FirstTimeHDBOwner 1 Report post Posted September 1, 2017 Hi! I'm a new HDB resale owner and doing extensive reno works to my flat. I thought of sharing my learning process here because there is a lack of information about PUB testing and I was confused about whether it's really required. So I engaged an ID company but won't go into that except to say that the electrical quote they gave me (sub-contractor) was sky high. Plus there were items there I wasn't familiar with and when I asked other electricians, they said those items were not necessary. Cut the long story short, I decided to call HDB directly to ask whether PUB testing is mandatory and whether I will be breaching any rules if I didn't do it. (Apparently it's not just about paying a few hundred dollars for the testing but there are other implications like you can't have concealed wiring (because otherwise can't test). In the end I'm not doing concealed wiring though!) I called HDB general line and was directed to the technical officer in charge of my block! (I never knew there was such an officer, ha!) He was very helpful and answered my burning questions. Further more, he even gave me the contact number of the HDB electrician (term contractor) that his HDB branch uses. I was so happy when in the end this electrician's quote was less than half price compared to the ID's quote! Wa I saved $3,375! (can you believe it??!) All in all, I was very happy that not only am I using an electrician approved by the HDB officer in charge of my block, I saved thousands of dollars. He was also able to get me affordable lighting (in process but he just told me 1 standard LED down light can get at $27). I summarise here some things I learnt from speaking with the HDB officer and his recommended electrician: For a start, PUB testing is recommended by HDB. There are apparently recent fires that broke out in flats because of wiring issues. And for peace of mind, you can conduct such testing. If you don't do PUB testing, there will not be any fine. HDB does not conduct checks to see if testing is done. The point is that they recommend it, but if you don't do, it is your decision and responsibility so that if any problem comes up, it is not HDB's responsibility. Here's the interesting thing: When I asked the electrician that my technical officer recommended, he said "No need to do PUB testing"! Hmm... I'm now wondering whether PUB testing is actually for new flats like BTO, but if a HDB-recommended electrician says no need for my resale flat, then...? I leave you to fill in the blanks I think that if this electrician is recommended by HDB, his standard should be pretty decent. He said his company is the only authorised HDB electrical contractor for North sector and handles at least 10 HDB units daily! The company is registered under BCA which definitely gives me assurance! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FatRabbit 2 Report post Posted September 5, 2017 (edited) I just had my renovation complete a month ago and had a very bad experience with the electrician my contractor engaged. After that I eventually did some studies myself too and found out that the recommended lifespan of electrical wires are 25 years. My resale hdb is 17 years old and I redo the entire electrical wiring before moving in. Inclusive of all electrical data points our electrical was about $4k for a 5 room. The price was reasonable but the work is shabby. Better do a regular follow up of the entire renovation. Edited September 5, 2017 by FatRabbit Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FirstTimeHDBOwner 1 Report post Posted September 7, 2017 Sorry to hear that the work was shabby! What were the problems that came up? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
