Sparks

[jb-eye]

I

[whistle]

You cant beat driving round in the summer picking your jobs.

[Brian c]

I reckon sparkying is physically much harder work than most security work.

Technically it's a bit more complicated. Mostly security is a bit more complex and requires more technical knowledge.

However, like I've said before, you can't compare the good from one with the bad from another.

I started in sparking, then moved to security as it looked more interesting, and would agree with Jef, it's definitely 'easier'.

[Guest G.J.M]

i don't miss rewiring old houses,raggling cables into walls etc.

I could never go back to it now.

A few of my mates spark and then spend most of their time on big jobs labouring for Fire,Security,telecom etc,running condiuts,trunking and cable trays.

[norman]

You cant beat driving round in the summer picking your jobs say a few maintenances ( cos you know theres always a brew on ) Then a couple of faults.

then meet another engineer for a 2 hour lunch then afternoon sleep a few more calls then home. Ok a night a week on call and some out of hours work.

But for 30k a year you cant knock it

Dont we love the Big Nationals.

47697[/snapback]

Quoted for agreement.

[Guest]

you get sooo much more respect from your customers as an Alarm Technician (posh).

47695[/snapback]

Respect from a client

[Paul P]

I don

[Guest]

i don't miss rewiring old houses,raggling cables into walls etc.

I could never go back to it now.

A few of my mates spark and then spend most of their time on big jobs labouring for Fire,Security,telecom etc,running condiuts,trunking and cable trays.

47703[/snapback]

House bashing, I hated it.

I started doing some large jobs for local councils through a firm I subbed for and ended up doing all the hard work for the "specialist" trades. Most of them didn't have a clue how to do a decent job on commercial premises so avoided all the tray as it was too much like hard work and lashed cables all across the ceilings. As it was me who got called in to sort out the problems that they couldn't I got fed up of it.

I get the feeling Security/Fire is a grudge purchase a lot of the time.

47732[/snapback]

I get the odd call from new customers wanting me to go and disconnect\remove their alarm for some reason or another without even asking about repairing it or whatever. Most see the light once you explain to them what it can do and service it, give them a user manual but some people move into a house with a system that hasn't been serviced for 15 years or it's a crappy DIY wireless panel and they think that all alarms are the same.

If the same customer has a major electrical fault they're straight on the phone wanting to get it fixed ASAP, not once do they ever say "come and remove all my sockets and throw them away".

[Guest G.J.M]

The systems that i find grudged are ones ones that insurance of Fire Authorities insist on.Alot of people want fire and security systems alot don't ard they are usually the ones that call you in 5 years time because of faults due to no maintenance.

I hate the call out side because i have to cover intruder and it's not what i do(nothing against intruder),but i'd rather do this than rewires.

I don't agree with the components being less involved.A secuirty panel etc is more involved than a socket.

each to their own

[C.S TEK.]

I do think installing a security system is a lot easier than sparkying.When sparking you can take more pride in your work.(nice to look at a long trunking or tray run, or nice bubble set in 25mm galv tube)You also find your not on the job long enough to get to know the rest of the trades and when you are on site your treated like an individual.!! Used to have a good laugh with the trades when I was sparkying.Its more in and out and mental stress now, always against the clock to get it on and working.

Being doing a huge secondary school at the moment and the sparks are puttin in me routes, gets a bit frusterating waiting for some tube or trunking so rather than wait around been gabbing it out there stores and doing it myself.

They was well impressed when i cut a double set into 4x4 metal trunking, and bent some 25 tube!!

They could have told me before i done it though that they had some pre made bends in the stores!! time is money especailly on a price

Still it was nice to put those skills in the back of me mind to use use again.

Might do a course to bring me up to date with testing and inspection and Part P..

any recomendations?

Chris