Electrician to test sockets? Scam or not??

[sta99y666]

Hi forum users,
After having conservatory built on back of house we have had 1st fix of electrics installed, had to have a new up to date fuse box installed by same sparky as we had the old style. That's all in and working, he said once in he will do tests, it's come back saying we have a dodgy plug somewhere, he has given us the option of either a days labour charge or to charge per plug. If he found the faulty plug at the beginning I'm quids in, however if it was the last plug it will cost an arm and a leg. He spoke to my wife about this as I was at work but said only way of finding fault was to remove each socket and check wiring??!! Surely a plug socket tester is easier solution??
Any thoughts from you ppl??

Also he said my mains water is not earthed nor the boiler so is quoting to do that, is this important to be done?
Just don't want to be ripped off!!
Sparky has said once work is completed a certificate will be issued.

Many thanks for reading my post query..

 

[ban-all-sheds]

he said once in he will do tests, it's come back saying we have a dodgy plug somewhere,

He should really have done tests before he installed the new CU.

he has given us the option of either a days labour charge or to charge per plug. If he found the faulty plug at the beginning I'm quids in, however if it was the last plug it will cost an arm and a leg. He spoke to my wife about this as I was at work but said only way of finding fault was to remove each socket and check wiring??!!

Has he said what the fault is, i.e. what test failed, and with what results?

Does the circuit cause any problems with the new CU?

Surely a plug socket tester is easier solution??

No.

Also he said my mains water is not earthed nor the boiler so is quoting to do that, is this important to be done?

Absolutely essential, and it should never have been presented by him as an option - he should have included that in the price for the original work and done it before he did anything else.

Just don't want to be ripped off!!

It doesn't sound like you're being ripped off, but you may have got someone who tried to make his initial quote cheap so as to get the job.

How many quotes did you get? Was his the cheapest? By the time you add the main bonding and the fault-finding day back in, how does it compare?

Sparky has said once work is completed a certificate will be issued.

Is he registered to self-certify compliance with the Building Regulations?

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[sta99y666]

The electrician came as part of the company who has taken on the conservatory complete build, therefore they supplied there sparky. We originally had the cheap option of putting a breaker or an rdc or something in a plug socket or near a socket closest to the new conservatory. This was explained to my wife and gaurateed a certificate. Or the more expensive option of having a new fusebox " consumer unit" we chose the latter so fuse box looked uptodate. And each circuit hade it's own fusing.

Now that's installed and working all he has to do is chop wires into Walls to the fusebox so it's complete. But has said there is a fault with a plug but can't confirm which one until he checks individually.
Does this make sense!??

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[sta99y666]

Here is pic of new fuse box and the two earths he has run to a shiny metal screw block.

 

[sta99y666]

The search for a fauly component on a circuit does not involve removing every component. You break the circuit in half, one half will now be healthy, so you then break the unhealthy part in half again eventually you will find the fault.

Thanks but supposing I say this to him and he responds with something I dont understand??
I understand what your saying about breaking circuit in half to find healthy and non healthy part. I am presuming that my wiring is the original when house was built due to old fuse box. This shouldn't complicate breaking the circuit should it??

Complete noobie to electrics so thanks to all for being patient.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The search for a fauly component on a circuit does not involve removing every component. You break the circuit in half, one half will now be healthy, so you then break the unhealthy part in half again eventually you will find the fault.

Depends on the type of fault, and how many sockets there are. If you're looking for possibly a dropped connection on a ring with only a handful of sockets you might as well just start removing them rather than splitting and testing each section.

The OP doesn't mention an RCD trip, so the fault is probably one of continuity. With, what, less than 8? sockets it's probably not worth the aggro of doing a binary chop method.

 

[sta99y666]

Holmslaw - if you can summon enough intelligence and decency together to reply without petty abuse, please tell us this.

If you are looking for a break in continuity on a ring final with 8 sockets, how many removals and tests does your method require?

We have 4double sockets upstairs and a fused switch for boiler and downstairs we have 7 doubles 1 triple and 4single sockets.
On the new fusebox "consumer unit" it's marked up sockets by sink, cooker&sockets and fusebox cupboard socket which can be seen in pic.

 

[flameport]

Can you do another picture of the new consumer unit itself, with the plastic cover open so the circuit breakers etc. can be seen?

 

[sta99y666]

Can you do another picture of the new consumer unit itself, with the plastic cover open so the circuit breakers etc. can be seen?

Not the best pic from iPhone

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Do you know which circuit the fault is on?

Did the electrician say what the fault was?

 

[cumbriahandyman]

Why are sockets and cooker on the same Circuit? Why is all lighting on one Circuit?

 

[sta99y666]

There is a couple of sockets hidden as such in kitchen where cooker plugs in and extractor fan plugs in.

Lights are all on one circuit as you say but I guess this is because of original house wiring, house built around 60's.

Once sparky comes back next week I will ask him what faults he found and he found these faults ie his methods...

 

[mikhailfaradayski]

don't suppose you could try another photo, perhaps with a bit more light. Can't read the RCBO ratings easily.

Two schools of thought about test before or after changing a CU. Its not really a case of only one way is correct.

I think the important bit is do you have a feeling of trust in the sparky who is doing the work?

Depending on the condition of the wiring the spark is presented with changing a CU can either be a straight forward swap or a pain in the buttocks, but only the man on site, with his meter in his hand can give a decent judgement on that