FAQ

• House rewires
• Fuse board installations and upgrades
• Fault finding
• New sockets
• Switches
• Lights
• Exterior lighting
• Extraction fans
• Minor alterations
• Inspection and testing
• Emergency call outs
• Extensions
• Renovations
• Refurbishments
• Loft extensions
• Kitchens and bathroom rewires
• Consumer unit upgrades or replacements
• LED lighting
• Low voltage lighting
• Energy efficient lighting

• Preventive maintenance
• Reactive maintenance,
• Emergency lighting testing
• Periodic inspections
• Electrical Installation testing
• General inspection and testing
• Lamp changes
• Refurbishment
• New builds
• Re-wires
• Extensions
• Fire alarms,
• Security alarms
• Fixed wiring installation test
• 24 hour emergency call outs
• PAT testing
• Landlord certificates
• Distribution boards

Being based in Cheltenham we work predominantly in Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds with most of our work being in Gloucester, Tewkesbury, Stroud and Cirencester and surrounding areas. Our Electricians are happy to work further a field having worked in Swindon, Oxford, Worcestershire, Bath, Bristol and many other areas of the South West. Please tell us where you are and what you have in mind and we will do our best to fulfil your electrical requirements.

At DLB Electricians we’re helping home owners and businesses to make the switch to low energy lighting. You can start saving money on your electricity bill today simply by changing to a more energy efficient solution. Not only do you save money on your electricity bill but you are helping to save the environment. To find out what we can do for you and your lighting feel free to get in touch.

NICEIC is an abbreviation that stands for National Inspection Council For Electrical Installation. The NICEIC regulate the electrical installation work of electricians that join their organisation. For an electrician to become a member of the NICEIC they have to be very electrically competent. DLB electricians are proud to be a member of the NICEIC bringing peace of mind to all our clients knowing they have an approved and competent electrical installer carrying out their works.

Portable appliance testing (PAT) is the of periodic testing your electrical appliances, this helps to ensures that they are effectively maintained and safe for use within the appropriate environment according to the manufacturer specifications. PAT testing is normally carried out on a yearly basis.

All electrical installations deteriorate with age and use. They should therefore be inspected and tested at appropriate intervals to check whether they are in a satisfactory condition for continued service. Such safety checks are commonly referred to as 'periodic inspection and testing'.

A periodic inspection will:

• Reveal if any of your electrical circuits or equipment are overloaded.
• Find any potential electric shock risks and fire hazards.
• Identify any defective electrical work.
• Highlight any lack of earthing or bonding.

Tests are also carried out on wiring and fixed electrical equipment to check that they are safe. A schedule of circuits is also provided, which is invaluable for a property.

Your electrics should be inspected and tested every:

• 10 years for an owner-occupied home.
• 5 years for a rented home.
• 3 years for a caravan
• 1 year for a swimming pool.

Other times when a periodic inspection should be carried out are:

• When a property is being prepared for letting.
• Before selling a property or buying a previously-occupied property.

(source: ESC – Electrical Safety Council)

Your Fuse box – the fuse box also known as consumer unit should be easy to find. You should make sure you know where it is in case you ever need to turn the electricity off in an emergency. It usually contains three things, and they are used to control and distribute electricity around your home. They are: The main switch; Fuses and/or circuit breakers; and Residual Current Devices.

A) Main Switch – this allows you to turn off the electricity supply to your home. You might have more than one mains switch, for example if your home has electric storage heaters. In this case you may have a separate fuse box.

B) Residual Current Devices (RCD) these are switches that trip a circuit under dangerous conditions, and instantly disconnect the electricity.

If your home has one or more RCD, test them regularly. Just follow the instruction label, which you should find near to the RCD. It should read as follows:

“This installation, or part of it, is protected by a device which automatically switches off the supply if an earth fault develops. Test every three months by pressing the button marked ‘T’ or ‘Test’.”

Testing the button every three months is important. The device should switch off the electricity. You should then switch it back on to restore the electricity. Do not hold the test button for a long period if the RCD does not trip. If it doesn’t switch off the electricity when you press the button, contact a registered electrician.

C) Circuit Breakers – these are automatic protection devices in the fusebox that switch off a circuit if they detect a fault. They are similar in size to fuses, but give more precise protection. When they ‘trip’, you can simply reset the switch. But make sure you correct the fault first.

Fuses  (not on the image, may be found in place of circuit breakers) – re-wirable fuses have a piece of special fuse wire running between two screws. When a fault or overload current flows through the fuse wire, it will become hot and melt. The melted fuse breaks the circuit, disconnecting the faulty circuit and keeping you safe.

If your fusebox has a wooden back, cast iron switches, or a mixture of fuses it is likely that it dates back to before the 1960's and will need to be replaced.

 (source: ESC – Electrical Safety Council)

If your fuse box has a wooden back, cast iron switches, or a mixture of fuses it is likely that it dates back to before the 1960's and will need to be replaced.