Problems with Sparkies

[geoffw]

I've just had problems (again) with a sparky. The second one I've had problems with in Canberra.

(Does anyone know a good sparky down here?)

Anyway, a few lessons learnt.

The job was to install a separate meter where one meter had been servicing two cottages (one actually a converted garage).

The job took close to six months to get done. The original estimate was $900- it cost $1200.

So, what I did wrong:

1. The PM probably knew it was too hard, so suggested that I deal directly with the electrician. So there's no paper trail.

2. I did not take note of conversations, and I did not ask for cost estimates in writing.

3. I did not ask for time estimates in writing.

I've got no comeback to the electrician. He claims he told me things which I have no record of.

When I disputed the bill, the PM just referred him to me directly- and I have had to discuss matters at the workplace with the electrician, at a time when I have been under pressure to keep the nose to the grindstone.

 

[Sunstone]

Dear Geoff,

Costing. Sounds frightfully expensive. Did you have the whole meter box replaced? Maybe brains would like to comment.

Having things in writing. Definitely. Every communication that I have and instruction I issue that pertains to money I followup with an e-mail. A written record is good. When my painter was 13 days late in meeting a required timeframe I referred him to the penalty clause which meant that he had to reduce the bill pro-rata by twice the going lost market rent.

Without having defined this in writing it would have been harder to negotiate and enforce.

Cheers,

Sunstone.

 

[RichardK]

Hullo Geoff,

ouch ! $1200 for a new meter is a lot of money........

I've been through complete rewires in two homes ( one was a complete new meter box and upgrade to 3 phase as well ).

so, the converted garage probably shared the power and lighting circuits with the 1st cottage, so the sparky would have to split the circuits, and install new meter, new sub-main switch and new power and light breakers, with new RCD ( safety switch ) for power.

Splitting the circuits would have involved working out how each powerpoint connected to each other, and how each light connected to each other, then work out where to break circuit and run new cable back to meter box.

If garage has own electric hot water system, then more work to shift to new ( off peak ) meter

$900 actually sounds reasonable for this amount of work, $1200 if things went wrong. Fixed price quote too hard to do, so sparky would have quoted a high figure, or quoted a guesstimate ($900) and left room to increase if required, but 6 months is just insane, and sounds like job was too hard and probably cost sparky double his time.

or, the garage may have had it's own power and light circuits, so sparky would only have to work within meter box. I've never seen a garage like this, even where the garage is totally separate from the house, they usually have 1 or 2 powerpoints and a light socket, wired into mainhouse circuit.

My meter box and 3 phase upgrade cost me $1200 and took 3 months ( 1st child born in middle of this, wife not happy about temp power leads all through house and 500W floods for lighting )

2nd house, complete new main switch, circuit breakers, safety switches and hot water breakers cost $600, and was done in 25 minutes. ( then followed the re-wiring of the whole house, tied into the Termite Wars )

You and Sunstone speak words of truth. get quote or guesstimate in writing, with estimated time. get 3 separate quotes, or use a sparky who you trust. Sorry, i don't know any Canberra sparks, and they'll all be flat out for the next 18 months

if you want, post a photo of the new switchboard ( or photos, so can read labels on breakers ) and I can waffle on some more about electrics.

rgds,
Richard

 

[geoffw]

Thanks Richard and Sunstone,

Part of the problem was that circuit breakers were inside the house- not deswirable for the owner of the converted garage, so they were also moved. He suggests that wiring was a lot more complex than he realised.

But I'm certainly going to be writing down things from now on.

 

[Jas]

Hey Geoff, I just found a new sparkie in Canberra. He's been good so far, and I'm happy to recommend him to you. His name's Alan, but I don't have his mobile handy.

I'll PM it to you on the weekend

Jas

 

[geoffw]

Thanks Jas, it will be good to know.