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It always happens in 3s?

1. My HP PSC 2210 printer started to have problems. Couldn't afford the hassle of packing it up & despatching for possible expensive repair. So ordered a replacement last night. Arrived this am. PSC 2355. SO superior in all respects & at half the price of the old one.

2. Daughter dropped her Canon digital camera last night. Repairs could have been £100 or so. So spoke to insurers. Sorry, that one's discontinued - but you can have its much upgraded successor!!

3. Had the electrician do a little job today. And, of course, he now has to do an EU check of wiring safety. Damned EU!! Complete rewiring of 15 rooms on 3 floors. Just after we've redecorated several rooms. £5000 & upwards? Without extensive redecoration.

I'm NOT a happy chappy today. And my Wife was just going to order a new cardigan!!

OOOF Tim!

Do you absolutely HAVE to be rewired? Or is it one of those nasty exclusions to house insurance if you don't?

We had our place rewired when we moved in 8 years ago and it cost us 2K for 9 rooms inc. conservatory, but we did take the opportunity to get it wired for a PC network at the same time! Stopped us getting quite a bit of stuff (including wardrobes and a bed!) till later cos we couldn't afford it! But given the look of the original wiring... well you only need to get a fatal shock once or worse, a fire, and the place looked like a deathtrap. But oh the mess! The electrician was THE worst plasterer I've ever seen and the channels he gouged in the plaster downstairs are still very visible despite repeated sanding and decorating with embossed paper.  At least we always know where it's safe to hammer in a nail!

I guess you could always get a second opinion or quote or ask what it would be for cash.

I've had one of those days too. Left house, drove off and heard clicking sound. Got out.  Flipping huge screw sticking out of the tyre. Turned round and went to tyre place.  Fixed. Asked them to check other tyres as one in particular was a bit too flat. Another nail. Another fix.  Wail! (I went to the dump on Tuesday...)

You have my sympathy and best of luck...

moonbells

Oh dear, hope both your days improve. There is a tiny, weeny,silver lining though Tim, at least your wife should be in a good mood having ordered a new cardy.....I know, not much of one. :-\

We came across that electrical inconvenience in January while the builders in converting our cellar.  The regs all changed on 1st January this year.  On the down side it meant that the electrician checking every single light switch, fitting, and socket took an extra day and a half.  The good side to it was that we then had a copy of the electrical test certificate to say that our electrics were safe and the bill for the extra work was paid by the builder who'd quoted rather than estimated a year before for the whole job and was six months late starting it.  You win some, you lose some.

This was a second opinion - the first was from a free SEB assessment last month. Which I was willing to let ride.

Wife won't be ordering the cardigan now. I feel wee bit guilty about the new printer. But that was out of my money.

Thank God for the AGA!!

Best stock up on oil and candles then Tim.  Bad luck.

I am a bit dubious Tim, because the current regulations are an extension to the building regulations, known in the trade as Part P ... The EU may be involved somewhere, but I remain unconvinced. Also, the requirements only require the affected installation to be inspected, not the whole house, although if faults are found, then the whole installation may be to blame.

How do I know? Well I am the technician in charge of the electrical workshop at the school of construction at our college, where we turn out trained electricians of the future ... I have also lectured on the subject.

I have a trusted excellent electrician here in Coventry who I trained with, I could put you in touch if you wish ...

Derek - send him here post haste??

Paid for, of course!

What a day Tim :o
That's a kind offer Derek, for that sort of money its definitely worth getting checked out.

Way back in the early 70's I got sick of replacing light bulbs every five minutes, put my foot down with my mother, and insisted she had the wiring checked out. It hadn't been done since the house was first wired, and it had never been earthed. No wonder we were always getting shocks off things! I just spent £25 000 of the church's money getting the place wired; we've known it was unsafe for years but it used to be run by a clique who all insisted that we shouldn't raise money even when it was there for our use. I now have the job of getting rid of the backlog of work out of the way and sorting the building out, in a far more  difficult climate! It's never worth putting these thing off for too long.

It never rains but it pours sometimes.  Hope it all gets sorted out with the minimum of expense Tim.  busy_lizzie

wardy - some of it must be over 50 years old!

At that age Tim, i agree replacement is necessary. I am arranging to see if my electrician friend will be willing to assist.

Derekthefox :D

Derek - hold fire a while - the pressure has eased this am. It is not a complete & immediate rewire.

I have agreed to a full listing of all circuits & their state of health, to get some idea of the magnitude of the problem & the priorities.

It seems as though it might not take most of our savings in one go!!

Thank you HUGELY for your response - I will keep you informed & seek further advice from you by PM. If I may??

Hope it all works out Tim.  What a nuisance!  Always seems to be the way that lots of expensive events occur at once!

For me, small fry.  The dishwasher blew up yesterday.    :-X Can't justify the expense of a new one so will be buying Ava some butch biker style 'marigolds'.   :-\

Oh, yes - & we had to replace the washing machine last week!

Glad to hear things may not be as dire as they seemed, Tim.  Can OH buy her cardy then?

Well, I do think these things come in threes, so am waiting for the third major expense to make itself known.  Big overdraft but had to get laptop for son no 1 for school (£700) and have to get son no 2 assessed for third time to sort out whether he has actually has ADHD or dyslexia, some hitherto unidentified learning problem or is just being contrary/lazy (£500).  When son no 2 came home from school asking if he could go on the school skiing trip costing £750 I'm sure you can guess our reply!  And please, please no-one mention Christmas.....

Of course Tim, I am currently awaiting a reply from my friend, and will inform you of his reply.

Unfortunately, I don't possess the required certification, or I would offer to do the job myself, I would have considered it a pleasure.

Emma, these marigolds wouldn't happen to have studs would they?  ;D ;D ;D

Derekthefox :D

EJ that conjured up a mental image of your butch biker OH wearing mariglds

at the kitchen sink, also flashback to that infamous sketch of The Good Lfe

when Marjorie (name?) wearing her marigolds fell into the mud in Barbara & Tom's

garden.

A classic !!  ;D ;D