Cost Of Installing Downlights - A Joke

bhm1712 said:
did you size up the cable correctly?

did you take into account what somebody else has said already - 20 lamps at potentially 50 watts each = 1000 watts, so drawing around 4.34 amps when turned on. Good luck with turning many more lights on in the house unless you installed a new seperate lighting circuit and supplied it from the CU.

did you do the work legally? i think not...

did you design the circuit to protect persons operating, maintaining or altering the installation from fire or injury? Obviously not...

What method of joining the new cables into the exisiting circuit did you use? and did you correctly sleeve the cores to show what their job is?
Click to expand...
Lectrician said:
I hope all your connections are contained in a joint box of some sort - I would guess these cheap lights are not designed to have cables looped into and out of them. I hope you maintained the continuity of your earths too.

This qty of fittings also would more than likely have required a new circuit. I bet you did not consider this.
Click to expand...
I suggest you look at the other topics he has started - you'll get a good feel for his overall competence.
 
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I wonder if the OP is the guy I gave a price to the other day?! :LOL: :LOL:


20x branded downlighters and connection boxes, and 100m of cable is £300-400 odd alone.
 
Sherbertlion said:
Lectrician said:
This seems to come up quite often, but is something the NIC and LABC insist on - Where does this info come from?
Click to expand...

Check out ESC BPG no. 5 page 9.
Click to expand...

1362516546.png
 
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Sherbertlion said:
Lectrician said:
This seems to come up quite often, but is something the NIC and LABC insist on - Where does this info come from?
Click to expand...

Check out ESC BPG no. 5 page 9.
Click to expand...

Please notice the "G" in BPG
I do not think it means regulation! :mrgreen:

NICEIC make things up as they go along. Unfortunately, many LABC folk trail along behind. They need challenging at every wrong turn.
 
Taylortwocities said:
Sherbertlion said:
Lectrician said:
This seems to come up quite often, but is something the NIC and LABC insist on - Where does this info come from?
Click to expand...

Check out ESC BPG no. 5 page 9.
Click to expand...

Please notice the "G" in BPG
I do not think it means regulation! :mrgreen:

NICEIC make things up as they go along. Unfortunately, many LABC folk trail along behind. They need challenging at every wrong turn.
Click to expand...

I agree! But this says to me that fire read are not required where quite often others (NICEIC ( I know they are part of ESC!) and LABC) say they are. I showed annexe C to a builder to clarify 'robust construction' and it pretty much seems like every normal house.
 
What do the actual Building Regulations say?

The Building Regulations are (like BS7671) a minimum requirement which, obviously, can be exceeded should you so wish.

The 'Best' Practice Guide is by definition the 'best' that anyone can do, i.e. 'none better', therefore the maximum.

I would imagine there is quite a lot of room between minimum requirements and maximum possible installation methods.

For any official body to demand maximum possible installation methods when the law merely requires a minimum level is unreasonable.


Of course, the Best Practice Guides could just be wrongly titled.
 
A bog standard none fire rated downlighter will offer 30 mins fire resistance.

You only need to use fire rated fittings where 60 minute or 90 minute fire resistance is required along with a 60 or 90 min rated ceiling of course.
 
Don't worry, I am sure he knows a good builder to replace the ceiling joists when the down-lighters set fire to them all!

I do a bit of DIY electrical work myself, but I am not arrogant and think electricians charge a decent rate for the work and responsibility involved. But the OP has done all the proper testing etc.
 
bhm1712 said:
Not fire rated because they are in a house and dont need it? are you for real? so what happens above the lights if one overheats or does catch fire?

did you size up the cable correctly?

did you take into account what somebody else has said already - 20 lamps at potentially 50 watts each = 1000 watts, so drawing around 4.34 amps when turned on. Good luck with turning many more lights on in the house unless you installed a new seperate lighting circuit and supplied it from the CU.

did you do the work legally? i think not...

did you design the circuit to protect persons operating, maintaining or altering the installation from fire or injury? Obviously not...

What method of joining the new cables into the exisiting circuit did you use? and did you correctly sleeve the cores to show what their job is?

Many many variables make up a price for a job. Idiots tend to think that people work for free and should be able to do work like this for the cost of the parts and maybe a tenner for their wallet.
Click to expand...

The regulations are clear - You need only fire rated downlights if you are in flats. Houses do not need them. There wont be a fire because we dont leave lights on at night. And if there is one then we have insurance. Just like what would happen if your house collapsed because of some unforseen incident. Besides the quotes were for installing non fire rated downlights

The cable?? Its 1mm cable. Like it should be

Yes it was legal. DIY to my house not in kitchen or bathroom

Its funny how there are so MANY variables when in fact its a piece of cake. I did not need access from above. I made holes for the lights and small holes to thread the cable through, wire them up in a loop and tea time.

100 metre cable kitc and 20 lights were 70 quid material

And I quid you not - One days work
 
Lectrician said:
A pack of 20 downlights for £20 - A pound a pop. What a classy install. What tat.
Click to expand...

You go ahead and be frivolous with your money. They are perfectly fine and do the job quite well

Have a look at the reviews on the web if you want reassurance
 
Lectrician said:
A pack of 20 downlights for £20 - A pound a pop. What a classy install. What tat.

If you have habitable rooms above, you NEED fire rated fittings to keep the integrity of the plasterboard ceiling - The plasterboard ceiling being there not only to look pretty, but to prevent the spread of fire to rooms above, giving emergency services time to arrive and rescue you.

I hope all your connections are contained in a joint box of some sort - I would guess these cheap lights are not designed to have cables looped into and out of them. I hope you maintained the continuity of your earths too.

This qty of fittings also would more than likely have required a new circuit. I bet you did not consider this.

No decent sparky would go within a mile of those cheapy tacky fittings. They would of quoted for decent BRANDED ones, and would of allowed a good whole day+ for the works. I would be looking at around £600 for this, or £1000 for 10yr guaranteed LED versions.

If your attitude had come across while I was looking at the job, I would of doubled the price, not wishing to get the job.
Click to expand...

The room was empty - No access from above required. Holes made in ceiling to thread through cable

Its funny how you think a sparky can call the shots. I am the one paying and the job wild be done to my specification or not at all

explain exactly why the downlights are any different to any other brand you dream of? If the bulb goes thats fine and already priced in

good luck finding someone willing to pay you £1000. If you do sub contract it to me and I ll give you 500
 
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