certificate of compliance non conformance

[murdock]

when your COC is issued and it is not legal...due to the certificate not being filled in correctly or defects in the electrical installation which do no conform to sabs standards.

the proceedure is as follows:

you file a complaint with the DOL (department of labour)

They then appoint someone to carry out and investigation...at your cost

If the COC is illegal or the installation does not conform to the SABS standards then you will be issued will a document...ordering you to fix the electrical installation...at your cost.

Once the elctrical installtion is repaired then you will have to get the inspector back to recheck and verify it is legal...at your cost


now here a thing to take into consideration... before you rush out and report the illegal installation to the DOL...which you will end up paying the bill.

ECA Guarantee of Work scheme
A new brochure has been designed by the ECA to promote the R15 000 workmanship guarantee which the ECA underwrites on behalf of its members. This is a very useful marketing tool which members could use when quoting for small works. The guarantee applies to the standard of workmanship carried out by an ECA member in good standing. The guarantee does not apply to the repair of appliances and does not cover defective materials. The guarantee applies only where the member’s work has been completed and the member has been paid for such work.

If the person who did the COC is a registered member of the ECA...you can rather get a contractor like myself to verify that the installation is in fact illegal then claim against the ECA R15 000 guarentee work scheme...and it will only cost my visit which if it is found to be legit...you should be able claim for my time and get at least R15 000 worth of the repairs covered by this scheme.

i would look at this option rather than paying for the DOL and all the repairs yourself...just a thought...trying to get the ECA to part with this money could be an interesting challenge...but i cant comment on this because i am yet to get this right...

it would beinteresting to hear other people especially ECA members comments on this subject

[murdock]

this is an example of an installation which we found lots of other problems...to start with the COC was illegal because it wasnt even filled in correctly...information missing like the contractors registration number etc...then during a quick visual inspection to verify if the installation required further investigation...this picture below help my decision to do carry out a full investigation.

[murdock]

this COC was issued only a couple of months ago...

what concerned me was the condition of the stove wire when i replaced it...and the conduit being metal this could have got interesting.

[AndyD]

It's strange the the stove wiring was so badly deteriorated whilst the other wiring looks in good condition.

Was the circuit overloaded or maybe they used something as a lubricant when installing the wiring which prematurely degraded the PVC.

[murdock]

loose connection at the stove isolator...live wire only...replaced red and black just in case.

[AndyD]

ECA Guarantee of Work scheme
A new brochure has been designed by the ECA to promote the R15 000 workmanship guarantee which the ECA underwrites on behalf of its members. This is a very useful marketing tool which members could use when quoting for small works. The guarantee applies to the standard of workmanship carried out by an ECA member in good standing. The guarantee does not apply to the repair of appliances and does not cover defective materials. The guarantee applies only where the member’s work has been completed and the member has been paid for such work.

If the person who did the COC is a registered member of the ECA...you can rather get a contractor like myself to verify that the installation is in fact illegal then claim against the ECA R15 000 guarentee work scheme...and it will only cost my visit which if it is found to be legit...you should be able claim for my time and get at least R15 000 worth of the repairs covered by this scheme.

I think 'marketing tool' for the ECA members pretty much sums this up.

The ECA runs on members fees ergo the members will always be it's main interest. This situation reminds me of the NHBRC type of setup which also supposedly guarantees a standard of workmanship from its members. Show me a customer who has had any success with a complaint to the NHBRC about one of its members and I'll be more inclined to believe that the ECA guarantee is worth more than the paper it's written on.

[murdock]

if anyone has ever managed to claim any money from the ECA from this work scheme...please give us some details...i would like to know about it and how you managed to get it right.

Are there any members who have had any bad experiences with contractors who are registered with the ECA?

[jolan]

Hi Guys

Please help , i just bought a new property and want to register the electricity on my name . I have a prepaid meter , do I need a COC to do this ?

[murdock]

i dont know how the municipality works in jhb...but i dont see why you would need a COC to register the electricity in your name...infact i dont see why you would need to do anything if it is prepaid there should be no paper required...you just buy electricity as and when you require it...if you were gona change from a standard meter to a prepaid meter then you still wouldnt require a COC.

if you have just purchased a property you should have a yellow copy of the COC which is the original...make sure it is filled in correctly and is actually valid.

[AndyD]

I moved into my house about 12 years ago, it's also on prepaid. I never got around to changing the electricity out of the old owners name, I never had a need to.

[jolan]

Hi Guys

Thanks for the help. The municipality here in JHB is full of nonsense. I tried calling them for the last 2 days and there never answer their phones. If I had to visit their office I would need to put in a days leave and carry breakfast , lunch and supper and maybe a sleeping bag also.

[Sparks]

Change of ownership does not require a COC. Changing from Credit to PrePaid or vice versa does need a COC as the Municipal supply will be broken and then re-connected. The COC for this does not cover the whole installation, only the circuitry between the meter and the DB. Only Sections 1&2 of the COC and the relevant tests(EV,Loop Impedance, supply voltage & earth resistance) are required.Along with the mandatory repetion of the Accredited Electrician & Contractor's details.

[murdock]

Hi Guys

Thanks for the help. The municipality here in JHB is full of nonsense. I tried calling them for the last 2 days and there never answer their phones. If I had to visit their office I would need to put in a days leave and carry breakfast , lunch and supper and maybe a sleeping bag also.

this is something that still amazes me about people who work for a boss or worse still a municipality...when ever i go to sort things aout at the municipality i noticed the phones just ring and ring the person can be sitting right next to the phone but they just let it rings...i suppose we wouldnt want them to have to do 2 things at the same time otherwise they would strike because its not part of their job decription or expect an increase.

people aways complain about unemployment...no jobs etc...yet when you go to municpalities or any goverment department it involves sitting in long ques...because there are not enough people to do the work.

has anyone thought that if you employ more people it would help with the ques and they could even employ someone just to answer the phone......eeeeeeeeish what am i thinking these are people who fail woodwork...to think he will soon be south africas president

[Dave A]

Change of ownership does not require a COC.

*Cough* Sorry, did I miss a rather significant recent change in the regulations?

[murdock]

dave i think he is refering to the change at the elctricity department for accounts...not properties...like when you rent you have to change the account to the new tenant...