electrians/rewire?

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stuartwilson
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electrians/rewire?

Postby stuartwilson » Thu Feb 01, 2007 10:50 pm

Can anyone help? We are looking for an electrician to rewire our house near Alcala.We have had one quote but not in writing,and we're waiting for another via email.Can anyone recommend someone reliable & honest.What can we expect for our money and roughly what will it cost.Should we use English or Spanish tradesmen?
no worries

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spanish_lad
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Postby spanish_lad » Fri Feb 02, 2007 2:09 am

where is alcala ?

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hillybilly
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Postby hillybilly » Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:23 am

Alcala la Real, Jaen province?
In reality, you can use whomever you want and feel most happy with to carry out the rewire. Just be aware that there are v few expat electricians here who are authorised to issue boletins and so you will no doubt have to employ a local registered Spanish company to carry out this final check and issue of a safety certificate if you use somebody English to perform the rewire.
Not sure what you mean by what can you expect for your money - cost will of course depend on the scale of the job, surface mounted vs buried cabling, no of sockets etc.

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spanish_lad
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Postby spanish_lad » Fri Feb 02, 2007 11:27 am

you wont find a spark that will do an internal installation surface mounted. it will be chased into the walls.

will you do your own chasing ?

this will cause ALOT of mess. ie, empty the house for a week.

how many rooms is it? whats the distribution?

Do you have 3 phase?

is the main supply to the house sufficient or does it need replacing (new supply cable is 16mm2 x 2, or 16mm2 x 4 for 3 phase)

i'd put my neck out and say AROUND € 6000 all in for a two bedroom "normal" villa. obviously its dependant on alot of factors. the only way i could give a "real" quote (via email) is if you could email me plans of the house (detailing where you want switches and sockets etc, distance to your supply pole, do you have aircon and where is it, do you have a pool, do you have electric gates, do you have an outhouse etc etc etc...)

email me detailed plans of your house with dimensions and i'll put a quote together for you.

you should expect at least llegrand sockets with earth, twins everywhere around the house, (not single sockets unless you actually request them), two way switching in all rooms except the bathroom and kitchen, all the lights fitted, all the ceiling lights fitted, any fans fitted. air con will be extra for fitting, as will electric gates.

you should expect a new consumer box, with at least 32 breakers in it.

you should find a new seperate supply to your water heater (if its electric), a new supply to a washing machine / tumble drier, and a 4mm2 to a medium powered oven, or 6mm2 to a high powered (if electric). you should also expect no more than two air conditioning units to be on one breaker. so if you have 6, thats three breakers. (these are all legal requirements btw)

you should expect 3x 2.5mm2 cable behind any socket, and 3x 1.5mm2 to any light. anyone who says that it doesn't need an earth is cutting corners and trying to make more profit. (legal requirements btw)

you should expect any lights fitted in a bathroom to be waterproof and 12v with remote transformers. 230v light fittings in a bathroom are dangerous. (but strangly do pass the bullatin.)

you should expect a bullatin to be organised by the electrician that carries out the installation.

you should expect to see minimum 100x100 wall junction boxes.

you should expect to see no earths in the consumer box.




anything else just ask ... (i work for an electrician btw.. :) )

Campo Kenny

Postby Campo Kenny » Fri Feb 02, 2007 12:20 pm

Thats food for thought then. I've never ever seen a bathrooms main lights run through a transformer either in UK or in Spain.

Would that also apply to shaving sockets and provision for backlit mirrors etc.

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Postby Grouser » Fri Feb 02, 2007 1:02 pm

Kenny don't all shaver sockets have a transformer in. The shaver is running on 12 volts. Bathroom lights should be fine if they have cord pull switches in the bathroom or are switched on and off from outside.
Grouser

Campo Kenny

Postby Campo Kenny » Fri Feb 02, 2007 1:21 pm

Good point grouser. our shaver socket says 230v/115.
Was just interested to know if people do opt for a 12v bathroom as that's something I've never heard mentioned before....seems logical though.
What you say is right about the pull chord or external room switches, but then you switch your 230v mirror lighs on with a switch over the sink :?

Kenny

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Babby
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Postby Babby » Fri Feb 02, 2007 1:22 pm

I know a Spanish electrician who charges 12 euros an hour then you pay for all the bits and pieces. He is in Antequera area. Not sure how far you are from there.
I used to be indecisive but now I´m not so sure.

Campo Kenny

Postby Campo Kenny » Fri Feb 02, 2007 1:28 pm

Biggest part of the job as SL says is the chasing out and making good after (with rough cast Spanish walls that's a doddle :wink: ) If you also supply your own bits you'll save a fortune too.

The chasing out is a crappy filthy job though, especially if you use a diamond whizzer to mark it.

Kenny

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Babby
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Postby Babby » Fri Feb 02, 2007 1:30 pm

The electrician I know did do a surface mounted job for the whole house. :D
I used to be indecisive but now I´m not so sure.

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toddcl
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Postby toddcl » Fri Feb 02, 2007 1:32 pm

Brought a fantastic double diamond bladed wall chaser from Aldi in UK for £40.
Has a dust extractor pipe.

Just the job for chasing out for cable runs. :lol:
Resistance is futile, you will be assimilated into the collective

Campo Kenny

Postby Campo Kenny » Fri Feb 02, 2007 1:35 pm

Babby a mate of ours over there had a surface mounted job recently on his finca. It looked weird, the cable used looked like old fashioned telephone wire and he had funny little switches fitted................nothing like how I guessed it would be. Is yours like this or is it normal cable in conduit with normal switches?

Kenny
Last edited by Campo Kenny on Fri Feb 02, 2007 1:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Babby
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Postby Babby » Fri Feb 02, 2007 1:46 pm

[color=darkblue][/color]It wasn´t my house it was a house in Archidona. The couple were absolutely delighted. Modern switches and housed in a casing. could hardly notice it.
I used to be indecisive but now I´m not so sure.

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hillybilly
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Postby hillybilly » Fri Feb 02, 2007 2:56 pm

toddcl wrote:Brought a fantastic double diamond bladed wall chaser from Aldi in UK for £40.
Double as in cuts both lines at once? That sounds brilliant, must get one!

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toddcl
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Postby toddcl » Fri Feb 02, 2007 3:31 pm

hillybilly

Can set depth and width and saw out the run in one go to whatever size you want for the trunking.

All you need to do then is run a chisel along the chased lines and make a neat job. It's better than belting away with a chisel all day and half the wall dropping off.

:lol:
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Postby Beachcomber » Fri Feb 02, 2007 4:10 pm

When I did the electrical installation for my house I had to get someone to bring pull cord switches and shaver sockets from the UK for the bathrooms.

The transformer in the shaver socket doesn't change the voltage but lowers the amperage to a few milliamps so that an electric shock would not be so severe.

Bathroom switches in Spanish houses are supposed to be put on the wall outside of the bathroom if they cannot be placed more than a certain distance from the nearest sink, bath or shower.

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Postby alaninspain » Fri Feb 02, 2007 5:12 pm

Campo Kenny : I thought a diamond whizzer was one of those strange tablets young people used top take in the 60's. Seriously, is it a smaller version of a diamond tipped circular saw?

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hillybilly
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Postby hillybilly » Fri Feb 02, 2007 5:29 pm

toddcl wrote:Can set depth and width and saw out the run in one go to whatever size you want for the trunking.
All you need to do then is run a chisel along the chased lines and make a neat job. It's better than belting away with a chisel all day and half the wall dropping off.
Ooooh! Wonder if could persuade OH to buy me one for Valentine's Day! :wink:

Campo Kenny

Postby Campo Kenny » Fri Feb 02, 2007 5:42 pm

Alan, sorry for my terminology :oops: Its a small steel slitting blade impregnated with diamond particles. They come in sizes from under 3" to 12" + Dia.

For example you'd fit a large one into a big petrol Whizzer if for instance you wanted to cut thick slate, stone or quarry tiles.

A 4 inch one in an angle grinder will do ordinary tiles etc. and cut through steel bolts etc. with ease............................best invention for ages especially as they now cost peanuts.

Kenny

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Postby Heston » Fri Feb 02, 2007 8:17 pm

Hi you shouldnt pay anymore than 3000euros that includes all chased into the walls. I know a very good English sparky dwon the road from you did all my house has all certificated and is working legally!
I will send you a PM with his details I have recomended him to lots of people who are also happy :roll:


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