HELP NEEDED - AM I BEING RIPPED OFF?

[rob7475]

Hi,

We have a problem with the plug sockets in our cellar. The circuit breaker keeps tripping - sometimes withing seconds, sometimes after about an hour.

I had an 'electrician' round to look at the problem, and he told me i need the wiring replaced in the cellar as none of the sockets were earthed and I also needed the fuse box replacing as it was about 40 years old and too small for all the things running in the house (just the usual, tv's computer cooker etc.)

He is supposed to be coming tomorrow to do the work which he is charging £200 for. However, out of curiosity, i took a couple of socket face plates off today and they look to be earthed to me. I have also looked at the fusebox (wylex 404/N) which he told me was 40 years old, and it is still available to buy today for £35.

Is this guy ripping me off? I think the fuse box is suitable has it has been working fine since we moved into the house 2 years ago up until the last month. Should I try just chaning the circuit breaker to see if this resolves the problem?

Any replies would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Rob

 

[dingbat]

A fuseboard change including, as it appears, upgrading earthing and bonding and some new wiring for £200? ? That's probably too cheap.

Just because there are 'earth' conductors present at your sockets is no guarantee that there is actually a proper means of earthing.

Your whole installation should be thoroughly inspected and tested and you should receive a fully completed Electrical Installation Certificate, with all test details for all circuits. This work is also notifiable under the Building Regulations, so ask him how he will be doing that.

... and I'd be charging about twice what you've been quoted.

 

[nozspark]

I think that you are worrying for the wrong reason....

£200 for the work you describe seems too cheap to me and I would wonder if it were being done correctly, as there is a lot of testing involved in replacing a CU. Once all this work has been done the 'electrician' should issue you with an "Electrical Installation Certificate" and also notify the work to your LABC as this type of work comes under Part P of the building regs. If none of these things happen then if you come to sell your house in the future you could have a problem....

 

[nozspark]

Doh!!! too slow!

 

[Spark123]

If you are worried then get another electrician to have a look. If your sockets are not earthed then they are dangerous. There is a tendancy to replace the old rewireable fuse boxes with more modern MCB ones, without seeing the fuse box it is impossible to say wether it needs replaced or not, is it partly made of wood? Are ground floor sockets on an RCD? What is tripping? What exactly is he doing for £200? Is he providing certification for the work he is doing? It depends on the size of the house and what is installed as to how big a fuse box is required.

 

[rob7475]

Thanks for the replies so far. My main concern is that he is wanting to do work that isn't required. We only have 1 circuit that is tripping - everything else in the house is fine. This doesn't sound like a fuse box problem to me. Is he just going for the guaranteed fix that isn't necessarily the cheapest?

 

[rob7475]

Thanks spark123,

the fuse box doesn't have wire, it has switches - he told me the box was 40 years old - could you get this type 40 years ago (fuse box is a wylex 404).

The house is a 3 bed terraced. The problem circuit is in the cellar which runs a washer, tumble drier, fridge-freezer and dehumidifier. If we just plug one thing in the circuit still trips but sometimes after an hour or two.

Thanks

 

[rob7475]

any more suggestions please?

 

[Spark123]

Yeah, you could get those boxes 40 years ago. It sounds like someone has swopped the fuses for the plug in type MCBs. What size MCB is supplying the cellar? Might be a case of you are overloading the circuit.
What other circuits are there on the fuse box?

 

[rob7475]

Spark,

The mcb supplying the cellar is 32A. There are two other 32A mcb's on the box - one for the rest of the sockets in the house and one for the cooker. There is also a 6A mcb which supplies all the lights in the house.

 

[RF Lighting]

What colour is your fusebox? (seriously) this will give us a better indication of its age.

If you could post a photo of you fusebox / meter / incomming head, that would be a massive help. (click my signature to find out how)

 

[rob7475]

Hi,

Pics of fusebox as requeated.

Thanks for the replies

 

[RF Lighting]

The fuse box you have is a wylex standard. I would date it at more like 30 years old. The fuse box is wooden backed, and has no provision for RCD protection to your socket circuits, so it would be a good idea to have this upgraded.

On the plus side though, your wiring appears to be PVC/PVC cables, so no problems there, and there also appears to be a main bonding conductor leaving the fusebox which is good too.

I find it highly unlikely that the fusebox is the cause of your problems. More likely eiter a damaged cable, or possibly damp in an accessory (as its in a cellar).

Have you tried unplugging everthing off the cellar circuit? If so does the MCB still trip?

 

[rob7475]

if everything is unplugged, the circuit is fine. when something is plugged in, sometimes it is fine for an hour or two, and sometimes it trips within seconds.

 

[Spark123]

I'm inclined to agree with rob, that CU would be better off being replaced for a modern one. As part of the CU replacement the electrician should test every circuit before he connects it. He should also provide you with an electrical installation certificate and also notify your local area building control office of the work that he has done.
Another point is that nowadays, it isn't considered a good idea to have all your lights on one circuit, one fault and the lot goes out