New CU

[whidaboutfood]

I would like to have a new CU fitted as the one I have at the moment has wired fuses, (the house was built in the late 60’s early70’s) the questions I have are:
1) What qualifications should the electrician have?
2) What paperwork should I receive when fitted?
3) I don’t really want to have a rewire, just a CU with more modern safety protection.
4) Is there a chance that after removing the old CU the electrician can refuse to put a new one in unless I have a rewire?
5) Can the various circuits be checked for safety before the old CU is removed?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

1. There are a bunch of City & Guilds qualifications - the numbers change over time - hopefully someone here can give you a run-down.

2. An Electrical Installation Certificate, and a certificate of Building Regulations compliance shortly after.

3. Some remedial work may be necessary. Don't go with any electrician who doesn't propose to test & inspect before starting the replacement.

4. See 3.

5. If he doesn't then

a) be prepared for open-ended problems and costs

b) ask him if you can have his vehicle emissions for your roses.


As ever, personal recommendations are always the best way to find a reputable tradesman, but if you're having to go ahead without much in the way of those, or references, don't put any store by registration itself - sadly it is possible to become registered with woefully inadequate qualifications and zero practical experience. You don't have to spend long here to see people cropping up who are registered and "qualified", but who are clearly seriously incompetent in reality and who should not be charging for their services.

You are looking for someone to replace a CU, and it may surprise and dismay you to learn that it is quite possible to become a "certified electrician" without ever having done that before, and without having acquired any of the practical skills needed to do it.

It's your money, £'00s of it, and you have every right to ask prospective tradesmen what their qualifications and experience are. Just being listed here is not a good enough guide. No genuinely experienced electrician, with the "full set" of C&G qualifications will mind you asking - in fact he will wish that everyone was like you.

I feel sorry for people who have been misled by training organisations and (shamefully) the Competent Person scheme organisers into thinking that a 5-day training course, a couple of trivial examples of their work and some basic understanding of how to use test equipment will make them an electrician, but not sorry enough to agree with them trying to sell their services to Joe Public.

 

[17thman]

you will need to use a part p registered electrician and member of elecsa, napit, niciec for instance

if they have this membership they will have the correct qualfications

Get three quotes

only use an electrician, who, unpromted is prepared to test the circuits before hand and before the quote.

You may not want a rewire but there maybe issues that need to be corrected as part of this improvement.

I happily spend an hour quoting for cu changes as i find the the customer repects this and it gives them confidence in me and the quote. Should i find issues like earth continuity or insulation resistance issues, A periodic report is suggested which allows me and the customer to come to a more specific understanding

 

[riveralt]

I would like to have a new CU fitted as the one I have at the moment has wired fuses, (the house was built in the late 60’s early70’s) the questions I have are:
1) What qualifications should the electrician have?
2) What paperwork should I receive when fitted?
3) I don’t really want to have a rewire, just a CU with more modern safety protection.
4) Is there a chance that after removing the old CU the electrician can refuse to put a new one in unless I have a rewire?
5) Can the various circuits be checked for safety before the old CU is removed?

Apart from its age is there anything wrong with your current set up?

If not then, as BAS suggests, and in any case I would get a Electrical Installation Test Report done (or whatever we are calling them today). This may cost you about £100 but will give you the satisfaction of knowing what the state both your consumer unit and your wiring is in.
I will not change a CU without a EITR.

 

[JACKC]

I will not do a consumer unit change without carrying out a periodic inspection report. This is a full inspection of your installation and a testing of each circuit. this is explained with the customer when pricing. I generally allow a day to test and a day to install. The test results can be used for each certificate. If faults are found then these are discussed before replacement of the consumer unit and prices agreed. The periodic results can be given to any electrician to quote for repair costs and I do not get annoyed if the customer wants time to think about it and get further quotes for remedial work.
Speak to frieds for personal recommendations and check on the competant persons web site they are indeed registered. I know of a sparky near me who has NICEIC logos on his shirt and van and is not a member of the NICEIC. Been reported but nobody does nothing about it, so check out the registration.

 

[sparkwright]

A new consumer unit should include RCD protection on all necessary circuits, or even all of them.

Your property may not have earth to water/gas, or it may need to replaced with a larger cable. 10 mm is the norm now.

The house shouldn't need rewiring, as such. Although wiring before around 1970, ie imperial size, stranded, green goo sometimes emerging from it; is increasingly being regarded as old now and people are starting to replace this, usually only if it's easy to do so it seems.

You should take the opportunity to have the whole property checked over, and all necessary upgrades made.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The house shouldn't need rewiring, as such.

I wouldn't be confident of that.

40-50 year old cables. Possibly no cpc in the lighting circuits. And possibly 40-50 years of incompetent bodging.

As said by many - the responsible and competent action of preliminary inspection and testing will highlight what's needed.

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I know of a sparky near me who has NICEIC logos on his shirt and van and is not a member of the NICEIC. Been reported ...

To Trading Standards?

 

[1john]

only use an electrician, who, unpromted is prepared to test the circuits before hand and before the quote.

Do you travel? I could do with someone working for free for me.

 

[17thman]

oh, 1john, you just bowl in there and quote. When you are changing the board you just tell the customer you need another £200 quid for sorting out issues that have only just come to light. shame.

 

[RF Lighting]

I certainly wouldn't spend a day doing a periodic just to supply the customer with a free quote!

 

[17thman]

Hi Rf, i certainly dont spend a day there, it takes 50 mins to do IR with l and e connected, earth loop at origin, earth loop at sockets and lights, wander lead on gas and water. when this is done and you are sitting on the sofa, thats worth £50 quid on the quote when they compare with others, thats £60.00 an hour.

 

[RF Lighting]

I will not do a consumer unit change without carrying out a periodic inspection report. This is a full inspection of your installation and a testing of each circuit. this is explained with the customer when pricing. I generally allow a day to test and a day to install.

It seems JACKC does!

Your approach is much more sensible. A quick check of L&N>E, IR and Zs on each circuit, RFCs end to end belled out and Ze.

Half an hour to an hour is more than long enough to get an idea of what condition the installation is in and to allow you to advise and price accordingly, and then a proper full EIC if you get the job.

 

[17thman]

Yes Rf, forgot to mention rfc, and whenthe tests are done on the quote it makes the install quicker, i got 75% of readings already combined with a better chance of getting job and at more money. I and customer win all round. How is any other way better?