Bear with me on this one:
Came home from holiday last week - live in the countryside and converted farmhouse split into two. Ours is part old build, part new (c15 years old).
Electrics tripping, initially just when something high power used (eg shower) but now regularly to the extent could not get the "Old" part back on at all last night.
Circuits inside are old looking box (With trip switches for each ciircuit, but clunky and looks 25 yrs plus) for old part of house, newer modern trip switches for new part of house. Even still when it trips it switches off at Main box outside and has to be rest from there.
Electric comes from mains into old breeze block cupboard outside. Electricity NW have checked both supply and earth to this - it is fine. It then going into the house via reinforeced cable.
Electrician round and he has managed to narrow problem down to applicances running off the sockets in the kitchen - but cant identify which one. His reccomendation is:
Replace both circuits with a new one inside.
Replace the cupboard outside with one on the wall sealed etc.
He says that he will chagre us a thousand for his "inside job" and the outside would be about £1,500, but his "mate" can do it as a 'foriegner' for less. Now reckons you cant do inside without outside.
Basically looking at £2k plus for a new circuit board inside and replacing what is outside.
What should I be asking him, how do I guage whether this is reasonable and realistic? At a loss - house with 3 kids <5 and no electric since the weekend.
Came home from holiday last week - live in the countryside and converted farmhouse split into two. Ours is part old build, part new (c15 years old).
Electrics tripping, initially just when something high power used (eg shower) but now regularly to the extent could not get the "Old" part back on at all last night.
Circuits inside are old looking box (With trip switches for each ciircuit, but clunky and looks 25 yrs plus) for old part of house, newer modern trip switches for new part of house. Even still when it trips it switches off at Main box outside and has to be rest from there.
Electric comes from mains into old breeze block cupboard outside. Electricity NW have checked both supply and earth to this - it is fine. It then going into the house via reinforeced cable.
Electrician round and he has managed to narrow problem down to applicances running off the sockets in the kitchen - but cant identify which one. His reccomendation is:
Replace both circuits with a new one inside.
Replace the cupboard outside with one on the wall sealed etc.
He says that he will chagre us a thousand for his "inside job" and the outside would be about £1,500, but his "mate" can do it as a 'foriegner' for less. Now reckons you cant do inside without outside.
Basically looking at £2k plus for a new circuit board inside and replacing what is outside.
What should I be asking him, how do I guage whether this is reasonable and realistic? At a loss - house with 3 kids <5 and no electric since the weekend.
