No, electricians have wholesale accounts with discount levels far greater than the public due to the volumes we buy in – it’s a simple scale of economy.  Even with adding a little margin to the materials (to cover administration, fuel and to keep the company from going bankrupt) the cost of a switch or socket will still be less than what you can purchase at most DIY chains.

What about if I go to the wholesales direct?

Wholesales are not retail shops – they are purpose designed to serve the trade industry.  General public will not be given an account, some may offer a cash sale – but the discounts will not be the same as those who are truly in the trade.  Also remember that the employees of wholesalers are not electricians and will offer you any advice when it comes to DIY wiring – they will refuse so please save the embarrassment by not asking them!

But I’ve seen a socket for 99p in my local DIY / discount store – is this any good?

No, it may be of British Standards specification, but experience has shown that cheap fittings will break, fracture & fail long before a good quality fitting – always go on the advice of your electrician and use the brands they love & trust.

What about fancy light fittings?

By all means liaise with your electrician over fancy & decorative light fittings – most will recommend you buy this yourself and will fit them for you – they will inform you if the fitting is not suitable.  Please remember that the fitting of fancy light fittings will take slightly longer than usual – so expect a bigger bill from your electrician for fitting these.

What about bathroom fittings – a simple batten holder is fine right?

No, building regulations state that all bathroom light fittings must be IP rated & enclosed – your electrician will be happy to provide a suitable fitting – this includes IP rated downlights designed especially for Bathrooms.

I’m glad you mentioned downlights – I can get these cheap – are they OK?

No, again trust the guidance of your electrician.  All downlights installed in domestic properties must be fire-rated – these cheap ones you’ve found will more than likely be not.  Your electrician will look at the environment and suggest the best lighting – you may wish to consider LED downlights – they are now dimmable and very energy efficient.

I’ve seen a fuse box in a DIY chain for £50 – should I buy it?

Absolutely not!  To start with a fuse box installation or upgrade should only be undertaken by a skilled electrician (Part-P for domestic) as tests and other upgrades will need to be assessed.  Your electrician will have a specific brand(s) of fuse-box / consumer unit they favour – simply because they are used to installing them, they are of good quality and parts are readily available from leading manufactures that won’t go out of business anytime soon!

Appointing a good qualified Electrician in Swindon to carry out your electrical works costs less than you think – if you are considering any electrical upgrades or modifications from lighting to fuse boxes, feel free to contact us for good friendly honest advice.

The information below could be applied to any work you may need to hire a contractor for, however my interest is electrical work and as such I have written this to ensure you understand what to look for when having electrical work carried out in your home or work.

It is important to look long and hard when you are choosing an electrician.  If the work is not carried out correctly you may not only have something that doesn’t work you can end up with a dangerous installation.

The following are some qualities to look for in an electrician.

Someone who is Qualified

Some electricians have had little more than a quick six week course as their only qualification and then dive straight into your fuse box!  They thrive on the basis that you don’t understand what they do and, as a result, overcharge for shoddy and often dangerous work.

Look for an electrician with experience and the correct domestic or commercial qualifications – as a minimum these will be equivalent to an NVQ Level 3 in electrical installation, plus IET BS7671:2008 electrical wiring regulations, approval by a Part-P body if domestic (see below) or Construction Skills Certificate Scheme & Joint Industry Board (CSCS / JIB for commercial works).

If you are in doubt – simply ask to see their certificates or portfolio.

Someone who is Registered

It is important to hire an electrician that is registered with one of the regulatory bodies. There are a number in the UK such as the ECA, ELECSA, NICEIC, and NAPIT each keeps a register of their members that you can check if you are in any doubt.

A Regulatory body provides you with the assurance that the company is not a fly by night outfit as they would have had to comply with various requirements before joining. They cannot guarantee that the work will be faultless however they will help if you end up in dispute with your electrician.

Someone with the skills to do the work

This may sound obvious of course you want someone who is skilled, however what a lot of people don’t understand about electrical work is that all electricians follow different disciplines and will be skilled in or specialise in perhaps one.

For example an electrician who works on industrial installations most of the time may not have the required skill to rewire your house or the electrician who rewires your house may not be able to fix your washing machine.  You need to make sure that they know what they are talking about, understand and can apply the regulations relevant to the work you are asking them to do.

You may want to look for recommendations ask people who you know if they know of an electrician who has carried out the same type of work that you need done.

It is important that they know and adhere to the IET and the Building Regulations.  If the work is not carried out in compliance to the regulations it could be dangerous.  Also, you may have a problem if the authorities find out and could have to rip it out and do the work over again.  It could also be a problem if you try to sell the house or business, or have an inspection (building control / letting agents / health & safety / insurance).

Remember, a qualified electrician will give you the following:

• A safe electrical installation that complies with the latest electrical wiring regulations
• A safe electrical installation that complies with the latest building regulations
• A fully verified, inspected & tested electrical installation – complete with signed electrical certificate which validates the electrical installation
• Submission to Local Area Building Control / Building Inspector (if required)

Someone who is timely in doing the work

You will want someone who is going to turn up to do the work when they say they are going to do it.  You also want to agree how long the work should take and do not want them to tell you that the work is going to take a week and then the work takes much longer than that.

Someone who is honest

You do not want an electrician who tells you that work needs doing just to drum up work and make money (unfortunately it happens). Some unscrupulous tradesmen will use your lack of knowledge to convince you that something is wrong when it is not, and try to baffle you with technical talk and regulations to support what they say.

If you are told that unexpected work is required then thank them for letting you know and have it verified before engaging them to do the work.  Again, getting a recommended electrician can help with this.

You will also want to look at the prices that the electricians charge. An honest Electrician will not be cheap, because they will have costs that your average cowboy doesn’t, like various insurances, public liability, professional indemnity, a decent Van to run, tools to keep, Membership to Trade associations and possibly police checks (this all adds up!). However you still need to get value for your money.

Make sure you get a written quotation and a copy of their Terms & Conditions, you should only ever pay a deposit never more than 50% upfront and then nothing more until the job is complete and you are satisfied.

Overall it is important to find the electrician that is right for you.  Please consider the above attributes when hiring an electrician.

Crannis Technology Services was setup in order to fill a gap in the domestic & light industrial / commercial sector. We want to provide you with a quality service that provides you with exactly what you need from an electrician.

You can depend on us because:

• WE WILL turn up for our appointments
• WE WILL provide you with a written quote
• WE WILL give you honest advice
• WE WILL treat your premises with respect

Appointing a good qualified Electrician in Swindon costs less than you think – if you are considering any electrical upgrades or modifications from lighting to fuse boxes, feel free to contact us for good friendly honest advice.

Most DIY enthusiasts opt for a simply left-over pendant or batten fitting, but quite simply an exposed pendent, bulkhead or flood light fitting is too hot and exposed for a loft area, often installed too close to timers and other combustible materials which can be a fire-risk, especially in thatched properties and can invalidate your insurance policy.

Loft areas are subject to extreme temperature changes and can suffer from moisture & rodent problems, so ensuring the fittings are enclosed weatherproof non-corrosive low-energy fitting – such as a 16/28W 2D fluorescent fitting or 4-6” fluorescent tubes (all weatherproof & enclosed of course).

You also need to make special consideration to properly mechanically protecting the lighting supply cables from damage, as well as adequate isolation / switching on the correct circuit.

Working in lofts requires knowledge of the latest building regulations – most importantly Part A (Structure) and Part B (Fire) and Part L (conservation of fuel and power) – joists are not to be cut through, insulation must be conserved where possible, and you must ensure fire-barriers are in good condition.  Remember if you are working with electrics, the electrical regulations are Part-P.

Appointing a good qualified electrician in Swindon costs less than you think – if you are considering adding lighting to your loft or any storage location, or simply wish to discuss any upgrades or modifications, feel free to contact us for good friendly honest advice.

Clients & potential clients are often put-off by the additional cost of an electrical inspection because “they have a friend who knows a thing or two about electrics and can change a fuse box” or other electricians fail to appreciate the importance of electrical safety. However, missing out the inspection often leads to huge, unexpected & unbudgeted remedial repair bills once an upgrade takes place.

Simply compare an electrical inspection prior to major works to the following:

When you buy a new pair of shoes or running trainers you have your feet measured and you try the shoes or trainers on before you buy – to ensure they are fit for purpose and comfortable.

When you buy a property, you (or your mortgage / finance provider) insist on a survey to ensure everything is sound and there are no nasty and expensive surprises!

When you buy a used car you want to know its history and condition before your drive it off the forecourt – which is why you’ll at least test drive it and often have an independent inspection / manufacturers inspection before finally purchasing.

Think of an electrical inspection as a similar audit – before implementing any major changes to your electrical system a qualified electrician will need to know the exact condition of your installation before work takes place.

In an electrical inspection each circuit will be documented & tested to ensure it meets the necessary electrical requirements.

Your electrics may look good on the outside, but cables, switches, socket-outlets and other equipment deteriorate with prolonged use, so they all need to be checked and necessary replacements or repairs made in good time.

Electrical inspections will highlight any problems with:

• Earthing
• Bonding
• Functional
• Overloading
• Damage to cables
• Open ring circuits
• Undersized conductors
• Cross connected circuits (dual feed)
• Any dangerous and non regulatory defects or installation work

A detailed Electrical Inspection Report will provide you with:

• Circuit identification and documentation
• Fixed electrical wiring inspection and testing
• Consumer Unit, Circuit Breaker and RCD inspection and testing
• Protection for safety and earthing arrangements
• Functional testing and safe operation of accessories
• Test report with observations and recommendations

Once inspected, a comprehensive report is produced, this gives both the owner a detailed description of their installation, & electrical installer a vital tool to design, plan & install a new consumer unit plus any additional remedial works to upgrade the installation to the latest wiring regulations.

The report ensures estimates are highly accurate (as any potential problems are known) and there are no hidden surprises at time of installation.

Remember a fuse box / consumer unit change is a major upgrade and requires expert installation & testing skills only a good certified electrican should perform. When an electrician (or anyone else for that matter) touches an electrical installation – they are responsible for both it and your electrical safety.

Appointing a good qualified electrician in Swindon costs less than you think – if you are considering improving your electrical safety or wish to discuss any upgrades or modifications, feel free to contact us for good friendly honest advice.

Not the case with our clients.

All our newly installed consumer units (fuse box) come with an emergency lighting option – a strategically placed dual purpose maintained light fitting which performs as a normal light and will automatically illuminate upon power failure for up to 3 hours – ensuring you can safely locate the blown fuse / MCB / RCD and safely reconnect your service.

This is just one of the many unique services our fully qualified electricians in Swindon offer all our clients.

If you want to speak to us about fuse box upgrades or emergency lighting services to keep you out of the dark then contact us.

The 17th edition wiring regulations was introduced in 2008 and saw a complete re-structure of the wiring regulations and introduced us to 100% RCD protection – essential for ensuring safety, particularly in homes. The new update expands on this but focuses mainly on more thorough inspection and testing.

The wiring code has now been updated – the 17th edition update 1 has been in force as of 1st January 2012 and all new installations and additions must comply.

Summary of changes in amendement 1:

• Minor updates to regulations
• Updates to disconnection times
• Special consideration for Electromagnetic interference – EMI
• Surge Protection Devices – SPDs
• Inspection & Testing – ECIRs
• Updates to special locations
• Inclusion of Medical Locations to special locations
• Inclusion of Operating and maintenance gangways to special locations

The changes include minor updates to the electrical wiring regulations to align the UK and European regulations with some additions to special wiring locations, but the biggest changes are to electrical inspection & testing.

An electrical inspection is essentially a MOT on your electrical installation and is recommended for all Domestic, Commercial & Industrial electrical installations. An electrical installation is a fixed wiring system made up of equipment, such as a consumer unit (fuse box), lighting and power circuits, and switches and sockets. Your electrics may look good on the outside, but cables & switches deteriorate with prolonged use, so they all need to be checked and necessary replacements or repairs made in good time.

Every home & business owner has a responsibility to ensure all properties are electrically sound. Particularly landlords who are bound under the landlords and tenants act 1995 which requires landlords of properties to ensure the electrical installation is in good and safe condition when the tenancy begins and maintained electrics thereafter and throughout the tenancy.

The update will see the familiar Periodic Inspection Report change to Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). With this the inspection, testing & reporting and testing is vastly improved with a new inspection schedule broken down into many detailed sections – making it easier for the client ordering the inspection to understand the overall condition of their electrical installation with clear, concise observations and recommendations recorded by the assessor.

Electrical contractors are aware of these changes, Crannis Technology Services Ltd has already invested in new 17th edition update 1 technology – and are currently installing & testing to the new wiring regulations ahead of time.

Be aware that as of 1st January 2012 all new installations, additions & inspections will be required to meet update 1 regulations. If you have concerns about the new regulations the Electrical Safety Council is a good reference. They can be found online at http://www.esc.org.uk

Two properties, wired to the 17th Edition wiring regulations less than 3 years ago both failed electrical inspections showing signs of cable insulation breakdown, further investigation showed:

• One property showed evidence of rodent damage
• One property showed evidence of damp / water damage

In both cases the circuit was safety isolated and repaired before being safely re-commissioned back into service once remedial work was safely carried out.

If you own or rent a listed or period building, don’t let yours become a fire risk or death-trap. Just because your property has been recently modernised or inspected, they are more prone to external influences such as water & rodent damage over modern properties – ensure your electrics are inspected every 3-5 years.

If you have concerns about your electrical installation – contact us to arrange a comprehensive inspection.

We’ve recently electrically inspected a few properties where a ‘mate’ has installed some new sockets, switches & consumer units (fuse boxes) with the following dangerous problems:

• No or inadequate earthling & bonding
• Circuit overloading
• Wrong conductor & circuit breaker selection
• Broken ‘ring’ circuits
• No circuit labelling or identification
• Sockets which are supplied by two circuits (cross-connection)
• No evidence of testing
• No installation certificates

These installations break building regulations & the Electrical Safety Regulations. Should the electrical equipment not comply with the Regulations and an incident occurs the penalties are as follows:

3 months and/or £5000 fine if there is risk of fire and/or an animal is injured.

6 months and/or £5000 fine if a human is injured or killed.

Employing a fully qualified electrician costs less than you think – ensure your electrical safety by appointing a fully registered & competent electrician next time you require electrical improvements.

Make it easy for your Electrician to access the area requiring attention

Safely move & store away any furniture or items which are in the area where your electrician will need to work. Electricians are expensive removers – they are much better at fixing & installing electrical items. It’s also a good idea to ensure good access to your fuse box / consumer unit, so please ensure the downstairs cupboard or wherever your fuse box / consumer unit lives is clear & accessible.

Turn your electrical items off

During installation the electrical circuit / fuse box / consumer unit / distribution board may be turned off in accordance to the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 & The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989.
Ensure your computer, washing machine and dishwasher are switched off – save time & money by not keeping your electrician waiting for electrical items to be switched off or finish their washing cycle before work can begin.

Outdoor cabling

If outdoor cabling is being installed – ask if you can dig your own trench – confirm with your electrician the route and depth of the trench beforehand. Once agreed and the trench is dug, your electrician will then return to lay the cable safely & correctly.

Be sure to select the correct type of smoke alarm:

Heat – For use in Kitchen & rooms containing open fires.
Optical – For use in hallway & landing areas near bathrooms / shower-rooms which generate invisible smoke such as steam.
Ionisation – All other places

Number & Positioning of Smoke Detectors

Smoke detectors should be provided in the circulation areas of each and on every floor of the dwelling. Smoke detectors should be positioned between the sleeping spaces and places where a fire is likely to start e.g. living room / kitchen and yet be close enough to the bedroom doors to effectively wake sleeping occupants – within 7.5m of every habitable room door.

If your kitchen is not separated from the stairways or circulation routes by a suitable door, then you must also install a compatible heat detector interlinked with the other smoke detector system positioned as above in the circulation routes.

Smoke detectors should preferably be fitted to the ceiling in a central position and at least 300mm from any wall or light fitting. Check the manufacturer’s instructions carefully when deciding where to position them – particularly if you are going to mount them on the wall. Wall mounted detectors should generally be fixed between 150mm and 300mm below the ceiling.

Smoke detectors should not be fixed directly above heaters, ducted heat outlets, or in bathrooms, showers, cooking areas or garages, where steam, condensation or fumes could cause false alarms to occur.

Also they should not be fitted in very hot or very cold rooms e.g. boiler rooms or unheated porches, where air currents may move smoke away from the detector before it activates.

Always position your detectors so that they can easily be maintained, cleaned and tested – so don’t position them over stairs etc.

If you require assistance with choosing & installing your smoke detectors, give us a call or contact us and we’re be only too happy to assist.