$$ to replace power points etc

Ohm i gosh
This thread is lighting up my day

 

Changing powerpoints is easy for someone that can match the wires to the right spots. Who knows what they are doing, yes can be learnt off youtube.
I do my own, I cut the power totally, replace them myself, pay for switches myself, call the electrician to perform a safety check with an invoice stating this, supply invoice to property manager and keep a file on record to prove its safe, done. The most you forkout is a couple of hours of labour costs. I usually dont screw them in the wall until electrician has checked to make it easier/ quicker for them.

 

Just a quick point of perspective from someone on the other side of the fence regarding a few off hand comments in this thread, when complaining about the cost of an electrical contractor, just understand the time required to perform a task safely, the stringent testing procedures (post job completion) electricians must adhere to and the constant thought of liability if something goes wrong, things shouldn't go wrong I know, however a plumber mate of mine was killed under a house from a fault condition whilst cutting through a water pipe. I got out of the game, residential wiring is a hiding to nothing.

With electrical work, pay the money for it to be done PROPERLY and save your money elsewhere.

 

shame, I can only like this post once!

 

I remember in 2009 I have called a plumber to install a dishwasher, because in this part of the world you cannot do it yourself, which is a bit stupid. After 20 minutes of work, he installed the thing and let it run and told me he had to leave without checking it, he was to busy to wait. After he had left the dishwasher started to rinse and his work started to leak in 2 places, so I had to do the work instead of him. 7 years have passed since then, but I still cannot understand what did I pay 190 bucks for. He was no apprentice. He was in his 50's.
In 2007 I had a problem with a sparky who accidently cut a piece of a wall with a angle grinder cutting half of my electrical wires, because he forgot to check the wires in the wall before making a cut. But this guy was only a second year apprentice as he told me. It cost me 356 bucks, after I have spent almost 3 hours fixing his "work" with him over my shoulder. And after that I had to fix and paint the wall.
The work of those so called ''professionals" should be illegal.
By the way I'm not a professional plumber or an electrician, but I'm an ex builder with 20 years overseas experience.

 

Hahaha Mumbai very good.

Look I take it all onboard. Electrical work is dangerous, but in the end kids straight out of year 10 are doing it. It's not rocket science. I'll do the power points but pay a sparky for the down lights. The wires are run for all the switches, all I'm doing is unsrewing an old point and wiring in a new one.

J walking is illegal too but I'm sure we all do it.

 

Cheers magnet I live in 2101 but I'm actually in brissy doing a Reno so need one up here.

 

Most electricians wont use cheapnchinese brand powerpoints, switches and cables.
They use HPM etc for a reason.

The no name brand looks the same... But its not. The Infinity Cable problem with cheap and nasty cable sold in major distributors is a great example. These cables are in tens of thousands of homes and owners have no idea its just ticked over to become brittle and a major fire hazard.

I had fire brigade at home (minor electrical smoke and lucky it didnt become a fire) who reckon cheap products from hardware retailers etc are cause for way to many house fires. At their suggestion we ditched all unbranded power boards and adapters etc.

They told me DIY wiring of points, switches and even wiring !! is often a cause for sparks, heat and subsequent ignition. The firies often report this and insurers then refuse the claim. I wanst aware till they told me.

 

Hehe, hope you got someone out to do it.

 

Yes Dan doing the power points is very easy a trained monkey can do it.

Its the little things sparkies know .eg how to twist the wires properly, how to strip the cables without knicking copper, How tight to do the screws. Get any of this wrong any you can create hot joints like mentioned above. Thats where problems occur.

 

Thanks guys. Took onboard your advice (and my mum blowing up) and got the sparky to do most of it. Trades are so cheap up here compared to Sydney so wasn't worth me stuffing around in the end. I watched him though it did look pretty basic!

Will put up a thread when I'm done with some links to trades up here for people interested. Came across a couple of really good ones.

Cheers

 

Funnil you mention that about the Firies Paul that's what I actually do for a job.

Haven't come across any fires from DIY wiring of power points but a heap that we go to are from people overloading power boards - putting 4 double adapters in a 4 outlet power board. And you do see some interesting electrical set ups. Also Samsung washing machines. If you have one of them get it checked!