Renovating?

How to ensure that your electrical installation is done properly.

Choose your own electrical installer. Try to avoid at all costs using the main contractors’s electrician. Insist on using your own professional.

There are three possible reactions to this sort of request:
  1. Acquiescence: This is the ideal. The electrical installer will be working for you, not for the main contractor.
  2. Acceptance; but on condition that you pay a commission/premium say 20-30%. This is common and covers the loss of the percentage that he would have taken from the electrician and other costs such as filling in the walls, painting etc
  3. Total refusal. This is very common. The contractor prefers working with his own electrician. This could be because his own electrician is good and he knows and likes his work (unlikely) or because he can push him around and get the work done to a low standard and price (to the contractor - not to you!)
Bear in mind that the electrical installation is a very important part of your renovation. It’s very difficult to correct mistakes and omissions after the walls have been replastered and the floors laid.

Here are a few tips to help avoid costly mistakes - whoever does the electrical work:

  1. Ask for a copy of the electrical design (mifrat chashmal) before work starts. This must be drawn up and signed by a qualified electrician or preferably electrical engineer and will be based on the original architect’s design.

    2. Under no circumstances can work begin without this document being produced and approved by the architect/supervising engineer.

    This design document will contain a floor plan of the whole renovation area with all the electrical outlets, telephone and antenna points, switches, lights etc clearly marked with their corresponding circuit numbers.
    In addition there will be a fuse panel layout with all the above numbered circuits.
    The make and type of switches/outlets will be specified and the height stated. It is important to tell the contractor that only original manufacturer equipment will be accepted. About 70% of the popular Italian Gewiss accessories in Israel are fakes. They are vastly inferior to the originals and also dangerous.
    The lights/circuits that are to be controlled by time clocks should be listed.
     

  2. Enquire who the supervising electrician is and request his licence number (he is legally required to be licenced)
  3. Have your own external supervisor check on the quality of the work as it progresses. Don’t feel bad about this - in fact tell the contractor of your intentions. Better to have the work checked out whilst it’s in progress than after it’s finished!
  4. Changes to the original design must be confirmed in writing and added to the electrical plan.
  5. Prices for additions/changes should be stipulated in the contract or agreed upon before the changes are effected. This is usually on a per-point basis.

 
 

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Jonathan Greenstein
EDS Engineering (Electrical)
September 2001
www.eds-engineering.com