Although I've got City & Guilds 2381, 2391,2382, 2377 and various other Domestic & Installation Testing
Certificates, I try to stay away from new domestic installations, they can be time consuming and their are already a
lot of main stream electricians who can help you, some better than others like R&T Electrical (this plug must be
worth a pint of Stella please Ralph). I prefere fault finding and repair. I've done the 17th edition wiring
regs course and must admit 17th edition is a lot better than 16th. BS7671:2008 is easier to use and has a lot of new sections
covering everything from solar panels to house boats, it does seem that what ever you do you need an RCD now though!
A
good local supplier in Maldon of electrical bits are Blackwater electrical supplies, friendly service and have found something
in stock for every problem I have strolled in there with!
I always find word of mouth recommendation means
more than a full page multi-coloured advert and like to put in a good word for companies who I have found good service
from.
Back to my own work, I prefer inspection and fault finding (including PAT testing) which
is were my experience is based instead of spending days running cables through walls, especially when my plastering
is not to hot (ask my wife about the hallway!!).
Fault finding, repairs and replacement of light fittings, sockets
and damaged cables are common requests, be it a pub where light switches are worn out or finding why a RCD keeps
tripping in a rented property, I offer a fast, safe service.
Caravan parks & Marinas are also a speciality
as its often a mix of 230v and 12V systems. I actually assemble a Caravan park consumer box which is an IP65 enclosure
with hinged access panel, 30mA RCD, 10 Amp breaker and a 16A industrial 240V blue connector all for £40 + VAT
+ P&P with discounts available on quantities over 100 pcs.
Cameras are a regular request, but please note
I am not registered to install cameras to improve your insurance premium, the cameras I install are for personal/property
security. One of my more interesting designs is a self-contained digital camera/recorder built into a fence post for
catching trespassers and fly-tippers. I also have cameras disguised as alarm motion detectors or clocks which again can be
set up remotely to photo people or vehicles that are not supposed to be there. These are handy as they can run from a battery
and will take a photo every few seconds when movement is picked up. They store the photos on a standard SD memory card so
you can take the card out and see what photos it took on your own PC. Please note you must still have warning signs up
to say cameras are in use even if they are covert!
If you have an elderly relation who isn't as mobile
as they used to be it is worth considering a wireless camera outside their front door, they can have it plumbed into their
main TV so they can see who is there at the press of a button. These are low cost and quick to install. They not only add
that extra bit of comfort before going to the door, but would be conmen don't know if their image is being recorded.
An
interesting new use for a night vision camera is to see what wildlife comes into your garden at night.
In
our village we have everything from Bats and Badgers to Fox and Weasels.
Another common domestic install is
for AV equipment. Not fantastic huge multi 100 inch screens in 10 rooms, but simply setting up a scart cable system to watch your
satellite in high quality RGB, adding infrared pickups in other rooms so you can control your satellite from your bedroom
TV or installing a video over cat5 system so that you can watch your favourite movie in any room.
Having worked
with a design and manufacturer of AV equipment, I can draw up a proposed system using stock products for quotation and your
approval before any work commences. If you look on Bluedelta's website you can see the sort of products available.
Infrared
pick ups ( Smart or Magic eyes ) are useful devices, most people like to keep their satellite decoder hidden away in
a cupboard, but to use the remote control you have to open the door. Not if you use an IR repeater, this is a little device
that sits on your TV with a wire going into the RF 2 on your sat box. It picks up the IR from your remote and injects it directly
into the satellite box so your remote does not have to be pointed at the sat box itself.
Handy little device
for just under £10.00!
