Why do I even bother?

[NozSpark]

Went out yesterday evening to look at a job.

Rewire old VIR lighting circuit and cooker circuit (cooker circuit now supplies garage!)... had to break it to the old chap that I would need to add RCD protection and that there was very limited space within his meter cupboard to add it, so I could replace the 2 Wylex stds or add an enclosure just above the meter box for the RCD's.

Today I got together most of the prices ready for me to do the sums and then he phones me up "sorry to bother you, but I've changed my mind!"

Obviously I urged him to get these cables replaced and gave him a rouch price for the work, but I still think he'll leave it!

 

[Watchdog]

You'll never win them all.

You offered what was best and they declined.

If I was you I may just drop the quote in the post anyway.

 

[NozSpark]

I think I will... it was 90% done as it was

 

[ProDave]

This is of course the dilemma. I have a similar house on my patch that I visit from time to time. In my case the chap is in his 90' and doesn't want the upheaval of a rewire, he says "leave that for my son when I'm gone" (A view I can sympathise with) so I just patch things up and make repairs as best I can.

Of course we all know what will happen here. Sooner or later he will find someone prepared to replace the wiring without updating the CU and without adding RCD's and the customer will be happy and the "electrician" that does the job will be able to afford a new set of spurs.

So in effect, the regulations are encouraging people to keep an old dangerous installation, because the requirements to upgrade it can not be accommodated in a satisfactory way.

I really feel the equipment manufacturers are partly to blame. Surely there would be a market for a modern 17th edition CU that EXACTLY matches the dimensions of a wooden backed 8 way wylex fuse board?

I have a flat (that we are trying to sell at the moment) I didn't upgrade the CU as I could not find a modern CU that would fit the space of the MEM rewireable box, and to create more space would mean getting the DNO in o move the supply head and meter over a bit.

 

[green-hornet]

Its a shame really, the Government and the Electrical Safety Council did a scheme a few years ago which I was a part of. Anyone on a pension or state benefits who had major problems with any electrical installation received a grant to upgrade and make safe the installation.

One contractor was chosen for the PIR which identified the problems and then at least 3 registered electricians where invited to tender or quote for the job,

The system worked very well, and I must say taught me some very valuable lessons.

The end result was to upgrade some potentially dangerous installations, for some very vunerable people, who would have been ripped off by cowboy traders.

 

[NozSpark]

The problem is even when I told him my rough price (

 

[green-hornet]

At the end of the day we can only give advise, if they choose to take that advise then you have to do what you can if they do not you have done all you can.

Last year I was called in to a job by a plumber who I have done some work for over the years. The elderly couple who lived there were actually brother and sister who had never married and had never lived any where else. So we had a 70 year old bachelor and a 86 year old spinster.

The job was to supply a fused spur for the boiler, on initial checks no rcd's old rewireable fuse board as you know the usual as you expect in old never touched houses.

I gave them a price for a cu change and a price for a seperate cu to supply the boiler.

They thought both quotes were expensive just to put power to a new boiler.

Anyway being the soft person I am, I decided that they must be poor, on state benifit and strapped for cash so I fitted a seperate cu with a 63amp Rcd and 16 amp mcb, cable run on 2.5mm and a new neon fused spur.

I charged them

 

[binky]

The problem is even when I told him my rough price (

 

[septiclecky]

It's probably the old story has spoken to Fred from the pub who can or knows someone who will do it a lot cheaper.

 

[NozSpark]

It's more to do with age, and not wanting to be bothered with the change and upheaval of doing the work. Price has something to do with it as they had a quote 'only yesterday' for thrupence ha'penny to do the same job. But never be fooled by the lack of money thing - the current OAPs grew up in an age of austerity and are very frugal with their money. It has a lot to do with pride in being able to support themselves, not trusting the state to do it for them, and having a work ethic. Some values that wouldn't go amiss today.

You're not wrong there mate..

did a job for a retired bloke last year who said he didn't have any money and could he pay me the next day when he's collected his pension. Went back the next day and he must have had a couple of

 

[NozSpark]

It's probably the old story has spoken to Fred from the pub who can or knows someone who will do it a lot cheaper.

That wouldn't have been a problem, but I hadn't given him my price at that time!

TBH I think it was the perceived up heaval that was the problem.. apart from the RCD protection he didn't want me to do 1 room, I told him I'd have to do it as it was on the same circuit that I was quoting to rewire:C