British electricians

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Livethedream
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British electricians

Postby Livethedream » Wed Apr 26, 2017 4:52 pm

Does anyone know of any British/English speaking electricians in the Alora area please? We are hoping to move there in the next few months. Thank you in advance!

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gerryh
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Re: British electricians

Postby gerryh » Wed Apr 26, 2017 4:58 pm

A British electrician is highly unlikely to be qualified and recognised as being authorised to work in Spain.
You might find one who works for and in association with a Spanish qualified electrician.
Avoid "Fred the Sparks" who was recommended to you by someone you met in the local bar.
Cheers
Gerry
Gerry Harris

Paulinmalaga
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Re: British electricians

Postby Paulinmalaga » Wed Apr 26, 2017 5:10 pm

I So Bella tis you

Livethedream
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Re: British electricians

Postby Livethedream » Wed Apr 26, 2017 5:48 pm

Thank you for that Paula...very helpful. Have made a note for when we hopefully need it!!

Livethedream
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Re: British electricians

Postby Livethedream » Wed Apr 26, 2017 5:50 pm

....Paul...sorry!!

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knowal
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Re: British electricians

Postby knowal » Wed Apr 26, 2017 6:58 pm

Who in their right mind would call themselves BS Electrical? :lolno:

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Re: British electricians

Postby wollie » Wed Apr 26, 2017 9:44 pm

In my opinion you need a Spanish electrician and if he does not speak English you need someone who can just tell what your requirements are.
This is my area and house wiring is very simple but the Spanish system completely different than how we do.
The point i am making is if it is not wired the Spanish way confusion later and mix of both a complete disaster...

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Re: British electricians

Postby Manchesteral » Wed Apr 26, 2017 11:18 pm

I suggest you do NOT a use anyone who markets themselves as a brit based company, likely to be (a) incompetant, (b) a shyster.

Iknow this because a good number of acquaintances of mine have have told me some horror stories regarding british tradesmen.
Last edited by Manchesteral on Thu Apr 27, 2017 11:57 am, edited 1 time in total.

TorreDelAguila
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Re: British electricians

Postby TorreDelAguila » Thu Apr 27, 2017 7:38 am

Best to check that the British electrician involved carries full Spanish certification; many don't.
Chris

wollie
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Re: British electricians

Postby wollie » Fri Apr 28, 2017 4:49 pm

I would also suggest against getting British electrician, someone may correct me but as far as i know everything is wired with 2.5 cable which is what is used for sockets in UK, also each room is wired separately or at least that's how my new build 10 years ago.
I am competent in this area and my friend had a problem a few years ago and though i did sort it out the wiring layout completely different, i will add their house an old house.
The problem you may have later if you need to change a Spanish electrician may not understand the layout of a British electrician.
I would get a competent Spanish electrician and an interpreter if you need same.

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Re: British electricians

Postby TorreDelAguila » Fri Apr 28, 2017 5:36 pm

Several big differences between UK and ES wiring:
- UK uses a "ring main" circuit configuration; Spain uses a radial (or sometimes simple "string") layout
- UK cabling is solid (semi-rigid) T&E (twin and earth); Spain uses multi-strand flexibles
- UK uses proper junction boxes for cable joins and take-offs to switches, etc.; Spain seems happy to use polythene chop-block
- UK is generally careful about how 3-phase supplies are used in a domestic dwelling, and it's unusual to find this, except in very large properties; Spain does not seem to care about 400v, even in bathrooms
- Spanish cable runs can be across floors, spaghetti-like, and thinly covered in concrete. Never assume that the wiring from a wall socket will travel horizontally or vertically; it's just as likely to tack at an oblique angle in almost any direction.
- In Spain, complete reliance is placed on the RCD/RCCD/ELCB/Differential safety breaker to prevent accidental electrocution. Just as well these are compulsory and ubiquitous.

House wiring in Spain does not appear to follow a lot of logic. If it works, that seems enough. Spanish electricians seem to sign Boletins on the new properties they are involved with, having let the Monkeys install it all.

The biggest job with working on Spanish domestic wiring is simply trying to map it.

Good fun, if you don't weaken.
Chris

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Re: British electricians

Postby micknjane » Fri Jun 02, 2017 10:41 pm

Hi - you may already be sorted - but we have a house in Alora and have been using a good British builder who lives in the area. When the job requires he will also bring electricians he has worked with for years,
I can only go off the work he has done for us which is good and he seems very reliable and he was recommended to us.

If you do want his contact details let me know.

regards
Mike

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Re: British electricians

Postby northandsouth » Sat Jun 03, 2017 2:23 pm

wollie wrote:I would also suggest against getting British electrician, someone may correct me but as far as i know everything is wired with 2.5 cable which is what is used for sockets in UK, also each room is wired separately or at least that's how my new build 10 years ago.
I am competent in this area and my friend had a problem a few years ago and though i did sort it out the wiring layout completely different, i will add their house an old house.
The problem you may have later if you need to change a Spanish electrician may not understand the layout of a British electrician.
I would get a competent Spanish electrician and an interpreter if you need same.

Hi, no the rooms aren't all wired in 2.5mm.
1.5mm lighting, then 2,5mm 4mm 6mm 10mm are used depending on the installation requirements, ie 4 or even 6 may run to the cooker circuit etc. Again depending on the size of the property larger cables may be employed to say a junction box over a certain distance from the main consumer unit then the normal cables run to the sockets switches etc in that zone. There are regulations dictating this. My best Spanish friend is a time served electrician.
There were and indeed are horror stories on this subject but look at new installs and see the size of a consumer unit and the zone separation, with upwards of 4 diferencials (RCDs) double poled breakers etc they have raised their game but yes there are hundreds of thousands from the old days of course.
Fault finding on radial conduit circuitry is relatively easy because the j boxes are accessible, and cables can be re run (mostly!) through the existing tubing without having to hack off plaster, in the majority of cases any way.
Finally the Spanish use far more "convenience" 2, 3, 4 way switching particularly in bedrooms and this is something rarely seen in the UK bedrooms. My sister recently bought a new(ish) house and I was staggered to find that the landing light has only a switch at one end of the landing corridor and another downstairs. So if you are using the bedrooms or the family bathroom down one end you have to walk along the corridor to the other end to switch on or off.
The Spanish system isn't perfect by a long chalk but it's a lot better than it was.

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Re: British electricians

Postby Unicorn » Sat Jun 03, 2017 4:22 pm

White Horse

There is a company in Gibraltar called Bland Travel.........

qe2ex
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Re: British electricians

Postby qe2ex » Mon Dec 02, 2019 9:37 pm

Livethedream wrote:Thank you for that Paula...very helpful. Have made a note for when we hopefully need it!!
Anyone have experience with the mentioned company, BS ELECTRICAL?

qe2ex
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Re: British electricians

Postby qe2ex » Tue Dec 03, 2019 6:29 pm

Never mind that question, I can answer it myself after today. Will be asking for other recommendations in the "living in Andalucia forum" next.


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