Offered Job

[just add water sparks]

A few weeks ago i was offered 2 p.v vacancies.At one of the interveiws the owner remarked they very rarely took lunch breaks and what with a couple of other dodgy terms and conditions i decided not to take it.The other advertised on internet gave a prices s /e £200-00 an install domestic( which involved installing control gear i.e x1inverter,x2 isolators in loft and supply to the DB ,Isolator and generation meter X2 way DB.No roof work.Not sure what the normal route used for cable from roof to mains is.,whether some contractors use an external conduit(obviously if detatached house) or internally which involves lifting of floorboards and furniture.I have done a bit of internet research and seen some installs shown internally with mini trunking which i thought looked a bit rough,but obviously depends on circumstances and customers preference e.t.c.Never had experience with p.v before.Just wondered if anyone could let me know the general time taken for this install at a comfortable pace as the guy reckoned could do 2 in a day not sure if that was for 1 or 2 persons.In my ignorance i note generally 2way dist boards are used what do these normally protect. What is involved in the testing side?Any info would be appreciated.

 

[powervan]

well i woudnt worry mate it be well below that soon£ u do it at a pace u feel happy with! my instals say 3.68kw 2 men 1 day on roof then 1 man all next day electrics! if u were in same road as other instals then u may do 2 but how good is the JOB?

 

[just add water sparks]

Thanks powervan, i was hoping for a few more answers,from other guys was it my deoderant or a boring question (lol)

 

[malcolmsanford]

JAWS (was that intended lol) I think honestly as Powervan says it is down to so many things.

Personally I would give myself a day to do a job that at the end of it I would be pleased to say I did that. But i'm in a minority as we seem to be able to rewire an house with 2 sparks and a labourer in a day, so taking that your doing just the one circuit I reckon 45 mins top whack and no tea breaks either.

 

[powervan]

45mins!!! depends on house! ive rewired houses in 2 days!! council houses no occupants 2/3 bed basic 2 sockets and pendant!! but when u get over 45 the enthusiasm seems to vanish!! take ur time earn a good days money for a good days work! everybodies happy!!

 

[SolarCity]

Two in a day for two men? On the most straightforward installs imaginable in close proximity, maybe.

To be frank, I think we have all seen examples of quick work - it tends to stick out like a sore thumb.

 

[moggy1968]

yup.
I have managed 2 in a day when subbing on the electrics, but that was with 2 of us on very straightforward installs (garage CU and and garage mounted PV). Normally I would say 2 of us takes about 6-8 hours and we expect £300 between us. As above, thats to do a decent job that I would like to put my name to, and taking 15minutes for lunch!!
Especially at this time of theay there is the strong possibility of having to go back the next day to comission the system.
I've given up subbing. The surveys are always rubbish, you get there and find half the kits not there so you waste time going out to get stuff, then you don't get paid.
Got an email from a company the other day offering £700 per instal, to do the lot, roof and electrics. They reckoned 2 a day was possible. I reckon they're on drugs!! I know how much money they are making and £700 for a complete job is an insult!

 

[gnselectricals]

I've been subbing the electrical side and can do most private houses in a day,usually external conduit work for supply, inverter in attic , i prefer garage but not always possible. Roofers (2men) take 1-2 days depends on type of roof.
Also got a social housing contract on at the moment, mates doin 1 to 1.5 installs a day just electrical side, most houses identical



---
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=51.602016,-3.999033

 

[jupestar]

i say roof one to two days, and electrics a day. Depends on roof. Quickest i've done a 3.7KWp is finished by 10:30. longest is four days.

We had three of us on the roof yesterday... had a smashing time. I had to go back with 70 tiles this morning, but them in, then fit 14 panels. Then the client asked me if i would change a broken tile, which was on a different area of the roof which we had not been near, no scaffolding.

Like a mug i went up there broke another 5 tiles changing one, ended working my way down changing tiles as i went, client was surprised as the house was only re-built, it had been like that all day bloody nightmare.

Then plugged the DC in (spark was long gone) - turned the DC on. Went outside to clear the scaffolding of 5 boxes for broken tiles. Client turns a light switch on and the whole house goes out. Fanbloodytastic.

Went to check the electrics. MCB in loft not tripped. MCB/RCD next to meter not tripped. Consumer unit not tripped. must be a power cut. Weird. Then client says they have a main circuit, gone. Flick it back on, trips again, and again, trips. Turned the light off which caused the trip, and no trip, turn it on again, trip. FFS. Client bit worried now.

Anyway went up stairs killed the DC and the two breakers. Went to check the wiring... Saw that the lazy sod, had gone into the consumer unit, after connected the RCD (100ma - type b) box, which kind of ,makes the RCD box a complete waste.

Anyway, my guess is there is already a fault in the house (maybe the light), which is causing leakage, and the solar has just tipped it over 30ma. Causing it to trip the main circuit breaker. This could well be utter rubbish... Long story but the moral is get the roof done, then get the spark in the next day. Let him deal with any problems...

This one is three days and counting...

 

[lee foster]

We allow 2 full days all in for a 3-4kW system , obviously it does depend from job to job but really if you want to do it properly i just can't see how 2 per day is possible , maybe i'm just to old!.
Lee - 21 & 3/4.

 

[powervan]

lol sounds a nitemare!! u got a tile kiln in ur back garden!!! deep breath (it a soon be all over)

 

[moggy1968]

sounds like a plain tile roof with clay tiles. we learned the hard way on those. we treat them like slate now, i.e. remover the tile under the bracket completely, replace with lead so the bracket is floating in free air. do the bottom rail first then use that to stand on to do the next etc. Some of these plain tiles only need your elbow resting on them and they break!!

 

[powervan]

PAIN (in the arse ) TILE i rec

 

[jupestar]

Moggy that is exactly what it was and we do it the same way problem was bottom row is below the dormer top row above approx four meters to roof with no rail, no ridge ladder so we laid ladder up the roof. pop pop pop pop pop pop.

Plus he already had about 30 broken which you couldn;t see but as soon as you start moving about they are showing. Which of course is our fault.

Still he did give we a few beers, a home cooked curry and 30 mins in his massage chair, all good. Just a shame the spark has to drive back (3hrs) for less than an hours work.

Today job 19 panels on nice solid red's couldn't have been more different. Bish bash bosh. Job done.

 

[moggy1968]

It's the way the cookie crumbles (or the tile!)
we had one earlier this week on a pantile roof. didn't break a single tile but in the process of disturbing moss on other tiles we were working round we found loads of broken ones, which of course we had to replace!!
Only got a cup of tea and dog crap on my boot on that one!!