Re-wire time scales

[Robo1401]

Hi all, wondering what time scales you would put on domestic re wires etc, example being a 3 bed house, works involved;

4 double sockets on a kitchen ring main incorporating 4 sfs for sockets at low level for w/m, d/w, f/f and extractor fan.
complete re-wire and connection of cooker circuit.
main water and gas bonding
downstairs ring (5 outlets)
upstairs ring (2 outlets in each bedroom, 1 on the landing)
upstairs lighting
outside light front and back
downstairs lighting
interlinked smoke detection
new shower circuit
consumer unit upgrade
immersion heater
bathroom heater
replace all switches/fittings etc
no chasing, surface mini trunking where necessary...

As a self employed subby I was given 24 hours to do this in (1 spark and a mate tho boy was at college 1 day) occupied by customer all day, rooms fully furnished. carpets, floorboards, furniture returned to original condition each day.
It took me 40 and only got paid for for 24!! the supply had to re-energized straight away without so much as a continuity tester anywhere near the place, the qualified tester might make it round within the next week or two... apparently. Good practice for a NICEIC company you think?!
Asked to go to another job a change a socket behind a cooker to an outlet plate, neutral had come out of terminal and live had been screwed into the insulation...Decided i couldn't work for them after that, just wondered what people thought was a sensible length of time for this sort of thing??!

 

[D80]

It's probably a good job you where doing it for someone else, I couldn't have my company name on a domestic rewire done in surface mounted miniturnking etc.

3 days, with a mate for 2 of them could be doable, the 40 it took much more realistic. I'd have told the company to do one after that, unless they are paying a really really good hourly rate.

 

[D80]

And we wonder why we see so many awful installs these days - 8 hours to do what you describe - not long enough by any means.

You are a top bloke for taking 50% more time (I'm guessing not getting paid for the extra).

You should tell the NICEIC, and they, along with Elecsa and Napit should do "random" inspections. I bet most homeowners wouldn't object to having Tony Cable in the house for an hour or so to check over a recent install!

Would love to see this happen, for the fee's they charge it should be all part of the package too.

 

[trev]

Gateshead council had us doing a 3 bedder in two days for the first and second fix then half a day mains change and testing. Two sparks two mates After doing a few we got them down to two days because the houses and therefore cable runs were all the same. We used to get every Friday off paid

 

[GLENNSPARK]

40 hours sounds about right, 24 is a joke. And as for not being tested, that is a big NO NO, and as they are NIC they will know this. Sounds like a proper cowboy outfit to me. All new installations should be Initially Verified, before any consideration is given to switching it on. What would have happened if you had made a mistake? and someone got injured, i bet they wouldn't want to know you then, all the brown stuff is on your head.

Cheers..........Howard

but this suggests that if you aint part of the tony cable gang...then you wouldn`t necessarily know that inspecting and testing precedes energising of the install......now any electrician should know that you dont energise owt before both the inspection and testing process is completed...and the results of both have been found to be satisfactory.....and that goes for whichever scheme your a member of....

 

[Engineer54]

Back in the 70's, the rewiring of council houses were all done in a day in my area!! That wasn't using wiring in mini trunking, that was lifting floorboards and wiring conventionally. Sometimes they even had to make an opening for a loft hatch. (carpenter came round after to box out properly) All surface plastic mounted boxes, but switch drops were reused sunken metal conduit to besa boxes. Singe pendant to each room and batten holders for bathroom, kitchen and toilet. 2 double sockets in lounge, 2 doubles in large and 2nd bedroom, and one in the box room. Kitchen had 2 extra double fitted using surface conduit drops.

Basically all included, ...new fuse board and tails, 2 x rings circuits, 2 x lighting circuit, immersion heater, cooker, service bonding, and final testing, but no certs in them days ...lol!!! Normally 1 spark and an apprentice, one day. Just a pretty bog standard 3 bedroomed house install. Oh, and tenant had to have any carpets/furniture moved as requested by the electrician on the day of the rewire!!

 

[Darkwood]

yes eng54 but a single socket each bed and max 2 in kit and living room was the norm..... socket hungary houses nowadays have more in one main room than alot of older installations had in the whole house and in the 80s id agree straight in and out jobs, no testing and a 4way board..... and thanks for making me feel old lol

 

[Engineer54]

yes eng54 but a single socket each bed and max 2 in kit and living room was the norm..... socket hungary houses nowadays have more in one main room than alot of older installations had in the whole house and in the 80s id agree straight in and out jobs, no testing and a 4way board..... and thanks for making me feel old lol

No, read my post again, 2 doubles in the lounge, 2 doubles in the first and second bedrooms and a single double in the box room. The kitchen had three doubles (and one on the cooker plate), which included 2 extra doubles (eg, 3 x twins + 1 single on cooker plate). They didn't use single outlets as far as i can remember, none that i saw anyway....

Yes, i'm aware that modern homes have far more outlets than in those days, and also no linked smoke alarms either!!
Full testing was conducted, but not to the extent as is required now, and no certs to issue either...

All done in a day, which is still pretty good going i think!! I did 4 such houses, helping a friend out who had broken his leg, after taking on the last 16 houses on an old Tilbury estate with his apprentice. No-one else wanted them, so you can imagine what they were like!! lol!! He took them on only with an enhanced fee...lol!!

 

[londonlec]

Councils still dont fit many socket outlets I find; 3 doubles in lounge, 2 in bedrooms and 2 in the kitchen (plus spurs), generally the norm.

 

[J&M Electrical]

We used to do them for the council in Leeds, 2, 3 sometimes 4 Beds in a day, all chopped, mains swapped, tested. It was a spark, 3rd yr apprentice (me at the time) and 2 second year apprentices. We were done for half 4 every day.