Are professionals happy doing part of a job?

[Richard]

I'm thinking of doing most of the work putting in instantaneous water heaters, but I'd feel a lot happier if an electrician would put in any necessary distribution box associated with the heaters.

Do elecricians or other professionals mind doing part jobs, such as doing the final wiring to the distribtion box, or any gas pipework associated with say a boiler?

And in my case with the heaters, what should I expect to pay here in the North for an electrician simply to put in the distribution box for instantaneous heaters?

[Dave Osborne]

No problem asking an electrician to do the electrical part of fitting a water heater. Plumbers often would have to sub this out anyway.

As far as gas pipework to a boiler goes, you are on more of a sticky wicket, as the gas fitter would not sign off the boiler if he/she didn't fit it. OK to do all the wet work though and just get the gas fitter to install/commission the boiler.

As to what you should pay, it depends on how much work there is to do and what materials are required and you haven't given enough information on that front. Also, you do tend to find that any electrician proposing to work on your house may require you to do upgrade work, such as bringing main equipotential bonding and supplementary bonding up to a satisfactory standard (although you should be doing this as a matter of course).

Best advice as always is to try and find a tradesman who comes recommended by a relative, friend or neighbour. Otherwise, draw up a simple clear written scope of works and ask three or four contractors to quote against it.

[Richard]

Aaah, but here it's part, of a part. :c)

Inasmuch as on the electrics, I'm just saying to the electrician, come over and wire up the distribution box (that I've fixed to the wall and which is connected to the heater)- to the mains.

Would an elecrician do that, and for say £20 -ish.

[Dave Osborne]

Doubt it.

[Richard]

The main problem here is that if I need a dedicated fuse/distribtion box (likely I guess) that has to be connected to mains where the power comes into the house.

Well, that big 80A fuse that feeds my current distribution box is not accesible, unless I snip some wire so that I can access the fuse.

Now, when an electrician comes what does he do? does he snip that wire the leads to access to the fuse, or does he do live-working on those two very thick cables that lead in and out of the electric meter?

I'm not keen on live-working, so that is why I feel the need for an electrician.

I have two options:

- snip that wire so I can take the big fuse out and then wire in the new fuse/distribution boxes for the heater, or:

- get an electrician to take care of the matter of the new distribtion box and connection to the mains.

I think some would likely do the first. :c)

Perhaps I would, but would I get into bother?

[Dave Osborne]

You haven't provided enough info/pictures, so we're all guessing ;-)

Maybe. Or he calls the DNO[1] and gets them to snip it.

or does he do live-working on those two

Not unless he's looking for a Darwin Award.

Good.

so that is why I feel the need for an

Or call the DNO and get them to disconnect the supply.

Yes

Yes

or 3. Call the DNO and get them to temporarily disconnect the supply.

Yes

Why *would* you get into bother?

Let me just say the nobody in their right mind would work on the system live.

[1] DNO Disribution Network Operator. The company responsible for the hardware, not the company responsible for your meter and often not the comapny you pay for electricity useage.

[Richard]

Well, would I be breaking some legal rule about having access to that fuse?

I somehow thought that it was done, when required. :c)

[Dave Osborne]

It's there mainly to discourage you from stealing electricity.

Generally only in the street by cable joiners with special tools and specific training.

See: -

[The Natural Philosopher]

Not for £20. Its several hours.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Yes. Then solder it all back together like it was always that way.

Actually, what I did was exactly that, but I asked the electricity oard t replace the seal. They didn't mind.

Phioen up your electricity supplier and ask what te standard charge wil be for repalcing a seal after a new consumer unit has been fittedd. I bet its something tey just do all the tiime.

If the wiring is done to spec, you can self certify I think..and anyway, if its your house, its your risk. Just don't mention it when you sell the house. Mind yiu, I would imagine most of this bureaucratic bullshit will fall by the wayside in the New Cleggeron Britain. You want a house? you get it surveyed. Caveat Emptor, and its not the guvmints problem.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Its been known. Its safe enough if you are bloody careful and mindful of what you are doing.

I personally don't like it though. I like the security of a totally dead system

So just pull the main fuse.

[John Rumm]

Fat chance. You have probably exceeded that amount just having him come out to the job!

[Richard]

I'm right skin flint ain't I. :c)

[js.b1]

You need to get the DNO to fit an isolator. This involves the DNO pulling their fuse (hint) and updating anything w.r.t. safety - for example old ceramic cutouts and cotton covered meter cables or cast iron cutouts or old earthing or tar leaking lead covered cables which are most definately not armoured.

You then need to decide if an instant mains pressure water heater or stored water heater is more appropriate. The latter can be a simple combi-cylinder - a CW tank stuck on top of a HW tank in one foam insulated zeppelin, not mains pressure, but runs off 2.5mm Flat Twin & Earth 3kW immersion heater. If you want an instant water heater, you need a dedicated final circuit with RCD protection (possible CU upgrade or second CU fitting), plus consideration of expansion vessel or whether the pipework can act as same if your water pressure is not sky high (ie, preventing the pipework acting as the pressure vessel).

None of these are cheap, as in a few hundred pounds on materials alone whatever you do.

[Andrew Gabriel]

I asked them to replace a seal after I replaced a CU about 11 years ago. They have a flag in the customer record to ask the meter reader to do it on next visit. A couple of years later I reminded them, and this flag was still set, even though the meter had been read several times. 11 years later, and they've never bothered. Actually, another electrician has just added a second CU and pulled the fuse in the process, so it is quite handy it has never been resealed, in spite of asking them more than once. I guess they don't much care.

11 years ago there was no charge for resealing, or even for upgrading a main fuse (providing wiring and accessories already rated sufficiently). Haven't needed to ask more recently.

[Mike Clarke]

They seem even less fussy here. Our meter was recently replaced and the fitter just snapped off the plastic lugs for the seals on the fuse and terminals so now there's no way of fitting any seals.

[<me9]

They re-sealed mine after a meter change when I changed suppliers. 8-(

[ARWadsworth]

Try £30 per hour. But yes professionals can help you in this way.

Adam

[Richard]

Okay, thanks.