Am I being taken for a ride?

[surreygirl]

I had an electrician come to do a safety check at my property that I let out last week and he has recommended that remedial work should be done at a cost of 2,100 pounds, These are:-

Upgrade of eco 7db
Upgrade of 2 x circuits to RCD protection
Install of isolation point for underfloor heating
identification of points where required
Fusing of points
Enclosure of exposed wiring - these are wires that are not in trunking
Investigation of supply wiring and condition of main isolator and repair
Retermination of required points
cable enclosures

Nothing listed but the sub total is 1,750 plus VAT comes to 2,100

Is that a lot! I last had a test done five years ago, true the wire of the economy 7 is in a situation which is not assessable, however he wants to run a wire from it across the lounge and into the kitchen!

But the amount seems excessive and it is through the Agents who manage the property for me.

Any suggestions would be very helpful.

Many thanks Surreygirl

 

[SparkyChick]

Thanks SC, but unless you have been shopping with Mrs Pete999 you have absolutely no idea of the torment I go through every Friday, it's like pulling teeth whilst undergoing open heart surgery without an anesthetic.

Obviously I've not been shopping with your wife, but I've heard enough complaints from Mum and Dad about each other whilst shopping to be able to get a handle on the torment people go through

 

[Pete999]

Obviously I've not been shopping with your wife, but I've heard enough complaints from Mum and Dad about each other whilst shopping to be able to get a handle on the torment people go through

Torment, torment you wait SC your turn will come.

 

[telectrix]

our local Aldi is better because Toolstation is only 100 yards away. and there's a brilliant butty bar on the car park.

 

[Pete999]

Our Tesco has Subway, Jennies, Burger king, Maccy dees, and the best bit some fly by night flea pit in the car park, a wonderful choice, what would yours be?

 

[surreygirl]

Our Tesco has Subway, Jennies, Burger king, Maccy dees, and the best bit some fly by night flea pit in the car park, a wonderful choice, what would yours be?

Well whilst you have all been busy at the supermarkets I have had a reply from the Agent after asking why the wires cannot be checked and this is what the Agent has now come up with and says

"It is not that the wire can’t be checked as it’s in the wall it’s that the wire used can only go 3 meters and at both ends are different there must be a join and he needs to test the join"

I do not understand that at all or why they think that there is a join. As some one has said I have to find another electrician!

 

[SparkyChick]

Torment, torment you wait SC your turn will come.

Not if I stay single it won't.

Our Tesco has Subway, Jennies, Burger king, Maccy dees, and the best bit some fly by night flea pit in the car park, a wonderful choice, what would yours be?

Subway if I'm feeling healthy or Burger King if I'm feeling hungry for a Whopper

 

[SparkyChick]

Well whilst you have all been busy at the supermarkets I have had a reply from the Agent after asking why the wires cannot be checked and this is what the Agent has now come up with and says

"It is not that the wire can’t be checked as it’s in the wall it’s that the wire used can only go 3 meters and at both ends are different there must be a join and he needs to test the join"

I do not understand that at all or why they think that there is a join. As some one has said I have to find another electrician!

The wire used can go much further than that because you can buy it in big reels. So yet more BS.

However, the 3m limit is guidance from the distribution network operators regarding the maximum length of tails from the meter/service head. If the tails are longer than that you should have a switch fuse as the DNO won't guarantee their fuse will disconnect quickly enough if a fault exists on the tails. I'm not sure what the rules are in the case of a centralised feed like you would expect to have in a block of flats.

As for the join... plausible, but be careful with what they are calling different. And by that if at one end they are claiming they are just grey and at the other they are say red and black, then that could just be that one end has more exposed basic insulation (the red/black). The grey is the outer sheath which provides a second layer of insulation.

Has the economy 7 board ever been moved? Has the electricity supply point to your flat ever moved?

 

[Des 56]

I have skim read this thread and think someone is in desperate need of honesty

There are honest and competent electricians around,not all of us are out to screw the customers,some of us actually have a lot of pride in giving good service for required works
Best to get another opinion,there is too much guesswork involved to make judgement remotely,only perceptions

 

[surreygirl]

The wire used can go much further than that because you can buy it in big reels. So yet more BS.

However, the 3m limit is guidance from the distribution network operators regarding the maximum length of tails from the meter/service head. If the tails are longer than that you should have a switch fuse as the DNO won't guarantee their fuse will disconnect quickly enough if a fault exists on the tails. I'm not sure what the rules are in the case of a centralised feed like you would expect to have in a block of flats.

As for the join... plausible, but be careful with what they are calling different. And by that if at one end they are claiming they are just grey and at the other they are say red and black, then that could just be that one end has more exposed basic insulation (the red/black). The grey is the outer sheath which provides a second layer of insulation.

Has the economy 7 board ever been moved? Has the electricity supply point to your flat ever moved?

No never. I have had a modern electrical box fitted in the kitchen when I had the underfloor heating put in, but that was it.

 

[surreygirl]

I have skim read this thread and think someone is in desperate need of honesty

There are honest and competent electricians around,not all of us are out to screw the customers,some of us actually have a lot of pride in giving good service for required works
Best to get another opinion,there is too much guesswork involved to make judgement remotely,only perceptions

I agree with you with what you say. I need a second opinion that is for sure, because I am lost completely and I have lost confidence in both the Agent and the electrician. I think the electrician means well and wants perhaps to get it right. I really do not know what to think. I mean he said a lot of things which when I questioned him about what he was doing just as you guys told me he backed off. He didn't see the wiring in the economy 7 box it is too high to get up to without ladders.

 

[Toneyz]

How come you seem to have no say in the work that needs to be done?. I know you posted that you are away a lot have you signed something that gives the agent instruction to instruct on your behalf. Have you posted a copy of the condition report on here as I may of not seen it.

 

[Pete999]

How come you seem to have no say in the work that needs to be done?. I know you posted that you are away a lot have you signed something that gives the agent instruction to instruct on your behalf. Have you posted a copy of the condition report on here as I may of not seen it.

Don't think surreygirl has had much luck with getting a cert yet

 

[surreygirl]

How come you seem to have no say in the work that needs to be done?. I know you posted that you are away a lot have you signed something that gives the agent instruction to instruct on your behalf. Have you posted a copy of the condition report on here as I may of not seen it.

Yes I did right at the beginning of the thread and I questioned him on it and he removed a few of the things on it.

The problem is that the Agents electrician will not give me a safety cert until he has fixed all he says needs doing and I am out of time as I go back to Spain on Wednesday, however I may have to come back I think. Having a current safety certificate is part of their conditions for obvious reasons but what I should have done was get in my own electrician as using their one has opened a whole can of worms. I am looking today to get one in for Monday and he can then liaise with the tenant if work does need to be carried out like the new cable going through the lounge along the wall and into the kitchen!

If that actually needs to be done!

 

[surreygirl]

Don't think surreygirl has had much luck with getting a cert yet

Not yet no!

 

[tom porter]

I had an electrician come to do a safety check at my property that I let out last week and he has recommended that remedial work should be done at a cost of 2,100 pounds, These are:-

Upgrade of eco 7db
Upgrade of 2 x circuits to RCD protection
Install of isolation point for underfloor heating
identification of points where required
Fusing of points
Enclosure of exposed wiring - these are wires that are not in trunking
Investigation of supply wiring and condition of main isolator and repair
Retermination of required points
cable enclosures

Nothing listed but the sub total is 1,750 plus VAT comes to 2,100

Is that a lot! I last had a test done five years ago, true the wire of the economy 7 is in a situation which is not assessable, however he wants to run a wire from it across the lounge and into the kitchen!

But the amount seems excessive and it is through the Agents who manage the property for me.

Any suggestions would be very helpful.

Many thanks Surreygirl

seems a bit expensive but without full itemised quote I can't really comment