CTJ4

Hi Guys,

im a Newbie 

I'm looking for sound advice. I'm having a metal CU fitted in my garage powered up by 10 mm twin and Earth from house CU. Currently i have 3 Double sockets and 2 strip lights fitted in garage there both fed from my main CU in the house. This is how the house was built from new roughly 18 years ago, reason for upgrade I want to add front & rear outside lighting outside sockets etc will the outside lights/sockets all need a seperate trip, also I think the current sockets are on a ring main/circuit would spark be able to islotate that and just link it straight back to house CU and run sockets etc from new CU to garage etc

What is the question? Your post isn't clear

Yes 

Hum ... A comedian then

Hi,

First of all I'm not a comedian. just wondering do I need to purchase other items ? just been told to buy cable & CU nothing about earthing cable etc. And is it ok to reroute cut off raingmain back to house CU. and use trips in new CU for all other electrical outlets the spark doing work as explained very little to me hope this helps, I don't know a great deal of electrics 

Why has your electrician told you to buy the  parts?

Yes you can disconnect the existing circuits in the garage and disconnect them from the house CU (making SURE the ring you are disconnecting remains a ring, preferably with the redundant length of cable removed) and re connect to the new CU.  But your electrician will know that won't he?

i find it hard to believe that your electrician told you to buy the materials... more like friend of a friend at a pub...

if so, best add some of these to your shopping list

https://www.aico.co.uk/products/

as for the comedian bit, it doesnt look like that was aimed at you

The sparky,

my my reason for asking questions I want to know the right ideas before going ahead with work. 

He's working for a company. And asked me to pick up the items Including 1.5 mm & 2 5 mm twin earth and is going to charge me day rate to fit. I'm asking because it's my house work being carried out at, rear garden lights and sockets were fitted recently but have never been connected to power supply

Andy™ said:

i find it hard to believe that your electrician told you to buy the materials... more like friend of a friend at a pub...

if so, best add some of these to your shopping list

https://www.aico.co.uk/products/

as for the comedian bit, it doesnt look like that was aimed at you

Click to expand...

Hi Andy,

apprciate your reply I'm asking the questions because he's away working.

Hes not a friend etc hes been to see job give me a list items to purchase hes employed by and works for an electrical contractor. Reason to my asking questions I want to know what I can have done, he will know being a spark but I would like to know more about what I'm having done the pros and cons side of it.

start with your first post again, i have no idea what you are wanting done. maybe try a drawing of what is where now and what you want

Andy™ said:

i find it hard to believe that your electrician told you to buy the materials... more like friend of a friend at a pub...

if so, best add some of these to your shopping list

https://www.aico.co.uk/products/

as for the comedian bit, it doesnt look like that was aimed at you

Click to expand...

Hi Andy,

apprciate your reply I'm asking the questions because he's away working.

Hes not a friend etc hes been to see job give me a list items to purchase hes employed by and works for an electrical contractor. Reason to my asking questions I want to know what I can have done, he will know being a spark but I would like to know more about what I'm having done the pros and cons side of it.

Ok,

im having a second 6 way CU fitted in my garage. The spark doing job is currently working away. And I would like to know some more info because he explained very little except to purchase Metal CU electric cables, he's employed by a contractor obvious he knows what he's doing but I would like to ask advice from the forum. 

I would be wary of using this sparkie. If he is employed by a company he probably will not have his own insurance, nor be a member of a scheme in his name and may not be able to notify his work.

Is the garage attached to your property or separate? A metal CU might not be necessary. The existing ring might be extended to include the new sockets and lights.

So my guess is that this is a cash transaction by way of payment...

You should get alternative quotes for the compete job imho

I have taken your points of view on board, and have arranged for 2 local electricians to come and quote for the work. Rob_the_rich my garage is attached to house that's why chap told me I needed matal CU ? 

Cool, please let us know what they say.

CTJ4 said:

Ok,

im having a second 6 way CU fitted in my garage. The spark doing job is currently working away. And I would like to know some more info because he explained very little except to purchase Metal CU electric cables, he's employed by a contractor obvious he knows what he's doing but I would like to ask advice from the forum. 

Click to expand...

I cannot think of any situation where a half decent electrician would be asking customers to purchase the materials, or would not be contactable via phone or e-mail or text and not be willing to discuss any aspect of the job that you have questions about. The type of scenario you describe is the sort of tactics adopted by cowboy tradesmen who disappear in-contactable when a few months down the line you find that you do not have what you thought you were getting. You should be having electrical certificates and part-p building regulations certificates issued once this work is completed. Which as Rob the rich points out generally requires membership of one of the recognised trade bodies, plus insurance plus calibrated test metres. I would recommend treating this person with a wide berth.

Doc H.  

Doc Hudson said:

I cannot think of any situation where a half decent electrician would be asking customers to purchase the materials,  

Click to expand...

There is one. when I am wiring a new build house for the customer.

I am not VAT registered so can't avoid paying VAT on materials. But a new build is zero rated for VAT.

So I charge the customer labour only, with no VAT, but give the customer a list of materials to buy. At the end of the build he can submit a VAT reclaim to get back the VAT on the materials.

ProDave said:

There is one. when I am wiring a new build house for the customer.

I am not VAT registered so can't avoid paying VAT on materials. But a new build is zero rated for VAT.

So I charge the customer labour only, with no VAT, but give the customer a list of materials to buy. At the end of the build he can submit a VAT reclaim to get back the VAT on the materials.

Click to expand...

Sorry I should have clarified for this type of alteration/addition work as per the OP's question.  Such as the OP mentioning purchasing cable?? Surely it has got to be far more cost effective for 'the electrician' to be using these items from his stock. I assume most electricians would have a few drums of the most common cable sizes they are regularly using, and be purchasing this at better rates than the OP would due to quantities purchased?  Unless of course this is not actually proper official work, and the 'electrician' in question is doing as a back-hander.  And even then, why cant he/she be contacted by one of the numerous modern communication methods.

Doc H   

Doc Hudson said:

Sorry I should have clarified for this type of alteration/addition work as per the OP's question.  Such as the OP mentioning purchasing cable?? Surely it has got to be far more cost effective for 'the electrician' to be using these items from his stock. I assume most electricians would have a few drums of the most common cable sizes they are regularly using, and be purchasing this at better rates than the OP would due to quantities purchased?  Unless of course this is not actually proper official work, and the 'electrician' in question is doing as a back-hander.  And even then, why cant he/she be contacted by one of the numerous modern communication methods.

Doc H   

Click to expand...

I'm inclined to agree with you there, I don't do a lot of domestic stuff, but I do a little bit, in some cases where people want to supply their own kit due to me not being vat regd, I will go with the customer to get the gear, I know it's right, and the receipt is in their name for the vat. The only stuff I let customers supply is things like light fittings, if they want something fancy, this is only because we don't all have the same taste, what I like they may not, and vice versa.

I'm doing a job shortly for a friends uncle, his son has just bought a terraced house, it needs a few bits done, and although they want to move in asap, they are having the work done first            ( makes a pleasant change), they want a few extra sockets, some lights changing,the gas needs a main bond, and the alarm needs replacing.

I'm supplying all the materials, except for the lights, and the alarm, They are picking the alarm up from one of my suppliers (I'm too busy to go and it's not far from them) and they want to have a look at what lights are available before they make a choice (they'll check with me regarding suitability before buying them) I tend to worry if a client want's to supply basic kit themselves, they may get the wrong stuff, or cheap stuff that doesn't meet standards.

If someone can get say cable, "I've a mate can get it from work for nothing" is usually the one, then I suppose that's fine, provided it's the right type and meets regs, I once did a job for a bloke who wanted power to a garden shed, the cable was to be clipped along the house wall and the shed was at the bottom of the yard, I was thinking of using swa, he wanted pyro! I explained that pyro would be a lot more expensive that swa, he disagreed, it would be a lot cheaper he assured me. It turned out that he worked for BICC and could get it for next to nothing!