csa of main earth question

[montybaber]

Like I have said many times...you have total respect from me for what you do day in day out.

I do so very little domestic work (yet) and i dont know how you make any money, i'd be paranoid starting any work and insist on all manner of checks tests before I do (and that aint gonna happen) trouble is the customer doesnt ever give a ---- as long as their toaster still makes the bread brown so you are fighting a losing battle.

and course theres always someone who will do the work without testing and they will be heroes in the eyes of the customer

Keep going fella if everyone like you gave up and lowered their standards then we'd all be in the sh**e

 

[saveloy]

cheer savloy, just got in from work ! firstly theres not a lot of point in me responding much more to this, i know what the crack is with trade and cant afford to turn work down at the minute etc etc.

id like to know how many people test the main earth and do a continuity check on bonding when either estimating for work or before starting work. or whether they just confirm it on a visual, like i did, but turned out that they were both below standard on the test.

im not a crap sparky and do a good job, visual inspections are clearly just that, if ive seen something that looks ok then you only find out its not till you start testing.
again id like to know who gets there wander leads out to testing continuity of bonding conductors before starting work, if they look ok visually (as mine were on this job)

i honestly appreciate your comments and have taken several points on board, but i will maintain the above comments and also add that without doing a full pir on a job whilst estimating it you will never know the full extent of an installation..you may get your leads out and confirm cont of boinding conductors, and do a loop test on the mains, then after you do all this you fit a light fitting and find you got no cpc continuity, or other high r1+r2 related problem, these problems are always gonna occur unless im totally missing the whole point here, that the wierd and wonderful world of electrics!

im taking note of clarifying the main bonding and i may even confirm it with wander lead test from now on, but come on seriously who tests main Ze etc and bonding this way before doing works (other than visual)

i also dont mean to come accross confrontational im only 4-5 months in as been self employed and am still learning and will be learning for as long as im in this trade, like everyone else.

cheers


anyways im off for a well earnt shower now....

First off I've got a lot of time for people who are not afraid to ask questions and find out about what they are not sure of. It's the ones who think they know it all regardless, that are most dangerous.

Anyway just to clarify:
Your original post was regarding the abscence of bonding. That is all I would check on an initial visit. I would not test for Ze as then (as you say)you might as well start doing a PIR!!

90% of the time a visual is all that is required, as a lot of the time, all the services are in close proximity to each other and you can see the conductors in their entirity. However I have seen situations (as I,m sure you have) whereby the mains incoming water pipe or gas pipe are outside the building or remote to the CCU. In these situations I would do a quick continuity test with a wander lead. Because invariably it is these situations that will take a lot of time and money to put right.

I do this so that I can inform the customer at the earliest possible opportunity and price it in to the job. If you find out at end of the job and have to charge more there is always a chance that they will refuse to pay the extra. If this happens then you may end up having to do it for free, just to sign it off and get paid. All hypothetical I know, but never under estimate Joe Public's excuses for avoiding payment!! Don't give them an inch they will take the p!$$.

Hope this helps

 

[sparkyork]

yeah absolubtly with you on that savaloy, i think i will adopt a new approach to checking main bonding, before doing the works, and as stated if you get any other problems then you never know what they are till you either start testing or do a pir.

it may of contrandined the regs and i am a little dissappointed in my self for putting my self in this position, my only blessing is that the customers i have done the work for are more than happy to have there installations brought upto standard, at there own expense!

my only motivation for this was to try and get a bit more money in as ive been scraping by since starting out, what with all the outgoings associated with it all. i defo wouldnt want to do anything to jepordize my nic status and have taken things on board.

im more than often a bit to much of a thinky person and will always ponder something, and post a question or three on this site.

rich

 

[saveloy]

yeah absolubtly with you on that savaloy, i think i will adopt a new approach to checking main bonding, before doing the works, and as stated if you get any other problems then you never know what they are till you either start testing or do a pir.

it may of contrandined the regs and i am a little dissappointed in my self for putting my self in this position, my only blessing is that the customers i have done the work for are more than happy to have there installations brought upto standard, at there own expense!

my only motivation for this was to try and get a bit more money in as ive been scraping by since starting out, what with all the outgoings associated with it all. i defo wouldnt want to do anything to jepordize my nic status and have taken things on board.

im more than often a bit to much of a thinky person and will always ponder something, and post a question or three on this site.

rich

I've been self employed for 8 years (mostly as a builder) now and can promise you that as you build up a good client base things will get a lot easier. The first two years are the hardest. I'm now in a position whereby I don't have to advertise and I can more or less pick and choose jobs although I rarely turn anything down.

Because all my work is reccomendation I never have to justify extra work to customers as they trust my judgement. When you eventually get to this position you will see what I mean. Things will get a lot easier.
From my own point of view the worst customers I've had are the ones who don't come via recomendation and I generally don't deal with people who can't tell me where they got my name from.

As for being a thinky person If I had a pound for every hour I've sat at home analyising things I've done then I'd have retired 10 years ago.

Don't beat yourself up about things, I learn something new every day. No-one got hurt and your'e going to leave the customer with a far safer installation than they had before and thats all that matters.

Andy