Saturday 27 September 2014

Electrician Partick Glasgow


Partick


Tip No. 1 — Pamper your contact database

You wouldn't try to manage your accounting and job costing with everyone keeping track of their own (with little or no management oversight), yet many contractors keep their contacts in haphazard systems, ranging from business card files to personal Microsoft Outlook files. Even those companies that do have a consolidated contact management system rarely have clean, complete, and current data in their files (The Three Cs of Contact Data Management).
Your first step in improving your business development processes should be to consolidate all your contacts into one central database. Most companies use Microsoft Exchange for e-mail, and simply using a public folder for contacts can work well. Beyond that, there are many customer relationship management (CRM) systems out there that can be customized to fit your needs.
Make sure that this becomes an ongoing activity with regular reporting to show you the status of contacts, including last contact date, new contacts, and missing contact data. The importance of this activity cannot be overstated. While the work of consolidating the contact data is tedious, it's well worth the effort.

Tip No. 2 — Leverage the meet-and-greet opportunity

If you're a larger contractor with what many would consider an impressive building, fleet of vehicles, extensive staff, and a way to showcase your capabilities, by all means bring owners and general contractors (GCs) to you. Show them you're not what they view as a typical subcontractor — and that you have the facility and operational capability to handle their highest-level projects and needs. Office equipment that can easily handle their drawings and quickly generate submittals, tool management and tracking systems, on-site material storage, and dedicated pre-fab areas all demonstrate your professionalism and capability to roll at a moment's notice.
If your facility is still a “work in progress,” you might want to consider taking your team to your customer's office. There are some definite advantages to this approach, the most important of which is that you don't have to worry about them not showing up. While people generally have good intentions, you do run the risk of a small showing when you invite potential customers to your facility. Not only do you have an opportunity for more face time with more key players, but your customers are also more comfortable at their own place of business. Recommend a mid-morning meeting; people have had their coffee and are still fresh. It will give you at least an hour before noon and sets up an opportunity to take people to lunch after the meeting. Make sure you're aware of upcoming bid deadlines and coordinate office visits accordingly so as to not be rushed or have customers too focused on getting back to work.
The purpose of these meetings is to expand your company's relationships by getting out there to meet new people. You will want to make as many connections as possible during this event (click here to see Figure). Bring your best team together of two to five people. Depending on the size of the meeting or potential client, gather up your strongest players and leave the marketing collateral and other fancy props behind. People want to do business with others who have common experiences, goals, and business philosophies. That's what you are there to discuss.

Tip No. 3 — Cultivate team relationships

Projects are awarded to people by people. Of course, there are other dynamics at stake, such as pricing, but the information that can lead to an electrical contractor successfully winning a contract is very closely related to relationships.
Think about the vendor who gives you a break on pricing and notifies you of potential projects on the market. Think about that great contact with the GC who “advises” you about your scope and pricing — even on public works projects. Think about that facility manager who you're on a “nickname basis” (better than first-name basis) with who gives you all of his work and never questions the bill.
If these things rarely or never happen for your company, then you definitely need to increase your focus on relationships. If they do, then think about their value and contemplate what it would be worth to significantly increase the number of those relationships.
Relationships are the building blocks to most — if not all — business transactions. Within your organization, every individual has undoubtedly established a relationship with someone who can bring value to your company. Imagine how many relationships you'd have if you were to take all of your service technicians, foremen, project managers, estimators, etc., together and harness each of their experiences.
Depending on the number of employees you have and their work history, you'll need to determine the most effective way to gather warm leads within your organization. If there is a small group, setting up a roundtable session to compare notes with regard to previous and existing customers can be effective. This opens up discussion and gets people to think of connections they might not have otherwise considered. It also gives you a chance to identify as a group some important target customers based on previous relationships. With a larger group, it's best to either break the team into smaller groups of three to five people or assign a single individual to manage the process, going to each person individually and working to consolidate their contacts into a centralized database (as noted in Tip No. 1).
Simply encouraging everyone in the organization to make contact with old relationships and some new ones each week will produce amazing results. A team of five people making five contacts (new or old) per week equals more than 1,200 customer connections per year! The key here is consistency.

Tip No. 4 — Inspire mouth-to-mouth references

When we consider painting our home, very rarely do we open up the yellow pages to the “painters” section and start dialing. You most likely know a neighbor, friend, or relative who has recently had his house painted. This is the person you first make contact with for a referral. Word of mouth is a simple concept that can lead to widespread success — or failure.
So how do make this opportunity work for you? Of course, the absolute best “brand-building” tool is providing amazing service to your customers (as defined by the customer). How do you blow this opportunity? Provide poor customer service, and you'll quickly realize how powerful this form of communication can be. As they say, bad news travels fast.
Name branding is an excellent way to stick in someone's mind. Your brand recognition is the accumulation of experiences that invoke the values of your company. Anywhere you may have a potential customer can be a brand touch point — your business card at a meeting, attitude, service of your employees in public, clean company vehicles, professional-looking attire, hard hats with your logo, and stickers placed strategically at the completion of a project.

Tip No. 5 — Leverage your design capabilities

In-house drawing and drafting capabilities can give you a competitive edge in negotiating projects. Value engineering and the ability to solve a customer's problems through design and modifications (i.e., design-build) can be an even stronger selling point when developing relationships with architects, engineers, and owners. Almost every contractor is involved in the design in some way — even if it's merely through a partnering initiative with a local electrical engineering firm. It's your job to showcase these capabilities and work hard to expand them.
Although the details of building your design capabilities are beyond the scope of this article, we would like to touch on some key points.
  1. Work on planning the jobs with CAD tools for areas such as underslab and power rooms rather than having the foreman sketch it out in the field. Even if it seems inefficient in the short term, the skills you gain will serve you in the long term.
  2. If you're involved in new building construction, start learning about 3D BIM technology — if you aren't already using it. This is a design technology that will have a significant impact on the entire industry. It looks a lot scarier than it actually is — start small by detailing power rooms and ceilings after you have mastered them in 2D.
  3. Look at the GPS location technologies that tie to your layout. These save time and improve quality.
  4. Learn to showcase this work with your clients. Create examples and case studies showing your capabilities and quantify the results in terms of schedule days saved, minimized re-work, improved quality, and/or lowered costs.

Tip No. 6 — Expand your reach via service offerings

The job is done and you're out of there, right? Wrong! Warranty calls are one of the last things a contractor wants to hear about once a project is completed. Undoubtedly, it means something has gone wrong and the minimal profits you made on a job are now in jeopardy as you make repairs on your dime.
Instead of looking at a warranty period as the time you have to wait before you are out of the woods, look at it as a way to introduce your company to the facility owner. As an electrical contractor, your exposure during a project is typically with the GC. You work for them, communicate with them, and wait for them to pay you.
When the job is complete, there is still an owner or an end-user that most likely will need your services in the future. An easy way to start a relationship with that end-user is to introduce your “warranty team.” When you make a visit or a phone call, explaining that you want to ensure the end-user has all of your contact information in case there are any problems with the systems that were installed, you immediately establish yourself and your team as a proactive contractor.
You aren't asking for business. You're offering solutions while separating yourself from the GC. Setting up a meeting or handoff from a site foreman/project manager to a service manager or warranty team with the owner or end-user gives you an opportunity to further sell your company. As you are managing the warranty period, you can work on presenting additional services, such as lighting maintenance, tenant improvements, and emergency service.
Remember that word-of-mouth thing? This is the perfect opportunity to shine in this area and help differentiate your company. In addition, remember that while service revenues may be relatively small compared to contract revenues, the profit margins are much higher and the risk much lower. Building up your service department will help grow the top line, bottom line, and overall value of your business.

Tip No. 7 — Define your marketing strategy

Successful organizations, both large or small, have a clearly defined marketing strategy and plan. Can you clearly define the following?
  • What types of work have generated your revenue/profits over the last three years? How much for each?
  • Where do you see your revenue/profits coming from in the future?
  • What geographical areas do you now serve? Which ones do you want to serve in the future?
  • Do you have the skills and resources to deliver on the answers to the second and third questions? If so, are you presenting this effectively in your marketing materials and presentations? If not, what are you doing to build these skills and resources?
If nearly everyone in your company can't answer these questions, then you will have a hard time pulling everyone together to work on a specific marketing project. Marketing of your company is a group effort. Everything from the way the receptionist handles calls to the delivery of a proposal will either move you closer to (or farther away from) the next customer or project.
Communicating your efforts, successes, and failures helps eliminate wasted time and repeated mistakes. Make sure your team understands that your overall goal is to produce income, not waste scarce expense dollars.

Tip No. 8 — Survey your customers

Do your customers remember you six months after you've completed a project? If they do, is it in a positive manner? If you can't answer this question, then ask them. People in general spend so much time “selling and telling” potential clients what they can do, they often forget to step back and listen.
Calling up past customers and asking them a few simple questions can lead to fantastic insight, which often results in referrals and additional jobs. There are many ways to perform a client survey. The important items to address when developing your survey are to make sure it is: (1) structured, (2) happens on a regular basis, (3) the feedback gets back to the project team so they can make changes, and (4) the customer is notified of the changes you made based on his feedback.
Surveys will also help you clean up your contact database and refine your marketing strategy. The simple process of talking to all of your past customers — and then relaying that feedback to your team — can be an extremely valuable tool.

Tip No. 9 — Force open lines of communication

Educate everyone on selling the company and its full breadth of capabilities. Project managers and foremen should be comfortable talking with owner's reps and GCs during a project. Open lines of communication often will result in hearing about upcoming project opportunities and being introduced to other potential customers and decision makers. Regularly communicating progress, problems, and solutions with your customers will instill the level of confidence necessary for strong relationships.
Rarely do the people you work for understand the intricacies of the work you are completing or the service you are providing, nor do they care to. The systems in place behind the walls are not nearly as important to them as the fact that a project is done on time, on budget, and that everything works as it's supposed to when you leave. What they do understand is communication.
Doing what you say you will do, when you say you will do it is a powerful tool. While on the surface this doesn't seem like marketing, it is the essence of building your business. It is why you will (or will not) be invited to bid on the next project. It's also the reason you will or will not be referred to the next owner, architect, or GC.

Tip No. 10 — Pay attention to emerging trends

Investing a few dollars and a little bit of time to learn about solar and wind technologies, green building requirements, lean construction practices, and building information modeling (BIM) software can pay big dividends in relationship building. Going to a seminar on lean construction with your project team will not only improve your bottom line, but will also likely introduce you to some GCs you didn't know before. Going through the LEED (green building) certification process will put you in the same room with architects and possibly building owners. Spending a bit of time learning about alternative energy and becoming an information source for your customers and potential customers will make a huge difference in how you are perceived.
Although we purposely haven't covered certain marketing basics, such as direct mail, newsletters, and marketing collateral, this doesn't mean we don't believe in them. These topics have been covered extensively in other articles, and we typically don't see as many problems in these areas as we do with companies not delivering on the 10 tips discussed in this article.
You will get better results from having a 10-minute marketing meeting and spending the next hour trying to set up “meet and greets” with several target customers than you will from spending months preparing the “perfect” marketing plan.

Sunday 21 September 2014

TESLA WIRELESS POWER

£30K ELECTRIC CAR EXPECTED TO APPEAL TO THE MASSES

04SEP 2014
Tesla Motors, the company responsible for producing the all-electric Model S, a car that Consumer Reports rated the “Best Car Ever Tested” in 2013, is expected to today announce plans to build a new $5 billion dollar plant in Nevada which will produce electric car batteries for their upcoming 2017 model.
Being dubbed the “Gen III,” the new Tesla all-electric car is expected to have a range of 200 miles per charge and retail for approximately $35,000 dollars – A price point which is expected to appeal to the masses. The Tesla “Gigafactory” is projected to produce 500,000 battery packs for electric cars each year by 2020. Sources familiar with the project have indicated that the Nevada location was selected due to its proximity to America’s only active lithium mine.
Designed to reduce battery costs by 30 percent, the Gigafactory is Tesla’s company advantage in producing a more affordable, mass-market electric car. For industry watchers, however, the move also translates to a lot more demand for lithium.
In a note sent to shareholders in late March, Lithium Exploration Group CEO Alex Walsh said Tesla is expected to consume up to 15,000 additional tons of lithium carbonate once its Gigafactory operations are in full swing in 2017. To put the amount in perspective, total global demand for lithium carbonate in 2012 was around 160,000 tons, according to international metals and minerals research and consulting firm Roskill.

A MATTER OF TIME

“It’s just a matter of time before electric vehicles take over the market,” said Dennis Bryan, senior vice president of Western Lithium. “Given the continued growth factor in lithium, we expect demand to increase substantially.”
Sales and adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) like the Tesla Model S, Tesla Roadster, and Nissan Leaf have been steadily increasing over the past few years thanks to the financial savings associated with “fueling” a car with electricity. The cost to “fill up” is under $5 dollars, as opposed to $40 dollars or more to refill an automobile with gasoline. Financial savings can be even greater when you install a home solar energy system to collect sunlight and recharge an EV with solar power.
Previous reports have shown Tesla’s new Gigafactory will be powered by on-site renewables including solar and wind power: solar panels
tesla-motors-solar-powered-gigafactory

SOLAR POWERED TESLA GIGAFACTORY AT A GLANCE:

  • Expected to drive down the per kWh cost of EV battery packs by more than 30 percent
  • Forecasted to produce approximately 500,000 EVs per year by 2020
  • Will take up approximately 500-1,000 acres
  • Will employ approximately 6,500 workers
  • Model 3/Model III will be 20% smaller than Model S,
  • Expected to have electric range of 200 miles at approximate cost of $35k
  • Design expected to be unveiled in 2016, car available for purchase in 2017

TESLA SOLAR POWERED SUPERCHARGING

Tesla Motors is simultaneously building a national network of solar powered electric vehicle fast charging stations.
tesla-ev-supercharging-stations-solar-powered-cars
Tesla’s EV ‘Supercharger’ technology provides a half charge (approximately 150 miles of driving range) in as little as 20 minutes, all compliments of a beautiful solar panel canopy which adorns the top of the EV charging station.

Sunday 7 September 2014

SUCCESS AS AN ELECTRICAL CONTRATOR IN GLASGOW



In tough economic times like we have endured over the past several years, businesses in and around Glasgow, have struggled to survive and make ends meet doing the thing they have been doing for the past few years. The landscape has changed advertising has changed even the way we communicate has changed. Our customers come to our company from all different sources and if you have not moved with the times you will be left behind and will suffer the dire business and economic consequences.

We are based in the Westend of Glasgow and cover Glasgow - south side Glasgow (Clarkston)- Glasgow north - East end Glasgow and Renfrewshire. we continue to grow on a daily basis and are consistently looking for new opportunities to grow and enhance our visibility across all levels of media.

The most interesting thing is that in 2014 it dosnt cost in actual cold cash to get yourself out the intact you can basically get business all week 24 hours a day for free just like i do. you need to learn the techniques to do this but once you do you would be forever grateful for taking the time to do so.

i spend 0 on advertising and have done for the past 3 years i more jobs on a daily basis that i can handle and have to disappoint some customers but i do try and get 5-8 jobs  done per day minimum if possible.

if you are interested in learning more about becoming a success as an electrician get in touch iain@weselectrical.co.uk

Saturday 6 September 2014

EMERGENCY ELECTRICIAN SOUTHSIDE GLASGOW

If you live in Clarkston Glasgow or Giffnock in the south side of Glasgow

In Scotland It’s technically known as a consumer unit but it’s more commonly referred to as a fuse board , main box or even a fuse box. They are the heart of a home’s wiring system; fuse boxes work to distribute electricity to circuits in the house.
Prior to the arrival of mini circuit breakers (MCBs), the older type of consumer unit feature a horizontal row of fuses. New consumer units are more pleasing on the eye, and they have “toggles” so when they trip they just need flipping back up. Needless to say they are much safer.
Pre-1950 fuse boxes still exist but their numbers are low, and because it’s common for them to have exposed live parts these units should always be regarded with caution.

Different types of consumer units and fusebox

There’s a wide range of consumer units available in the UK, from leading and well respected manufactures such as Volex, Legrand, Wylex, MK and Crabtree. Determining which type of unit that best suits your needs will depend on how many separate circuits you have in the home.
The basic types of domestic consumer units are:
  • Main Switch Consumer Units
  • Split Load Consumer Units
  • Dual Residual Current Device (RCD)/ 17th Edition consumer unit
  • High Integrity Boards
For security and aesthetics, consumer units tend to be located in out of the way places, for example in closets (but not clothing closets), basements and garages. However, they still need to be easily accessible.

New consumer unit regulations

New 17th edition wiring regulations were introduced for the UK in 2008, which required all circuits to have RCD protection. Since the new electrical wiring regulations were introduced, all new homes built in the UK have to be fitted with RCDs. These life saving devices are designed to protect against electrical fires and electric shocks, which can be fatal.
Although it is possible to make existing electrical installations in the home compliant, in most instances it’s easier, safer and ultimately more cost-effective just to remove the old fuse board and replace it with a modern consumer unit.

Switching to a new consumer unit

Consumer units must be installed by a certified Part P electrical contractor. Replacing an old fuse box in a typical three bedroom property should normally be completed in a day. day.
The electrical installation will need to be inspected and tested to ensure it is safe before the fuse box can be replaced with a new consumer unit. All cables will be upgraded and all circuits fully tested. An electrical installation certificate will only be issued after the job has been done and all tests are satisfactory.

Friday 5 September 2014

ELECTRICAL CONSUMER UNIT REPLACEMENT

Consumer Unit guide to the 17th edition Wiring Regulations 


For well over one hundred years the Wiring Regulations IN scotland and in Glasgow where we are based, have provided the rules which must be followed to make sure that electrical installations are safe. The introduction of the 17th Edition of the Wiring Regulations on the 1st January 2008 has major implications for all Electrical Contractors Glasgow, Designers and Consultants. Installations designed from 1st July 2008 must comply with this new set of Regulations. Several new Regulations will have an impact upon circuit design and consumer unit layout. This guide below will help you understand the new Wiring Regulations and current Building Regulations, providing the necessary facts to construct compliant installations including Consumer Units. Since 2005 the Building regulations for England and Wales has made direct reference to Electrical Installations, increasing the influence on how Electrical Equipment is installed in buildings.

Building Regulations

Part P of the building regulations relates to the electrical safety in dwellings. The approved document prescribes that consumer units should be located so that they are easily reachable where this is necessary to comply with Part M of the building Regulations.
Part M requires that reasonable provision be made for people to gain access to a building and use its facilities. The approved document prescribes that switches, socket outlets and “other equipment” needs to be at appropriate heights, these are defined as between 0.45m and 1.2m from finished floor level.
Other equipment may be taken to include the consumer unit, as it contains devices such as MCB’s and RCD’s that may need operation or resetting by the user of the dwelling. The consumer unit should therefore be accessible, with the devices mounted at a height no greater the 1.2m above the floor. In addition the consumer unit should not be in a location that would make it difficult to access such as an under stairs cupboard. Neither should it be placed in a position where is likely to be damaged by impact. Therefore depending on the layout of the dwelling a flush consumer unit may be considered.
Consumer Units should be easily reachable and be mounted with the switches at a height of between 0.45m & 1.2m above floor level
Scotland Requirements of 17th Edition Wiring Regulations BS 7671:2008

This section aims to explain some of the new Regulations contained within the 17th Edition Wiring Regulations, regarding the consumer unit and final circuits. Firstly however, to fully understand what is required, we need to consider some definitions from Part 2 of the Regulations.
  • Ordinary Person – Someone who is neither skilled or instructed
    e.g. General public / Home owner
  • Skilled Person – A person with technical knowledge or experience to enable him/her to avoid dangers which electricity may create
    e.g. Qualified Electrician
  • Instructed Person – A person who has been adequately advised or supervised to enable him/her to avoid dangers which electricity may create
    e.g. Facilities Manager
Typically commercial installations will be under the control of a Skilled or Instructed Person. However domestic and some commercial installations will not. This is particularly important, as certain Regulations only apply to installations not under the supervision of a Skilled or Instructed Person. A significant change is the introduction of Regulations requiring additional protection by RCDs. There are 3 points of consideration,
  1. Socket Outlets
  2. Cables buried in walls
  3. Locations containing a bath or shower
together with some other considerations, like the Division of Installation and about the Fire Detection and Fire Alarm Systems for buildings.
Certain Regulations only apply to installations not under the supervision of a Skilled or Instructed Person i.e. Ordinary persons.
The Regulations have introduced new requirements regarding socket outlets, particularly where used by ordinary persons e.g. Home owners.

Sockets Outlets

The definitions for persons are important to consider when we look at the requirements for protection of circuits supplying socket outlets.  Regulation 411.3.3 requires that an RCD of not exceeding 30mA be provided for:
  1. Socket outlets up to 20A that for general use by “ordinary persons”.
  2. Mobile equipment up to 32A that is for use outdoors.
    Exceptions to 411.3.3 are permitted where:
  3. Use of socket outlets is under the supervision of someone “skilled” or “instructed”.
  4. Specifically labelled or otherwise suitably identified socket outlets provided for a particular item of equipment.
This is a change from the 16th Edition that required only socket outlets ‘reasonably expected’ to supply equipment used outside the equipotential zone to have RCD protection e.g. used for an Electric lawn mower. Now under the requirements of the 17th edition it is likely that every socket outlet in a domestic installation will require RCD protection not exceeding 30mA. This may also apply to some commercial installations, like small offices or shops etc where there is no control on the use of those socket outlets. Consideration should also be given to areas where free access to socket outlets is available to the general public e.g. airport lounges.
Socket outlets for general use in a domestic installation require RCD protection not exceeding 30mA
Significant changes affect installations where cables are buried in the wall. This is the normal practice in dwellings.

Cables buried in the wall

Here we need to consider Section 522, Selection and erection of wiring systems in relation to external influences. The particular requirements of this section apply to cables which are concealed in a wall or partition at a depth of less than 50mm, or where metal partitions are used. The definitions for persons are once again important for this section. There are 5 options of installing cables in walls. The cables shall:
  1. Incorporate an earthed metal covering which is suitable as a protective conductor. Eg SWA cable.
  2. Be enclosed in earthed metal conduit, such that is suitable as a protective conductor.
  3. Be enclosed in earthed metal trunking, such that is suitable as a protective conductor.
  4. Be protected against damage from penetration by nails or screws.
  5. Be installed in a safe zone.
This is much the same as the 16th Edition requirements and the usual option is to install cables in a dedicated safe zone. However, where an installation is not under the supervision of someone skilled or instructed, regulation 522.6.7 applies. In this regulation where (5) only from above is used then the cable must have additional protection by the use of a RCD not exceeding 30mA. This would apply where thermoplastic (PVC) wiring systems are used, this is typical in most domestic installations and some commercial installations.
Where buried cables are not mechanically protected additional protection by an RCD not exceeding 30mA must be provided
Although additional regulations relating to bathrooms etc are not new, there are some important changes to consider.

Section 701, Locations containing a bath or shower

Regulation 701.411.3.3 requires that all circuits within this location shall be additionally protected by an RCD not exceeding 30mA. This would mean 230V lighting, the 230V supply to the source for SELV, a shower circuit and bathroom heater for example will all need RCD protection. A standard 13A socket outlet is now permitted in this location provided however the socket outlet is more than 3m from the boundary of zone 1.
The 16th Edition required local supplementary bonding be provided connecting together all exposed and extraneous conductive parts in the zones. This is no longer required in this location provided the following conditions are met:
  • All final circuits of the location comply with the automatic disconnection requirements according to regulation 411.3.2.
  • All circuits are RCD protected in accordance with 701.411.3.3.
  • All extraneous-conductive parts of the location are effectively connected to the protective equipotential bonding according to regulation 411.3.1.2 (Previously termed main equipotential bonding).
All circuits in locations containing a bath or shower shall be protected by an RCD not exceeding 30mA

Qualified electricians paisley Other Considerations

There are additional Regulations and Codes of Practice that need to be considered during the design of an installation. These will affect the choice of consumer unit.

Division of Installation

Section 314 calls for the installation to be so divided to:
  1. Avoid hazards and minimize inconvenience in the event of a fault
  2. Reduce the possibility of unwanted tripping of the RCD due to excessive protective conductor currents.
To comply with these requirements the circuits of an installation should not be connected to a single RCD, as this could lead to loss of supply to the entire installation in the event of a fault on one circuit, clearly inconvenient for the user of the building.
All circuits of an installation should not be connected to a single RCD
The Wiring Rules & Building regulations are not the only documents that need to be consulted, another important document relates to smoke alarms.

BS 5839-6:2004 Fire detection and Fire alarm systems for buildings

This Code of Practice has particular requirements for dwellings. This document makes reference to the power supply to such systems and mentions RCD’s. The circuit supplying these systems should preferably not be protected by an RCD. This however is going to be difficult to achieve if the circuit supplying these systems is buried in the walls and standard domestic wiring systems are used. Indeed the supply cables would need to be specially protected in earthed metal conduit etc. for RCD protection not to be used.

Thursday 4 September 2014

MAIN BOARD - CONSUMER UNIT REPLACEMENT GLASGOW

Electrical main boards Glasgow

Contact us - www.weselectrical.co.uk - 01418405236


When it comes time to upgrade your consumer unit / older fusebox in your home, you need to take into account several things that will effect how much you are going to spend.

Firstly you should always consult a qualified electrician before any electrical work is undertaken on you consumer unit.

secondly you would need to know how many circuits you have in your home, for example you will have one circuit for your lighting downstairs and one circuit for your upstairs lighting. also you will have a socket circuit in the form of a ring circuit , you would have a shower circuit and cooker circuit also.

The more circuits you have the bigger the main board you will need to power you home.


you will also need to take into consideration if you would choose to install a board with rcd protection.

Most new boards come with an rcd protected circuit board but you can buy ones that don't.
The issue can arise that if the is earthing issues on you circuits or you have some other wiring faults your rcd will trip and not go back up until this is fixed. you would then need to take on testing of your electrical installation through the means of a EIC test to find out where the fault lies.

If in doubt contact a qualified electrician west end Glasgow about your Fuseboard.


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Tuesday 2 September 2014

HOW TO REPLACE YOUR FUSEBOARD

What you MUST know before replacing your fuse board

Having made the decision to replace your old fuse board, it is important to ensure that this important job is completed by a competent electrician.
Think of your fuse board as the main hub of your home – its the ‘thinking centre’ to all electrical aspects in your home. If the job is carried out incorrectly, your home will be in a dangerous condition and your family is then at risk from electrical harm.
Firstly, I will outline the main reasons why you may need or want to upgrade your old fuse board to a new 17th Edition Consumer Unit:
  • You are having some other electrical work carried out and need to comply with the regulations.
  • Your old fuse board is overloaded and starting to cause problems for the remainder of the installation.
  • Your wiring installation is in poor condition but you cannot afford a rewire, changing to a 17th Edition Consumer Unit will offer some protection.
Whatever the reason upgrading an old consumer unit to one incorporating two residual current devices (RCDs), is a job that many people will now have to consider at some point.
The above points may have been raised by another tradesperson in your home such as a builder if are having a large building project undertaken.
Please DO NOT be tempted into hiring anyone who IS NOT a qualified electrician to carry out electrical work in your home, even if they offer to carry out the work for a fraction of the price because ‘they know all about electrics’
It’s not just the price that counts, a competent electrician will be fully qualified, Part P compliantand fully insured to do the job AND have a lengthy guarantee on the job for years to come.
If the person fitting the consumer unit is not qualified, Part P compliant, and is not insured, it really is better to walk away. These people are not interested in your safety or future well being, they are only interested in your cash!
Yet over the years I have come across the same objections about price when quoting for a replacement consumer unit /fuse board. They normally go as follows…
  • I can buy one myself for £80 in a well known DIY Shop
  • My mate that works for %%%%%% can do it for £xxx
  • I’ve had a quote from my builder and he reckons he can do it for £xxx
  • Mick down the pub said if I get the board he’ll fit it for £50
Please don’t believe anyone who say you don’t need a certificate or dis-regards the importance of certification. Not only if an electrical certificate your peace of mind that your home is safe, it is also an important document that is needed should you wish to sell or let your home in the future.
It is not simply a peace of paper signed by the electrician, it is a legal document and the electrician needs to carry out several tests on the installation before they can issue a certificate.
The Electrician who carries out the installation should also issue the certificate. BEWARE some ‘electricians’ employ someone else to issue the certificate. This practice is NOT APPROVED and means your electrician is not Part P compliant.
So having obtained a quote from a genuine electrician, you might be wondering how they arrive at the cost.
So what is the Cost?
When you ask an Electrician to quote for a Fuse Board/New Consumer Unit, there are a number of things he will take into consideration, therefore costs will vary. You should be aware of these:
The materials involved
You can now go to a high street hardware/DIY shop and buy new Consumer Units for a reasonable amount of money, they come preloaded with MCBs, which may or may not be the right rating for your circuits, you will have to add to that the cost of Meter Tails and the fact that if anything goes wrong with the unit you will need to pay to have it removed and a new one refitted.
On the other hand your electrician will have accounted for all necessary items required and if he supplies the board it will be of good quality and if anything goes wrong with the unit he will have to replace it at no cost to you. You only Pay Once.
Checking earthing and bonding arrangements
Before the consumer unit is changed, the electrician will have checked the distributor’s equipment at the origin of the installation (where your meter is) along with the earthing and bonding arrangements. This is to ensure that they are properly connected, safe and that they comply with the regulations. If they do not then work may have to be postponed until the distributor rectifies any issues highlighted.
The time involved for installation
This will depend on the size of the property, number of circuits and location of the old fuse board. Stripping out the old, marking up cables ensuring they are in good condition and long enough then installing the New Consumer Unit.
The time involved in Testing
All of the circuits in the property will have to be tested, there is a series of predefined tests that must be applied to each of the circuits, and the results of this testing form a big part of the certification you will receive.
This is perhaps the most important part of changing a Fuse Board, however it is often the part that is not carried out correctly or at all by those who charge below market value for installing a new Consumer Unit. Often they will Fudge the test and fake the certificate, because they haven’t allowed time in their cost to do it correctly or they just are not capable of testing to the correct standard.
Allowance for Fault Finding
A good electrician will have built in an allowance for some Fault Finding because experience tells us that there are often minor issues that need to be resolved, if this has been built into the cost then often the electrician will not bother you with the detail, but will just rectify simple faults as found. Major faults would be notified to you and be discussed as a separate Job.
Again someone who is quoting below market value will not have factored in time for fault finding and you run two serious risks here. The first is that you are likely to be presented with an “Extras” bill at the end which could be substantially higher than your original quote or secondly the “electrician” will bodge the job in order to make it work so he can get paid his original fee, the result is you are left with a potentially dangerous installation.
Certification and Registration
Electricians have to comply with strict regulations, a change of consumer unit is a serious undertaking and must meet all of the relevant Standards and Regulations, in order to comply with these Electricians will issue Certification for both the Electrical Installation and for Compliance with Part “P” of the Building Regulations. Apart from the fact that doing this properly takes time, it also requires the electrician to be registered with an awarding body and all the associated costs that go with that, such as ongoing training, insurance, membership fees.
Profit
And finally we get to Profit, which is after all why any Electrician is in Business. A good electrician who runs a good business will have built in a profit margin into his quote for the job, this is how he stays in business and can provide a good service to his clients, he will be happy to take payment in any legal manner.
Your cheep quote electrician, will not have factored in profit, because in his mind it is pretty much all profit, he will supply a cheap quality consumer unit, fudge the test results, hide any faults that show up and then tell you he prefers to be paid in cash.
He is likely not registered, not insured and possibly not even qualified. If anything goes wrong and it will you have absolutely no comeback.
Conclusion
When you take all of the above into consideration, you will appreciate that there is a big difference between what you can buy a Consumer Unit for off-the-shelf in a well known DIY Chain, and the cost of a fully installed fully certified and fully guaranteed Unit. You should ask yourself when you get a cheap quote “How can he do it so Cheap”?…what is not getting done…
Most reputable electricians would agree that anything below £350 is too cheap and something is being missed and anything above £550 for a standard domestic board is too high (unless there are mitigating circumstances).

Ensuring Safe Homes: The Imperative of Electrical Testing, Qualified Electricians, and EICRs for Landlords in Glasgow

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