New Consumer Unit

[ebee]

As an example, a bloke said to me, something like " A consumer unit costs about £55 and takes about 45 minutes to fit because I have seen it being done, how much will you charge?" I told him I would not do that but I would insist I did an EICR first, then advise on cost of any repairs, then replace the CU if the cost of my recommended CU was accepted.
Oh yes, he still wanted me to do all that and do it within the next 7 days because he had a Tennant waiting to move in.
Well I was booked up for several weeks anyway so that was the bit that actually broke it.
Goodness knows what he actually eventually got done. I dread to think.

 

[EFLImpudence]

OK
Well if you do not follow :-
1 - Test and inspect the entire installation
2 - Repair all of the problems found
3 - Test again to ensure the repairs didn't introduce more problems
Then how do you know you will not be facing the questions I asked by the bloke in a wig?

That doesn't answer any of my questions.

 

[ebee]

well i can think of many cases where we might find faults with bonding, earthing, ins res, exposed parts, overloading can occur that might render it to become a potential deathtrap. Just because nobody has been killed by it yet does not mean they never can be, you might be lucky or unlucky it might last another 50 years without killing anybody but would you connect it?

 

[EFLImpudence]

You seem to have forgotten my questions -

I have never understood the timing and costing of these EICRs prior to a CU change.

Therefore am I right in thinking that all CU changes are a two day job and cost a couple of hundred pounds more than they otherwise would even when no problems are found?


Also, what are the problems shown by an EICR which would prevent a CU change and in such cases is the customer usually happy with just an EICR and a couple of hundred pounds bill instead of the CU change which they wanted?

 

[crystal ball]

It seems like you're on the attack: chill out!

I think whatever I say, however I try and defend my approach to this, you are going to pick holes in it, so in the words of Dragons' Den, "I'm out".

Ok but my point being in certain circumstances it would be impossible to spend hours testing beforehand

 

[SUNRAY]

You seem to have forgotten my questions -

I think the answers to your questions are all in the replies if you care to check. However no-one has bothered to duplicate the information as a direct answer.
There is no point in repeatedly asking the same question or reminders when the information you require is there.

 

[EFLImpudence]

No one has mentioned the pricing or timing of what you say is required.

 

[SUNRAY]

I have been in that situation myself. If the wiring bells out OK, no worries. Where it hasn't, I have run a couple of temporary lights and sockets from a temporary board.

In these cases, it was only overnight or until Monday morning when the installation could be fully appraised and a decision made on how to proceed.

I think the situation you describe is no different to others 'emergency replacement' except they are fitting the final permanent new CU instead of a temporary board or to put it another way; reducing the number of steps involved.
I have certainly done just that, IE fitted a new CU to provide service to sound/safe/good circuits and return as and when appropriate to complete the job.

Edited to make more sense

 

[Murdochcat]

Problem with insisting on an EICR does that mean that all of you advocating this are doing 100% tests of the circuits and ALL the accessories?

 

[SUNRAY]

That doesn't answer any of my questions.

I think that answers the questions quite seccessfully

 

[SUNRAY]

Problem with insisting on an EICR does that mean that all of you advocating this are doing 100% tests of the circuits and ALL the accessories?

How much work is required for test and inspect new circuits which includes new CU's.?

 

[Murdochcat]

How much work is required for test and inspect new circuits which includes new CU's.?

So you 100 % inspect all circuits AND accessories when you do an EICR

I simply don’t believe you

 

[flameport]

Therefore am I right in thinking that all CU changes are a two day job and cost a couple of hundred pounds more than they otherwise would even when no problems are found?

Some can be done in one day.
Others could take 2, 3, 4 or even more.
All depends on the state of the existing wiring and the size of the installation.
A 1 room bedsit with sockets and lights is very different from a 6 bedroom detached house with 30 circuits.

Whether problems are found or not isn't the point. If they are found, then they are fixed. If none are found then you know that there are none.

Also, what are the problems shown by an EICR which would prevent a CU change

External loop impedance which is far too high, damaged accessories, lack of equipotential bonding, undersized bonding, bonding which isn't connected, circuits with N-E faults on them, lighting with no CPC, circuits with low readings for insulation resistance, circuits which share one or more conductors with others (very common on lighting in certain types of property), ring final circuits wired in 2.5/1.0, circuits which have been extended inappropriately such as lighting lashed into the back of a socket, circuits with an open CPC, rings with open L, N, E or all of those, that one where an 8.5kW electric shower was supplied from 2.5mm² T&E, the 40+ year old rubber extension lead concealed in a garden hedge to supply a distant shed, the TV socket connected through the loft using a 2 core orange extension lead, the permanently live washing machine socket which was supplied from the flat upstairs, the live cable hanging down outside next to the back door where some ancient light used to be, this list can go on for ever.

is the customer usually happy with just an EICR and a couple of hundred pounds bill instead of the CU change which they wanted?

Once the process is explained, most people are happy that the installation will be safe and actually work.
A few may not like this or want a cheapo job, in which case they can find someone else.

 

[flameport]

A consumer unit costs about £55 and takes about 45 minutes to fit because I have seen it being done, how much will you charge?

Anyone who starts out like that will be finding someone else to do whatever shady work they require.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Some can be done in one day.
Others could take 2, 3, 4 or even more.
All depends on the state of the existing wiring and the size of the installation.
A 1 room bedsit with sockets and lights is very different from a 6 bedroom detached house with 30 circuits.

So, your blanket list does not always apply.

Whether problems are found or not isn't the point. If they are found, then they are fixed. If none are found then you know that there are none.

Then why cannot that be done while changing the CU? Excluding the likes of Bleak House below.

External loop impedance which is far too high, damaged accessories, lack of equipotential bonding, undersized bonding, bonding which isn't connected, circuits with N-E faults on them, lighting with no CPC, circuits with low readings for insulation resistance, circuits which share one or more conductors with others (very common on lighting in certain types of property), ring final circuits wired in 2.5/1.0, circuits which have been extended inappropriately such as lighting lashed into the back of a socket, circuits with an open CPC, rings with open L, N, E or all of those, that one where an 8.5kW electric shower was supplied from 2.5mm² T&E, the 40+ year old rubber extension lead concealed in a garden hedge to supply a distant shed, the TV socket connected through the loft using a 2 core orange extension lead, the permanently live washing machine socket which was supplied from the flat upstairs, the live cable hanging down outside next to the back door where some ancient light used to be, this list can go on for ever.

I take it you don't find all of those everywhere very often.

Once the process is explained, most people are happy that the installation will be safe and actually work.

I still don't think many people would be happy with just an EICR and the electrician walking away (although to be fair I don't think you actually called it that and probably others do not actually mean an EICR - with all its limitations).

A few may not like this or want a cheapo job, in which case they can find someone else.

Yes, but that would be decided before you actually did the 'EICR' and sent the bill for it..