Olly P Posted October 15, 2013 Author Share Posted October 15, 2013 Thanks Mark.Electrician delayed until the end of this week. Once power in then more progress will be made quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greybeard Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 Posted by Olly P on 15/10/2013 19:38:14: Thanks Mark. Electrician delayed until the end of this week. Once power in then more progress will be made quickly. Typical tradesman; you are lucky that you are not waiting for a plumber. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly P Posted October 21, 2013 Author Share Posted October 21, 2013 Further delay due to me buying the wrong parts, waiting for a price on the right bits and a timescale. hopefully this week as I have 2 days off at the end of the week with an aim of doing the plasterboarding. If this falls through however then I can finish of the smaller shed instead, and have some time relaxing! Well, until SWMBO gives me other jobs to do! Olly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John F Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Whilst you're in the building stages of your shed have you thought about free lighting? I know it is only a great idea in daylight but it's free lighting equivalent to 40 - 60 watts each and all you need is a pop bottle, water, bleach and a black cap for the end. Here or here My friends son experimented with this idea a month or so ago - very impressive, even on a cloudy day they give off light. Edited By John F on 25/10/2013 09:29:10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vecchio Austriaco Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Not sure if Olly wants to make a hole into his brand new roof - I am playing with this idea - but not for a bottle - for a window like this. but first I need the new shed... VA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly P Posted October 25, 2013 Author Share Posted October 25, 2013 John - the windows (when they go in) will give loads of light - I am happy with the high efficency lights I have! Sparks due at 11:30 ish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly P Posted October 25, 2013 Author Share Posted October 25, 2013 Sparks failed to turn up. Sparks sacked. New sparks quoting on work sunday hopefully starting tuesday. Plasterboarding and painting now next weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luther Oswalt Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Hi Olly, How are you heating your Shed? Did your electrician show up? Leo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly P Posted November 6, 2013 Author Share Posted November 6, 2013 Morning Leo, The original sparks was a no show. we have had 2 new companies come in for quote, and got the numbers back from the first - slightly more expensive but a far bettter solution. awaiting the info from the second. The shed will have an oil filled electric radiator with thermostat, given that it would be A-rated for energy as a house I think it will be ok! The hope is that the sparks will come in early next week, I can then collect plasterboard from B&Q and kitchen bits from a generous forumite, all ready for a week on a residential course....but I get back late on a Friday and can start working again on the Saturday early AM! Thanks for the continued interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie sawyer Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 Posted by Greybeard on 15/10/2013 19:47:55: Posted by Olly P on 15/10/2013 19:38:14: Thanks Mark. Electrician delayed until the end of this week. Once power in then more progress will be made quickly. Typical tradesman; you are lucky that you are not waiting for a plumber. LOL.......I'm a plumber ........I quite often have to put of customers but thats mainly due to emergencies coming in and an old granny having her wellies on in her kitchen to keep her feet dry Jamie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Miller Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 I use a 600w oil filled radiator in my very well insulated 8'x10' that is connected via a room thermostat and it maintains a working temperature very well. It is connected but not necessarily on 24/7 though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Miller Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 Posted by Jamie sawyer on 06/11/2013 08:06:43: Posted by Greybeard on 15/10/2013 19:47:55: Posted by Olly P on 15/10/2013 19:38:14: Thanks Mark. Electrician delayed until the end of this week. Once power in then more progress will be made quickly. Typical tradesman; you are lucky that you are not waiting for a plumber. LOL.......I'm a plumber ........I quite often have to put of customers but thats mainly due to emergencies coming in and an old granny having her wellies on in her kitchen to keep her feet dry Jamie Jamie, I'm an ex-electrician so my post was rather self-depreciating, not that I ever let a customer down; honest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly P Posted November 6, 2013 Author Share Posted November 6, 2013 As explained to the bloke who lost the job - I understand more urgent jobs can come up. but phone me so I don't waste the day (of my leave too!). With a call by 10 am (1.5 hrs after he was due) I could have worked from home and got the leave day cancelled, giving me 7.4 hours of holiday back! Dave - the exact set up I am going for - but with a slightly bigger radiator. As I say, the first 'replacement' quote was very reasonable for a far better solution, just waiting for the second quote and will be booking today, hopefully. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erfolg Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 Trades people really can be a pain and like most of us of mixed abilities and approach to clients and their property. In the past (recent) I have experienced one very skilled brickie not turn up on the appointed day, never to be seen again, by all accounts, apparently a tax issue. Then an electrician who did the first fit, only to give and went contracting in Norway, although did not see fit to tell me. At present I have (am) done battle with electricians, plumbers and a plasterers. In the case of my kitchen extension, the first fit fiasco, I found a second electrician by chance, met his wife at garden gate, he came, who gave the job a once over, verified hat there were no issues with the first fit and completed the job without any hitches at all. Issue a certificate. I then needed an electrician again, only to find he had retired and gone to live elsewhere. My present woes have slowly been resolved, but the result has been like a bomb striking. The electrician has been good, but, oh, the other trades, unbelievable. I think the main issue is that a lot of self employed, small businesses, have to deal simultaneously with multiple customers with jobs at varying stages of completion. All seem to be optimistic as to how long a job will take. This can have knock on impact, as the slot they had allocated, is being used by the previous trade. My sympathies go with Olly. The other aspect is, I as the client was also optimistic, believing the time frames quoted, so no doubt, tradesmen have muttering about unrealistic clients. Edited By Erfolg on 06/11/2013 14:53:25 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly P Posted November 12, 2013 Author Share Posted November 12, 2013 OK, slight change of plan, electrician bought the wrong part for the distribution box (weel his supplier did) so works will be done tomorrow. nothing else is shifted though so no major impact as long as work is done tomorrow! Olly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luther Oswalt Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Olly, The wrong part should not hurt the overall wiring, so did you get it all complete except the connect to the Main at the shed? It must be getting cold in your area by now! Leo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly P Posted November 13, 2013 Author Share Posted November 13, 2013 Hi Leo - not too bad yet, just a couple of frosts so far. The plan is to start at the house end and put the feed out first so they then have power for temp lighting while they wire up the normal lighting and connect in via the breaker box. They now have the part and have started works. Plasterboard stock checked and plenty available. Help booked for carrying it. now to book van for tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vecchio Austriaco Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 Hi Olly, discuss with your sparky if he can add a surge arrestor to your installation (in the breaker box). As the connection to an outbuilding is normally done by a SWA cable, laid in the ground, the chance to pick up a lightning pulse is always there. Sounds overprotective, but I recently paid 480£ for the repair/replacement for different electronic devices in my house (washing machine, sky receiver, landline phone, heating thermostat, dimmer light switch, subwoofer). I had a surge arrestor in the past in Italy, as there were sometimes several electric storms per day (and I lost the motherboard of my pc Thought in the UK this is not necessary, but after the recent experience my next house will have one, even the cost is approx. 180£.... small correction - RS components - 2 pole 20A - slightly above 50 £. VA Edited By Vecchio Austriaco on 13/11/2013 12:34:20 Edited By Vecchio Austriaco on 13/11/2013 12:35:10 Edited By Vecchio Austriaco on 13/11/2013 12:49:05 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly P Posted November 13, 2013 Author Share Posted November 13, 2013 Hi VA, The cable will be RCD protected at both ends, and will have a local earth spike near the shed - This will be path of least resistance for any spikes - such as lightening induced, and should act as the dispersal point. The chance of GSL (ground strike lightening) in our garden is very small - the mill at the end of the street attacts most of the lightening via the rods on the roof, and the church further up the hill catches the rest! I have done a fair bit of 'field improvised power' and lightening protection is part of that. Olly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luther Oswalt Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 Olly - The shop I built here in one of the "lightning belts" of the world, the codes addressed protection by good grounding. The structure is grounded as is the reinforcement in the concrete floor (slab) and I have had strikes in the yard but to my knowledge no strikes on the structures. As an Engineer, I have often wondered which was the fastest, lightning or or a surge arrestor ! My bet is on Lightning! Leo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vecchio Austriaco Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 If you have a strike in the yard the earth potential rises for a short time - and this brings the overvoltage into your system. local earth spikes do not help in this case. Typical a lightning has 10 micro seconds rising time and 350 micro seconds until it falls down to 50% of its peak value and a surge protector has 25 nano seconds response time - so it switches off before the lightning surge reached its peak voltage. I will invest in one, even the probability to get hit a second time is close to nothing. VA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luther Oswalt Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 I'm not meaning to say they are of no value tho it does look that way on a reread of the post. I'm just saying that while I have had ground strikes near this building I have no knowledge of the structures being struck. I have been in computer room with mini-computer when when lightning entered on a phone line and blew the computer to Kingdom Come. Scared the heck out of me! Leo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erfolg Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 Luther I am pretty sure that in most parts of the UK, the devices mentioned are as necessary as elephant traps. I do not know any statistics with respect to damage sustained by UK residential property by lightening strikes, although I am confident that the occurrences are so low, that the cost of purchasing and installing the equipment is difficult to justify. Now if I lived in Florida, and it was any time during the summer, it makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly P Posted November 15, 2013 Author Share Posted November 15, 2013 OK, Electrics got to first fit yesterday, and, having collected 14 sheets of fireline plasterboard on Wednesday night (and a kitchen - thanks Erfolg!). I therefore spent a very producive couple of hours last night dry-lining, cutting and fitting plasterboard, and fitting back boxes for sockets. This would have been much better if the SWA had been easier to pull through the holes into the right place! The light switch couldn't be fitted as none of the wiring for the lights is done yet, but that should be a quick job. I will add the plasterboard this afternoon if needed, or would be happy for a surface mount box for the lightswitch. 10 double sockets available - that ought to keep me going! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vecchio Austriaco Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 Hi Carl, Milton Keynes is probably more south than Greater Manchester - so the chance to get hit is higher And even the chance to get hit is low - once is enough - and this was for me already the second time (once in Casatenovo/Italy - and now in MK where you have no more than 8 or 9 electric storms per year.... For my next shed project - if I ever get the purchasing of my new house sorted - there will be a RCD - which protects me - and a surge arrestor - which protects my electronic stuff. VA, the old Austrian block-head Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.