Sorry for hijacking.


Hey mate,

Thanks for this. I just received my house key and intend to ensure all my electrical stuff are really safe for use - do you have any professional contacts we can reach out to ensure this follows the standard?

My experience with wiremen outside is they will use their experience but unfounded theories to justify things around without conforming to standard.

Whilst I do my own home wiring and the likes (DB box refresh with like for like) I don't possess a Wirewoman cert (I used to sell and commission inverters and production line (automation) sensors for industry/SME). A definition of "competent persons" based on https://www.st.gov.my/en/web/application/details/7/17 will be PW1 (Single Phase Wireman) or PW3 (Three Phase Wireman) certified personnel. I'm sure there are such wiremen who follow standards but mostly from what I see a lot have cowed to price pressure (to survive and win jobs) and do not strictly follow the ST requirements for residential wiring.

Usually new homes' wiring will still be following ST guidelines somewhat, what we can do here (easily) is that you take a picture of your consumer unit ("DB box") and upload here as attachment (NOT the "Upload Images" imgur pic as its hard to zoom). Then we'll look at it and see if anything major needs rectification.



FOR BETTER LYN FORUMER COMMENTARY
What we would want to see in your DB box are all the green text portions, i.e.
1. Overview of the DB box components (just open the user accessible panel). NO NEED to open the service panel.
2. Close ups of all the bigger blocks inside. We need to see the markings clearly to be able to comment.




FOR TESTING 13A SOCKETS
Some people use their phone charger. Phones must be cheap nowadays to risk as test devices.
I recommend bringing along one cheap table lamp (using a 230V bulb) just to plug/unplug test out the sockets.
This will ensure your sockets have power + not expensive to replace test equipment + correct phase-neutral (=230V) wiring NOT phase-phase (=415V) connection

FOR TESTING LIGHT/FAN CIRCUITS
Need a ladder and an assistant. Usually just test out with test pen to see the switching works/ or to label/map out your switches control which item.

This post has been edited by ceo684: May 9 2021, 12:40 PM

My yard is only half concrete wall height (the other upper half wall is grille only) and i wanted to do full height tiles for easy cleaning purpose. My contractor suggested me to redo all tiles (with modern tiles design) since there is not much original tiles left after doing the wet works, concrete table top, and replace the upper half wall grille with concrete. Best decision i made so far as the end result is very nice.

Tiles are produced by batch and different batch will have slightly different color. Also it is hard to get back exact same tiles design after a year or two due to design phase out. If you are not picky on the color variation then you may go ahead with your initial plan.

Never skip the house grille unless you live in high security GnG area like Setia Ecopark. Normal GnG security only requires visitor to register their name and IC, and some even let them go in with a bag of nasi lemak.

Mine will be half fencing height so need to extend the walls, thinking to do this kind of wall pattern. Not sure does this cost more or just the plain full wall will cost cheaper?


May I know is it hard to maintain concrete table top?

FOR WALL WITH VENTILATION BLOCKS
This design is for relatively dry yard wall or is it gonna be exposed to rain always?
Coz if exposed to rain, you may wanna apply waterproofing (Sika 109) coating and paint over exterior sealer (eg Nippon 5400) and use weatherbond or equivalent (weatherproof paint). It will be easier to clean (blow with leafblower or brush out) dust only but if its all black and green with algae and moss, really good luck

What causes the algae and mold..basically boil down to the steps used, if just cincai paint over with elcheapo emulsion (those 18L 60 bucks white) paint only, no waterproofing, no proper sealer.. i have witnessed firsthand (on landed garden wall with old design ventilation blocks) it grows moss and algae and its tricky to clean out once the fungus set in. Didn't bother to repaint since we not on talking terms with that side neighbour

FOR CONCRETE TABLETOP
Constructed properly with necessary rebar and rebar is "jacked" up to settle inside at the midpoint thickness ie. Not lying on the bottom of poured cement, would be pretty bulletproof and strong.

Depending if youre finishing it with tiles or bare cement, if bare look can Sika waterproof it to be easier to clean..otherwise oil, sauce stain may soak inside (normal concrete molecule is like a sponge loves to absorb water)..by applying waterproofing it fills up the pores with polymer modifiers, basically its a full surface "stop leak".

This post has been edited by ceo684: May 9 2021, 02:36 PM

Just out of curiosity, as I am getting my keys soon too, what would you really do if your electrician tells you one thing and the developer says another. I am faced with this dilemma too. My area famously has tenants complaining about wiring short circuit before. Of course the developer will just give some excuses and not do the patch up work properly. For me I will just hand it over to my trusted electrician and make sure nothing's wrong especially with the high powered items like water heater, central pump etc. Hard to check the rest especially those wires concealed already inside the wall.

Generally this is the bane of concealed wiring.
In my block, i do small job add sockets from existing..I just started to open the socket only, wire edi popped loose. Not even screwed in properly!!

SELF CHECK SWITCHES & 13A SSO
If got time, test a hot/live terminal w test pen to make sure ur test pen is alive.
Turn off everything in DB box and tape it shut with masking tape. Open up each socket 1 by 1. Test w test pen on every contact, ALL wires incl earrh to make sure all wires are not energised. As idiotas can wire wrongly green cable to live.
Inspect the wires theyre not loose by tugging them gently.

Note: This may ruin the silicone seal some developers put on the switches n sockets - but without actual inspection you never know if wires are loose. Loose connections cause fires.

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W.R.T. DEVELOPER WIRING
Mostly light cables are on point 1.5mm² and 13A SSO cables 2.5mm².
This part usually never go far wrong (w.r.t cable sizing).
Common points of code violations include:
1. wrong colour code (cable colour doesnt reflect actual purpose, eg green is E but used as L);
2. swapped L and N (or other nonsense);
3. loose connections (not screwed properly)
4. idiota doing the job (screw on insulation rather than on the copper).
5. RCD selection
a) Usage of "useless for residential" whole house RCD 300mA (0.3A). as explained in PSA post above.
b) Lack of whole house RCD 30mA (0.03A) as explained in PSA post above.

The usual code violations for WH (water heaters); i.e. are:
1. Usage of barely passing cable of 2.5mm² (ST guideline 4.0mm²)
and/or
2. Lack of dedicated 10mA RCD or RCBO for WH circuits.

The 2.5mm² cable size will limit your WH selection to only 3kW class models. 4.8kW models not applicable to 2.5mm² wiring (FIRE RISK).

On a sidenote, generally the better brands for DB box components will be (top tier) ABB/Hager/Schneider, (midrange) local brands, (recommend to change) elcheapo China brands .. whilst all are also SIRIM certified.. but there are quality differences. Personally I use top tier stuff like ABB for my own home although I don't make much money to afford a nice landed, but peace of mind when sleeping is important.

My rumaweep came with some elcheapo China brand, I deleted whole DB box and installed a proper one with top tier components.

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TLDR FOR MOST IMPORTANT CHECKPOINTS
Mostly the area of high concern in your case are WH circuits and kitchen sockets (13A SSO) as this is where u use high powered appliances the most.
Water pump doesnt really consume that much power

This post has been edited by ceo684: May 9 2021, 04:21 PM

your design look nice but you may have ventilation issue without windows, also consider privacy issue too. Maintenance wise maybe harder due to mold and algae on the joining area outside.

My kitchen top is concrete with tiles, the issue is just watermark so pick tiles that is not so glossy to minimize this.

Hmm thanks for the advice. Will take note of the 2.5mm cable vs 4.0mm. My WH is those inbuilt one (individual water heater tank, not central). So I don't know the brand and the cabling on it. Noted on the kitchen sockets, I plan to put a dryer and often this one also problematic. As for the water pump, it is not so much on the power consumption but rather the cabling and potential leaking. For some reason some units will have blackout once activate the central pump on the roof.

Oh I think my unit using Hager, so it is good? Even got a SOHO box though don't know the brand.

Sims 4. Epic. Been playing the game since year 2000

hi , may i know how height you extending your yard wall ? i think 5ft is the max allow ? or we actually able to apply permit more than that ?

Yeah maintenance wise seems to be harder with the possibility of mold and algae...



5ft height

Understandably some of you are excited about renovation and then moving in the home asap. Whether homebuyers are aware or not, their homes have 24 months defects warranty after receiving the keys.

During warranty period, thoroughly check the your new house, prepare and submit defects to the developer for rectification before you carry out renovations. Your renovations could result in defects to the house, which developer will be unlikely to fix for you or make claims complicated.

The best is wait for the defects liability period to lapse before renovating as some defects may surface many months after you received the house keys, unless you don't wish to make any defects claims.

Thanks for the heads up, definitely will get a team to inspect the house for any defects before beginning renovation. I think this is a MUST for any new houses.

Is MaxGuard one of the (midrange) local brands?

80k definitely sufficient to hire ID to handle kitchen, living hall & masterbedroom for you.. you could find more reference photos and talk with different ID, they can come up with better ideas throughout discussion if you have 80k budget..

Priority of renovation works:
1. Wiring plan
a. Your plug point location/usage: e.g. how many appliances on kitchen top, how many devices on tv appliances, double pole switch required? modem, router, location.. robot cleaner? TV audio system? playstation? charging point? dining area?
b. your preferred lighting style? simple - full LED downlight/eyeball.. Pendant light?! crystal light?! fan location..
c. CCTV position? wiring works.. how many unit needed?

You need to sort out all these things when go for discussion.. a lot of fancy things but you need all these plugs for your usage.. some people house do not have sufficient plug/distance too far.. they bought vacuum cleaner and cant reach certain area such as walkway.. need add long extension..

2. AC piping route + plaster ceiling conceal
a. if AC piping can back to back is the best.. try not to conceal inside your wall.. i prefer external & cover with white pvc casing.. some AC conceal works done badly and you need spend extra money for water leak whatever issues..
3. kitchen do you need top cabinet? what do you plan to have and keep.. island needed? closed style/open style.. if closed, aluminium sliding door?!
4. cabinet (TV, storage, shoes, wardrobe) - costly part if customize.. but useful.. you could plan what kind of devices/items you will have.. any place to keep? anything to display? some ppl keep luggage/xmas tree/deco item/vaccum handheld (dyson) and etc..

5. toilet sink cabinet must do.. for you to keep extra new tissue rolls, supplies.. all toilet tools & accessories are expensive but 1 time off..

Hi and congrats for your new house!

Just a few things I noticed on your budget:
1. Your painting budget is grossly under budget, FYI, the typical quotation for 24 x 72 terrace is about 2-3k for material, and about 2-3k for workmanship. Typical quotation i get is about 6k to 9k all in, interior only.
2. Electrical work also super under budget, for typical terrace, it normally run from 4-6k for min work, mine is close to 8-9k range because I added a shit lot of new points. But you really NEEEEEED to add points at your TV console area and kitchen. How I plan is that I write down every single appliances that I current and will own for each location and count how many points I need. And you need to add quite a lot more new points for lights as well. Also, look at your current house, see what appliances you have, count the points and plan their location. Plus, talk to your friends who just moved to a new house, ask what they find useful, and what they regretted, high chance you will feel the same.
3. My staircase storage cabinet + hidden door for store room cost me 10-14k, based on 2 quotation i have on hand. But if you buy shelves and DIY then it might be within 2k budget. But even for my in storeroom shelves, using the IKEA planner for BVOR and IVAR systems, it already cost me close to 2k
4. Ceiling fan as per previous discussion, probably try to avoid the cheapest product from KDK and panasonic. Seems like review not so good. I'm using ALPHA VC3, I remember it's about 300+ each, dont look down on the 3 blade design, it's actually really windy and quiet, I've tested on different ceiling height in all rooms of my house
5. Aircon be prepared to add 150~250 for installation, each.
6. Awning need to bump up to 2k+, I remember avg i get is about 15~18 RM per sqft, your house 20 ft, you definitely need about 6 to 8 feet of awning, can do your maths. I park my car as per how I would normally do, and measure how much awning i need, if possible add a bit more allowance, you have to consider that in times of heavy rain, the rain do drop straight, they get blown in, your wife and future baby will hate you.
7. Kitchen hood becareful, my brother and a friend of mine bought a cheapo model, and their feedback is that it's as good as useless. So you dont want to end up spending lesser on a useless piece of shit
8. Yard security door probably around 1k+

Things to consider:
1. How's the security for your housing area? If it's not good enough to make you feel secured, you will need to pay more for grilles or even high performance window or glass doors. Security door or solid wood door is super duper expensive.
2. Follow up on security, need to consider if you need CCTV and alarm system? Probably cost your 2-3k each.
3. Autogate can be expensive
4. Curtain can be expensive, typical quote for terrace house looking at 2-3k, depending on size and material

Advise:
1. To save money, buy things from taobao. Lights, kitchen sink, toilet accessories. These 3 you can quite safely buy from taobao, but do your homework, find reputable shop. You can save a lot and have a wider range of product to pick from.
2. more power socket, more more more...
3. If possible, dont buy the cheapest model in the range, unless you have friends who can give a honest review, I heard enough stories from my friend buying cheapest shit from any brand and curse when it is just as good as shit.
4. Spend more time to do homework, the more homework you do, the more you save. Know the price of everything you wanna buy so you know the vendor/shopee/lazada is not shitting on you with their "80% discount", whereby the discounted price is just their usual discount price. I started planning once i signed SNP, within the 2 years while waiting for my house, I actually got most of my appliances at a really good discounted rate.
5. If your developer is not ECOWORLD, pay 1k+ to get a reputable defect inspector, this is really like buying insurance for defect because they can really find more defects than you do, plus they are better at sniffing and f`ing your developer's contractor when they try to bullshit with you. contractors are full of bullshit.


I've attached the pricing guideline from my current contractor, please note that, price varies from state to state, company to company. And this quotation I have is considered to be on the mid low end already as compared to other quotation I've access to.

Hi first of all, thank you so much for the tips! I am afraid to engage with ID as their fees is quite high...
Perhaps if anyone here have reputable and recommended contractor contact that somewhat understand my design without the need of ID that would be great!

1. I am definitely aware of amount of plug point must be sufficient to cover many home appliances and based on what I discovered with 8 plug point on living room and another 8 plug point on kitchen should be alright.

2. I am planning to opt out on plaster ceiling as I dont want to install too many downlight, planning to install one downlight like this that can brighten the whole place. https://www.yeelight.com/en_US/product/luna
Then install some spotlights.

3. Thanks for raising this question, never really give a serious thought what we plan to store in top cabinet, but island for sure needed because my wife insisted haha if take out then GG no happy life.

4. Would definitely have some cabinet prepared on the yard area to keep those rarely use item and hardware tools.

5. Agreed, must do on ground floor toilet and master bedroom toilet.


Thanks for the pricing guideline and also your time!

1. Since our theme is mostly white and the original paint is white also, Do you think it is necessary to repaint?
2. I am blessed that my brother is an Electrician so he can guide me through the electrical part and quote me cheaper on that end.
3. Ahh this one I think we super underbudget, but still thinking do we need the extra storage or not.
4. Thanks, will do more research on 3 blade fan. *easier to maintain too! less 2 blade to clean*
5 and 6. Noted!
7. Any recommended brands? I think Fotile is the leading brand in this industry?
8.

Advise:
1. Okay thanks! will definitely start doing survey on Taobao, luckily my wife huge Taobao fan.
2. OK OK OK NO CHEAP OUT ON SOCKET!

For kitchen hood you may try Fujioh, a Japanese brand although made in China. Most of the kitchen hood brand here is Malaysian brand.

Yup. Boleh pakai lah.

Snipped out some.

POWER POINTS
Yup, the more the better, for kitchen can also use the 4mm² to run each cable-run to dual socket (double socket), it will be sufficient to run 2x heavy appliances.
This is where I will recommend using MK sockets, the internals are better built. Only 4.60-5 bucks/ea for single socket.
Socket got fat (frameless) and flush type (frame).. for the one with frame use MK or even not so famous brand like RANK they don't pop out so easily, Schneider frame one always pop out and is kinda nuisance.

Even for rooms also can consider to add few more or make everything convert to double socket in-situ without changing wires, it will be more than sufficient for lighter duty thins. More sockets around also greatly reduce the need for having a lot of extension plugs, especially for desktop or your computer room, all those chargers and other things can directly plug into wall.

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FANS

60" 3-blade regulator also work perfectly, even abused in school at max speed it manage to last awhile. The regulator box just need replacing after 6-10 years. Fan should last 15-20 years if not abused like school max speed everyday. The price/performance ratio is very good but just the aesthetic it doesn't look pretty lah. For <RM200 it produce the most airflow ~8100cfm.

Any 56" 4-blade remote from KDK will work perfectly.
Just no confidence in Pana remote fan since lately alot of lemon unit. For the size and from my OLD Pana 2014 it does produce a lot of wind already for a large master bedroom.
4-blade 56" even the KDK metal bladed <RM 300 also give about 7500cfm due to its size.
More canggih 400, 500 bucks basically will get you 4 blade with ABS blade and yuragi (natural breeze variable speed mode) /4 blade with ABS blade and yuragi and DC motor and room sensor (nice to have)

40" or similar smaller size fan the airflow will be lesser.

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HOOD & HOB (STOVE)
Hood wise there's a few types but the best one is the vented one (vent to outside). Check flow rate. The venting should be as vertical as possible (hot air goes up), long horizontal run may not work as well.
Recirculating hood not as good as vented, but still can-use-lah if venting is an issue..this was created more for high rise ppl coz not everyone can hack a CD-ROM hole in the wall (alot of stuctural wall=cannot hack issue).

We've also been using a recirc Fujioh hood from the previous owner (installed maybe around 1997), the hood still works well and reliable until today, only thing need to change after so many years is just the bulb. And occasional cleaning coz all the oil buildup still need to clean

Hob wise.. usually look for cast iron pot holder for long lasting.. also in terms of burner power need to check -
as hobs are either two or three burners, squeezing three kancil into same space not the same power (per burner) as just two preve.
of coz, a standalone Scania lorry head (like the tabletop Rinnai RTL-35KS) will not be as pretty, since when lorry pretty la.. but wok hei on it alone (single stove) can be as good as turning on all the three kancils or two preves together.

This post has been edited by ceo684: May 10 2021, 07:37 PM