New electrical fittings

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186 posts

Master Geek

#2168102 26-Jan-2019 19:08

k1w1k1d:

"but over the last 12 months the plastic around the screw to the wall has cracked/broken"

Possibly the screws were over tightened putting excessive pressure on the plastic. They should have lasted a hell of a lot longer than "6-7 years".

You should be able to see a brand name on the switches if you have a good look at the back of them.

Was that $60 for just the power point, or was that for supply and fitting?

The brand was CHiNT. I see its available at Placemakers for $20.98 in 2019. I paid 200%+ over that 8 years ago.

snnet

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Uber Geek

#2168122 26-Jan-2019 20:19

marej:

k1w1k1d:

"but over the last 12 months the plastic around the screw to the wall has cracked/broken"

Possibly the screws were over tightened putting excessive pressure on the plastic. They should have lasted a hell of a lot longer than "6-7 years".

You should be able to see a brand name on the switches if you have a good look at the back of them.

Was that $60 for just the power point, or was that for supply and fitting?

The brand was CHiNT. I see its available at Placemakers for $20.98 in 2019. I paid 200%+ over that 8 years ago.

As someone who works in the electrical industry I can safely tell you that $20.98 for anything CHiNT at all is a ripoff

SomeoneSomewhere

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#2168186 26-Jan-2019 21:57

Pretty sure I've seen name brand (Clipsal, Legrand, PDL) double sockets in advertised counter prices for somewhere around $15+GST at wholesalers.

CHiNT is not something I would use for anything other than low load low usage - say, a garage door opener, TV, *maybe* a dishwasher/waste disposal.

gregmcc

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#2168223 27-Jan-2019 06:19

SomeoneSomewhere:

Pretty sure I've seen name brand (Clipsal, Legrand, PDL) double sockets in advertised counter prices for somewhere around $15+GST at wholesalers.

CHiNT is not something I would use for anything other than low load low usage - say, a garage door opener, TV, *maybe* a dishwasher/waste disposal.

I've seen a lot of CHiNT stuff arrive in a variety of Chinese made stuff, at best it is unreliable, at worst it is outright dangerous, stick to the well known brands, PDL and HPM you know you are getting quality.

Tracer

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Ultimate Geek

#2168599 27-Jan-2019 19:42

gregmcc:

I've seen a lot of CHiNT stuff arrive in a variety of Chinese made stuff, at best it is unreliable, at worst it is outright dangerous, stick to the well known brands, PDL and HPM you know you are getting quality.

Absolutely second this. The difference in cost is peanuts compared to labour so it doesn't even stack up on simple dollar terms.

richms

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#2168845 28-Jan-2019 12:04

Tracer:

gregmcc:

I've seen a lot of CHiNT stuff arrive in a variety of Chinese made stuff, at best it is unreliable, at worst it is outright dangerous, stick to the well known brands, PDL and HPM you know you are getting quality.

Absolutely second this. The difference in cost is peanuts compared to labour so it doesn't even stack up on simple dollar terms.

Does when you make the sucker that installed the stuff warranty it like most large builders seem to do.

Richard rich.ms

snnet

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#2168857 28-Jan-2019 12:22

richms:

Tracer:

gregmcc:

I've seen a lot of CHiNT stuff arrive in a variety of Chinese made stuff, at best it is unreliable, at worst it is outright dangerous, stick to the well known brands, PDL and HPM you know you are getting quality.

Absolutely second this. The difference in cost is peanuts compared to labour so it doesn't even stack up on simple dollar terms.

Does when you make the sucker that installed the stuff warranty it like most large builders seem to do.

Generally if we (electricians) supply it we supply warranty for it. if the builder or homeowner supplies it, we do not. Same with light fittings.

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richms

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#2168859 28-Jan-2019 12:28

snnet:

Generally if we (electricians) supply it we supply warranty for it. if the builder or homeowner supplies it, we do not. Same with light fittings.

Quote requests go out detailing what products they want installed etc and some suckers will quote on the junk gear at a low price to get the job.

Richard rich.ms

BarTender

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#2168906 28-Jan-2019 13:00

snnet: Generally if we (electricians) supply it we supply warranty for it. if the builder or homeowner supplies it, we do not. Same with light fittings.

I think this is really the whole point of where the electricans "markup" exists.

If the electrician does the work they should supply a Code of Compliance for the job so if your house burns down because of an electrical fire the insurance company has somewhere to go. Otherwise if you did your own work and never got it signed off and the insurance company can prove that you were at fault you may be un-insured.

I remember talking at length with my electrician when I had my new house re-wired in late 2017. The changes meant that all electricians were responsible for Electrical Safety Certificates of the equipment they installed, so when you are purchasing gear yourself you should be able to request and the Bunnings or M10 should be able to supply the ESC for what they are selling, if they can't then you are assuming that risk.

To me it's just important if you plan to do your own work then find a friendly electrician who is prepared to sign-off on your work and supply a Code of Compliance. Otherwise you could be in trouble if *any* fire happens in your house and you can't prove it wasn't electrical and your wiring that was at fault.

nickb800

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#2168921 28-Jan-2019 13:36

BarTender:

snnet: Generally if we (electricians) supply it we supply warranty for it. if the builder or homeowner supplies it, we do not. Same with light fittings.

I think this is really the whole point of where the electricans "markup" exists.

If the electrician does the work they should supply a Code of Compliance for the job so if your house burns down because of an electrical fire the insurance company has somewhere to go. Otherwise if you did your own work and never got it signed off and the insurance company can prove that you were at fault you may be un-insured.

I remember talking at length with my electrician when I had my new house re-wired in late 2017. The changes meant that all electricians were responsible for Electrical Safety Certificates of the equipment they installed, so when you are purchasing gear yourself you should be able to request and the Bunnings or M10 should be able to supply the ESC for what they are selling, if they can't then you are assuming that risk.

To me it's just important if you plan to do your own work then find a friendly electrician who is prepared to sign-off on your work and supply a Code of Compliance. Otherwise you could be in trouble if *any* fire happens in your house and you can't prove it wasn't electrical and your wiring that was at fault.

I agree, but minor correction - it's an SDOC in the case of the equipment (you get this from Bunnings etc) and an ESC in the case of the installation (you get this from the sparky)

BarTender

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#2168924 28-Jan-2019 13:40

nickb800: I agree, but minor correction - it's an SDOC in the case of the equipment (you get this from Bunnings etc) and an ESC in the case of the installation (you get this from the sparky)

Ahh the SDOC that was it not ESC. I knew I was using the wrong term but couldn't remember what the correct one was. Basically if you wanted to DIY you should get the SDOCs from the supplier and then your electrician would sight it and provide the COC.

snnet

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#2168970 28-Jan-2019 14:47

BarTender:

snnet: Generally if we (electricians) supply it we supply warranty for it. if the builder or homeowner supplies it, we do not. Same with light fittings.

I think this is really the whole point of where the electricans "markup" exists.

If the electrician does the work they should supply a Code of Compliance for the job so if your house burns down because of an electrical fire the insurance company has somewhere to go. Otherwise if you did your own work and never got it signed off and the insurance company can prove that you were at fault you may be un-insured.

I remember talking at length with my electrician when I had my new house re-wired in late 2017. The changes meant that all electricians were responsible for Electrical Safety Certificates of the equipment they installed, so when you are purchasing gear yourself you should be able to request and the Bunnings or M10 should be able to supply the ESC for what they are selling, if they can't then you are assuming that risk.

To me it's just important if you plan to do your own work then find a friendly electrician who is prepared to sign-off on your work and supply a Code of Compliance. Otherwise you could be in trouble if *any* fire happens in your house and you can't prove it wasn't electrical and your wiring that was at fault.

Yes, all materials supplied in NZ should have an SDoC supplied so we can reference it on our ESC and COC. Finding a "friendly electrician" to sign off homeowners work is a no go zone for me, because as you say it's all my fault if I do sign it off and something goes wrong. I'm as friendly as they come but I'm not an idiot.

You're best to follow the regulations, wiring rules and act, and, if a clause permits you to do your own work, YOU go and pay an electrical INSPECTOR to sign off your work.
Note that often these rules contradict what builders and their licensing bodies say you can do (I believe I have seen some say they can wire power points and lights, this is not true according to our regulations on what a homeowner is allowed to do)

Of course paying an inspector will likely take all the saving you've made doing it yourself, but if you want it to be legal (and you have a conscience and not put it all on your poor electrician) it's what you need to do.

snnet

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Uber Geek

#2168976 28-Jan-2019 14:51

richms:

snnet:

Generally if we (electricians) supply it we supply warranty for it. if the builder or homeowner supplies it, we do not. Same with light fittings.

Quote requests go out detailing what products they want installed etc and some suckers will quote on the junk gear at a low price to get the job.

Anyone with half a brain won't do that because their business won't last long with all the callbacks. I've never been in the situation with large builders where they provide anything at all. They might suggest a brand, but every time I've done it the brand has been reputable (and I've been happy to purchase and use it)

gregmcc

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#2169012 28-Jan-2019 15:45

BarTender:

To me it's just important if you plan to do your own work then find a friendly electrician who is prepared to sign-off on your work and supply a Code of Compliance. Otherwise you could be in trouble if *any* fire happens in your house and you can't prove it wasn't electrical and your wiring that was at fault.

FYI an electrician CANNOT legally sign off homeowners work, only an electrical inspector can

TheMantis

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Master Geek
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#2169127 28-Jan-2019 17:35

gregmcc:

FYI an electrician CANNOT legally sign off homeowners work, only an electrical inspector can

Call me old fashioned if you like but I absolutely will not inspect homeowners work. It's just not worth the hassle.

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