to be more complicated then she was expecting and it overran by about a week. Turns out all my ceilings are suspended and made of hardboard!!

Cost me £1800 for a two bed mid terrace for full rewire (and lots of additional sockets)