Greg Rowell in Thornleigh, New South Wales, Australia | Electrician

Greg Rowell

Locality: Thornleigh, New South Wales, Australia

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• Electrician
• Home improvement

25.01.2022 I was just going through some old info that I wrote about repairs and defects. This year I have had many delays, and a lot of those have been due to existing defects in properties. I always report defects and note them clearly. I explain what the defect is, and why it should be repaired. They are often safety related. Sometimes customers care about the defects and want to repair them, and sometimes they don't. That's their choice, but there can be consequences for making tho...se decisions, particularly when it relates to safety hazards. Sometimes I will note the defect on a compliance certificate, and it then becomes a mandatory repair. https://electricgreg.com//to-fix-or-not-to-fix-that-is-th/

25.01.2022 Yesterday James from JSW Plumbing Pty Ltd fixed up the plumbing on the dodgy water heater. Nice work James. Today I fixed up the electrical - completely replaced, and now back to new. Now the family is the safest it's been for a long time.... The hot water service I refer to i posted about earlier. The electrical work was horribly dangerous, a fire and electrocution hazard. Hazard no more. Nice one team! The before story. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=954221131789936&id=276053062940083

23.01.2022 I often hear stories about contractors cutting holes, or drilling in to fibro. On an old house built before 2000, you are asking for trouble. The rules are: 1) Anything built before 1986 is guaranteed to have asbestos in it. 2) Anything built between 1986 and 2000 MAY have asbestos in it, and care should be taken.... 3) Anything built after 2000 shouldn't have asbestos in it but can. Care should be taken. Some products have still come into Australia that has asbestos in it because different countries have different rules. However it is banned in Australia, and isn't allowed to be imported. I've been drilling holes in some fibro this morning, it's 35 degrees at the moment - not nice! I previously tested the fibro and have confirmed that it is asbestos containing material (ACM). Hmm... what to do if you need to put in some lights... The law says that I have to use correct asbestos removal techniques, PPE and capture and dispose of the ACM in an approved manner. Expensive and time consuming. But guess what - mandatory! So how to do it correctly - don't try this yourself. In the photo you can see me with an asbestos suit on, mask, gloves, over-boots. What you can't see is an asbestos vacuum cleaner connected to a special drill attachment and black plastic covering the floor. Nothing escapes the drill attachment and vac. The hole edge is then sealed with glue and made safe. Once I have finished the asbestos work, I have to decontaminate "everything". Tools (that can only be used on asbestos again), vacuum cleaner and all other equipment. It takes a lot of time. Pack up, clean up, double wrap all ACM in special bags. Then take it to an authorised disposal station (at great expense). Not a cheap process, but mandatory. Want to know more about asbestos. Look at the asbestos awareness website for more info, or talk to SafeWork NSW if your contractor isn't doing the right thing. ... Now back to my hot suit!...

23.01.2022 Sometimes my jobs are just... out of the ordinary. I had to fit a light fitting onto the side of this building recently. Sounds simple, except that the house is build onto the side of a cliff!!! Well, almost anyway - a very steep slope, probably >45 degrees. Beneath the light fitting the soil was loose, slippery and very steep. Trying to stand on it would have resulted in slipping and falling down the cliff.... Not really what I had in mind!... So, if you can't use a ladder to climb, then what. Sometimes you just have to swing it! Safety first, two ropes, helmet and lots of care. I did have three ropes when I did this the first time, using one as a back up, but the second time I just had to add a couple of plugs... Doing it properly is the only way forward... and yep, I have a helmet on. One slip, bang my head, and within 15 minutes I will experience suspension trauma and will be dead. It was the most fun job I have done for quite some time. ...and just because I can do this, doesn't mean that you can. The equipment that I use has cost me >$5000, and I am well trained. ...don't try this at home with a buy it at bunnings harness! You might not be alive by the end of the day :)

22.01.2022 Just had to share.

21.01.2022 When you have an old house, everything in it is old. Sometimes me too.... The cable in the home I am working on is old and degraded. Every time it is touched it fractures and fails. Each part has to be replaced. ... A simple job becomes time consuming and complex. If the cable weren't replaced, the insulation could break down further and short circuits or a fire could happen. Time for repairs then! Electrical cable has a design life of 50 years. Safe bet that if your house is 50 years old, the cable is at the end of its life. Keep an eye out for problems like these, it could save your life. Have a safe, but wet weekend. Greg.

18.01.2022 Solar is often blamed for power grid instability. That's now been shown to be incorrect. Power companies are using solar as a scapegoat. Rom the ABC.... Powerlines may be limiting savings Australians can make from solar, UNSW research suggests http://www.abc.net.au//solar-powerlines-already-o/12534332

16.01.2022 Sometimes a switchboard is due for an upgrade. After 50 years, a rebuild was necessary for safety. There were some unexpected surprises, a hot water heater wired in lighting cable, some nasty dangerous connections... Pretty normal find these days... We start off with a rat's nest, and end up tidier and substantially safer. ... Most of the parts that I have used come with a 25 year warranty, and I'll give this family a 7 year major defect warranty, because it has been done by the book! I'm glad that I had the opportunity to make such a massive improvement to the safety of this home and the lives of this family. A really nice outcome for a lovely family ... pleased as punch.

16.01.2022 An update from Fair Trading regarding Solar Installations and licenses Fair Trading targets unqualified solar installers NSW Fair Trading has visited close to one hundred sites across Sydney as part of a blitz targeting wrongdoers in the solar industry.... Operation Charge saw inspectors conducting spot checks across different areas targeting those unqualified to work in the solar industry. The blitz saw 20 penalty infringement notices issued totalling $19,250 and seven cautions were issued for less serious offences. Several breaches detected during the operation will also be the subject of further investigation. NSW Fair Trading advises that a licence is needed for any residential building work where the labour and materials are valued at more than $5,000. For specialist work such as electrical, plumbing, and air-conditioning, a licence is always required. To check that a tradesperson is qualified and licensed to do the job, use Fair Trading’s Home Building Licence check. For more information, visit https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au//home-building-licence-

14.01.2022 Oh dear! Got one of these Clipsal products? They've been recalled. Not good for the customer!!!... https://www.productsafety.gov.au//Recall%20advertisement_1

14.01.2022 Following on from my post earlier in the day, I wanted to raise this with the Shadow Minister for Industry and Trade Mick Veitch. I will hopefully get more traction - but the reality is that it probably won't. https://www.facebook.com/greg.rowell.electrical/posts/900057200539663 Dear Minister Veitch,...Continue reading

13.01.2022 Dear Customers, Please note that I seem to be losing text messages from my phone. If you have sent me a message and I have not responded, or don't seem to get back to you, your message may have been lost. Please try to contact me again. If able, please use WatsApp which stores the message in the cloud.... Facebook messanger is unreliable. Try to avoid if possible. I have just spent 1/2 hour trying to find a message that I knew that I got yesterday. It wasn't in my text messages application and I eventually found it through my phone application. Not ideal :( I am very sorry if I have missed replying to you, or if I have missed an appointment because of this. Please contact me again, or forgive me for my error. Greg.

11.01.2022 Which came first, The plumbing, or the electrical? Votes

08.01.2022 For all those who use the Square device for payment systems !!! BEWARE !!! I am now looking for another payment solution as Square no longer works on any of my phones!!!... This is my review posted on their app site. Having used a Square device for several years, it has now stopped working on all phones. Square have told me that my device is not compatible. Hmmm. Having worked for several years if I choose to use this payment system into the future I have to upgrade all three of my phones. Most likely a software update by Square has stopped the app from connecting to my device - Square won't be trying to solve the problem, leaving me without a payment system! Outrageous!! Be very careful if you choose to purchase this device, if it is not on the compatibility list it may stop working unexpectedly if they change their software. Don't expect any support to solve the problem from Square either. Disgraceful customer service and problem solving. Square #square #SquareApp #RubbishProduct #WasteOfMoney #DontBuySquare #BadPaymentSystem

08.01.2022 Dear customers. Unfortunately there could be a few delays in coming weeks. I became quite ill on Thursday evening and ended up in hospital Thursday and Friday - twice. ... It is NOT a virus of any sort, so there is no need to be concerned from that perspective. I know that there are quite a few jobs planned with many people, and I am sorry for the delays yet again. Covid has already delayed so much of my work this year, I'm so sorry about that. I appreciate that some of you may need more urgent work done. If so, Please contact GDM Electrical at Hornsby who may be able to assist you if your needs are more urgent. Grant: 0421 351 135 Daniel: 0410 508 891 I cannot guarantee that I will be doing much work during the 1st week of December. I may have fully recovered, but equally I may not. I will contact each of you who have work planned and discuss your options as I know more. I will not be taking on any new work until early February. Sorry. Best wishes to you all, Greg.

07.01.2022 Here's a "did you know" article on Asbestos. I'm careful around asbestos because I have to be; both for myself, and for my customers. It's actually a legal requirement. Did you know that more electricians die from asbestos related diseases than in any other trade?... Here's an article from SafeWork NSW on Asbestos in your home - it discusses why you, and I, need to be careful and pay attention. https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au//asb/asbestos-in-your-home

06.01.2022 Electric shocks are a big issue in the building industry. Latest statistics show: From SafeWork NSW Electrocution is the second leading cause of traumatic fatalities in construction in NSW.

05.01.2022 This article relates to rewirable fuses. Because of FaceBook formatting limitations, it doesn't read as well as it should. The formatted webpage article can now be found at: https://electricgreg.com//12/semi-enclosed-rewirable-fuses/...Continue reading

05.01.2022 Six times over the last twelve months I have come across water heaters that have been changed or moved by plumbers - one with Thornleigh Plumbing Services and one with Westleigh Plumbing; both did a super job. I did the electrical work on two of them and those were correctly done. The other four of them were incorrect, one of the four was horribly dangerous, and two were mildly dangerous. For the sake of customers, I want to clarify what a plumber can or can't do. It is very...Continue reading

04.01.2022 Merry Christmas to all of my customers and to my local Westleigh community. I hope that you are all able to put your feet up and take some time out from our complicated year to spend time with loved ones this Christmas. Best wishes to you all.... Greg and team.

02.01.2022 I have just written to my local Minister over a grossly incorrect media release that suggests that a Safety Switch will protect against electrical fires. Here is the document for your review. Please remember that Safety Switches only protect agaist electric shock/electrocution, or where a fault has occurred to the earth of an appliace. It will never protect against other short circuits. If you would like to know more, please don't hesitate to contact me....Continue reading