Screweys Deals...

[OnOff]

I originally had the paper, credit card sized Screwfix card with a number on it. Then when I joined Electricfix I got another card, again a paper, credit card sized thing with a new number on.

Out of the blue they sent me two large SIM card sized hard plastic things with my customer number on, a barcode and stamped Electricfix. Has a hole punched in the corner for sticking on a neck lanyard or keyring.

I just go in show them that and they give me tea, a doughnut and one for my imaginary mate in the van!  Sausage rolls at weekends if you get there early (seriously).

 

[roys]

Never had a sausage roll, plenty coffee and biscuits, need to mention to them about the rolls

 

[OnOff]

Never had a sausage roll, plenty coffee and biscuits, need to mention to them about the rolls

Got in there late one evening and chatting to the guy asked how many doughnuts they got through in a day as there were 3 left on the plate on the counter. He said "That's the last of the second tray!" as though they had had a run on them. Then said there's 12 in a tray. Didn't seem to be a lot, 24 in one day. 

Pink iced ones btw with 100s and 1000s on. 

Got a card there a while back too, spend over £35 and get 1 stamp. Get 4 stamps and get £15 off your next purchase over £35. This thread made me remember I had it. Just looked in the wallet...........I'd only gotten it stamped when they first gave it me and it ran out today! 

 

[Doc Hudson]

On a slight tangent, surely all these suppliers should have been reducing down their plastic boards back at the start of the year to shift the stock. Its a bit late now for everyone to fit all the cheap leftover plastic enclosure before 31 Dec. and on a moan about waste and recycling, with 99% of manufactures & wholesaler being aware of the changes to BS7671 why can't the manufactures offer a refurbishment service to wholesalers to take back unsold plastic boards and re-fit the guts into a metal enclosure. Because selling off loads of plastic CUs cheap encourages DIY fusebox jobs and gives an unrealistically cheap cost for a new fusebox to anyone requesting a quote from a proper competent electrician.

Doc H.

 

[ProDave]

You can still fit a plastic board in "commercial" and on any installation "designed" before 1st Jan 2016 so plastic CU's are not totally redundant.

They will still be available on ebay for years. One would hope they are still available from a wholesaler for commercial work.

 

[Blue Duck]

None in London or near by X(

I didn't even check. I just knew.... might go see if they have any Wiha drivers left but I'm not gonna get too excited.

:Salute   Guinness   :Applaud

Big thanks (and a scoob) to the Duck for highlighting this...

I hadn't seen it, but after browsing the forum, then had to go a browsing the SF site.... 

The 5 nearest local SF outlets didn't have any stock but a tad further, (extra 10mile detour)....

I now have two of them!   £119.96 inc Vat for the pair!

IMG_20151203_150100.jpg

Worth it just for the  10xRCBO's  and  4xRCD's,   the other breakers main switches and metal back boxes are just added bonus. 

Plastic enclosures may or may not ever get used.

Well spotted Blue Duck!

Guinness   Guinness

Nice one Spec's! Glad there was actually some somewhere and someone actually got a good deal even thought your probably just paying for the RCBO's all the other stuff is a bonus!   Guinness

Got in there late one evening and chatting to the guy asked how many doughnuts they got through in a day as there were 3 left on the plate on the counter. He said "That's the last of the second tray!" as though they had had a run on them. Then said there's 12 in a tray. Didn't seem to be a lot, 24 in one day. 

Pink iced ones btw with 100s and 1000s on. 

Got a card there a while back too, spend over £35 and get 1 stamp. Get 4 stamps and get £15 off your next purchase over £35. This thread made me remember I had it. Just looked in the wallet...........I'd only gotten it stamped when they first gave it me and it ran out today! 

Doughnuts!? Doughnuts!!!!!!! No one told me there was FREE doughnuts!!! Only ever seen tea and biscuits! they are going to run out today!!!!

On a slight tangent, surely all these suppliers should have been reducing down their plastic boards back at the start of the year to shift the stock. Its a bit late now for everyone to fit all the cheap leftover plastic enclosure before 31 Dec. and on a moan about waste and recycling, with 99% of manufactures & wholesaler being aware of the changes to BS7671 why can't the manufactures offer a refurbishment service to wholesalers to take back unsold plastic boards and re-fit the guts into a metal enclosure. Because selling off loads of plastic CUs cheap encourages DIY fusebox jobs and gives an unrealistically cheap cost for a new fusebox to anyone requesting a quote from a proper competent electrician.

Doc H.

Is DIY'ing a plastic board against the law????

:C  

 

[Andy™]

Is DIY'ing a plastic board against the law????

:C

not against the law for anyone to fit a plastic board since 7671 is not law...

 

[Doc Hudson]

You can still fit a plastic board in "commercial" and on any installation "designed" before 1st Jan 2016 so plastic CU's are not totally redundant.

They will still be available on ebay for years. One would hope they are still available from a wholesaler for commercial work.

I would guess they will still be available from all the big DIY outlets for a long time to come. because as you say there are lots of applications where they can still be fitted. I am not aware on any legal restriction on them selling plastic CU's to anyone who wants to purchase one. Unfortunately though most of the B&Q, Wickes, Homebase, Screwfix, Toolstation etc, electrical stock is geared at the domestic market. That's where Bob-the-handyman will be picking his bargain CU to fit for his mate down the pub for £100 cash. It will make a quote to fit a multi RCBO metal enclosure look very expensive over the dual RCD 10 MCB plastic enclosure at <£50 that Bob can see on the end of aisle discount in B&Q.  I fear it is just going to muddy the waters a lot over the next 12months for anyone trying cost up a proper compliant CU change job. Which ultimately brings us back to the old chestnut that really Consumer units, MCB's RCD's, meter tails etc should not be a sale item open to the general public to purchase. So should not be sitting on the shelves with big discount stickers encouraging the wrong people to buy the wrong item for the wrong application and think they have got a great bargain.   

Doc H. 

 

[ProDave]

And in 10 years when you sell the house:

"Of course the plastic CU was fitted in December 2015, honest it was"

 

[thebight]

So in seriousness, has anybody been down to clear their local store out of these for the RCBOs?

 

[Lurch]

It'll be like the red/black cable we had 10 years ago, people were going mental for it on eBay, paying £20 for 10m offcuts of old T&E ripped out of an old job.

AFAIAA you can still fit a combustible board if it is not on an escape route or under the stairs etc, which means people have been going around replacing CU's in garages for no reason.

 

[Blue Duck]

Got 2 drums of black / red 1.5mm 6419x that will look good buried in plaster!

I use it for DC stuff but apparently that's not allowed now either. :C

 

[OnOff]

Just bought two of those boards tonight as by chance had to go to a supplier nearby. Not my regular branch. £109.96 inc VAT for the pair using the £10 off Electricfix voucher that dropped onto the mat yesterday!

Quite funny actually as when I presented the £10 "exclusive to Electricfix customers as a little Christmas thank you card", the (v. pretty btw) girl serving piped up "Oh, I got one of those through the post as well!". Her colleague piped up "But you haven't got an Electricfix card!". 

Wasn't offered a tea or coffee and no doughnuts or biscuits on show either! 

 

[steptoe]

Just bought two of those boards tonight as by chance had to go to a supplier nearby. Not my regular branch. £109.96 inc VAT for the pair using the £10 off Electricfix voucher that dropped onto the mat yesterday!

Quite funny actually as when I presented the £10 "exclusive to Electricfix customers as a little Christmas thank you card", the (v. pretty btw) girl serving piped up "Oh, I got one of those through the post as well!". Her colleague piped up "But you haven't got an Electricfix card!". 

Wasn't offered a tea or coffee and no doughnuts or biscuits on show either! 

but, what had the v pretty assistant got on show?  :|

 

[OnOff]

but, what had the v pretty assistant got on show?  :|

Things I'd "EAT"!  ;

EDIT: One thing I would say is that stamped all over the box is "Exclusive To Screwfix". Not sure if that means there's any compromise anyway. Like some of the cordless stuff having plastic instead of metal gears to keep the costs down. Seem to recall rumblings a while back that some of the "made for the DIY sheds" enclosures were maybe thinner on the plastic etc.

Only got Hager, MK & Volex cu's to compare with here.

 

[OnOff]

Opened one of the boxes just now and tbh what I've noticed fits the idea that maybe they're "pushing the plastic" in light of AMD3, hell maybe even getting them out in a rush (that's just IMHO).

First off the cu labelling: Top right of the enclosure there's a hastily applied (it's visibly pi$$ed) and not the best quality, foil label that notes the assembly as: NSPE-5869A. Peeling it off and underneath there's a better quality, better printed metallic label NHRS-46504.

Fair enough, the old number is the unpopulated "6/5/4" enclosure ref with the main switch and two RCDs and the new number I guess is exclusive fro S'fix.

It's a bit of a shame that the neutral from the main switch to first N bar has HAD A HAIRCUT! Two strands short at first glance where some bodger in the factory has over stripped it. Then one of the lines from the main switch, same thing. And this out of the factory.

:lol:

 

[ProDave]

It's a bit of a shame that the neutral from the main switch to first N bar has HAD A HAIRCUT! Two strands short at first glance where some bodger in the factory has over stripped it. Then one of the lines from the main switch, same thing. And this out of the factory.

:lol:

Of course that will not be a contributory factor when it catches fire. 

 

[ProDave]

Well SWMBO was going into town today to do some shopping.  The one that was in stock in Inverness was still in stock, so it's not any more.