The electrician does the work, but you usually pay for the materials, and the cheapest item in the shop is where most electrical trouble starts. This is what "quality" actually means for each thing you will buy, what to check on the box, and the few brands electricians themselves put in their own houses.
Wire: the one thing never to save on
Wire lives inside the wall for twenty-five years. It is the hardest thing to replace and the most dangerous thing to get wrong.
- Copper only. Refuse anything marked CCA or "copper clad aluminium". It looks identical on the shelf and heats up under load.
- ISI mark, IS 694. The standard number is printed on the sheath along with the brand, the size and a metre marking. No printing on the sheath means no provenance.
- FR or FRLS. Flame retardant, or flame retardant low smoke. FRLS costs about 10 percent more and is worth it in a flat, where a fire's smoke is the danger, not the flame.
- The right size for the circuit. 1.5 sq mm for lights and fans, 2.5 sq mm for sockets, 4 sq mm for AC, geyser and kitchen lines, 6 sq mm for the line from the meter to the board. A good electrician will not run a geyser on 1.5 sq mm, and you should not let anyone else.
- Full-length coils. Standard coils are 90 metres. Short coils sold as 90 are the usual trick in small shops; the metre marking on the sheath lets you check.
Brands with a consistent record: Polycab, Finolex, Havells, KEI, RR Kabel. A 90 m coil of 2.5 sq mm from any of them is roughly ₹2,500 to ₹3,200 and moves with the copper price.
Switches and sockets: buy a series, not a piece
Modular switches come in series, and plates from one series do not fit another. Pick one series for the whole house so a replacement in five years still matches.
- Rating. 6A for lights, fans and chargers. 16A for the geyser, microwave, AC, washing machine and induction. A 16A socket has wider pin spacing and a heavier contact; a 6A socket feeding a geyser is how socket plates melt.
- The click. A good switch has a crisp, quiet action and silver-alloy contacts. A mushy switch is a cheap contact that will spark in a year.
- Shutters on sockets if there are children in the house. The shutter opens only when both pins go in together.
- ISI mark on each piece, not only on the box.
Reliable mid-range series: Anchor by Panasonic Roma and Penta, Havells Crabtree, GM Modular. A step up: Legrand Myrius, Schneider Livia. A 6A modular switch is ₹60 to ₹150; a 16A socket ₹150 to ₹300. Fitting is ₹220 per point, or ₹900 for a whole new modular board.
MCBs and the RCCB: the part that protects you
Two different devices do two different jobs, and a safe board has both.
- MCB protects the wire. It trips on overload and short circuit. Rate it to the wire, not to the appliance: 6A for a lighting circuit, 16A or 20A for sockets, 20A to 32A for the AC or geyser line, 40A to 63A at the main. Curve type C for homes. Look for a 10 kA breaking capacity printed on the front.
- RCCB, also sold as ELCB, protects people. It senses current leaking to earth, through a body, and trips in milliseconds. For a home, 30 mA sensitivity, two-pole on single phase, rated at or above the main MCB (40A or 63A). One per home at the board is the minimum; one per floor is better in a large house.
- Never upsize an MCB to stop tripping. Tripping means the circuit is overloaded or leaking. A bigger MCB removes the protection and leaves the wire to overheat.
Brands: Havells, Legrand, Schneider, L&T, Siemens, ABB. An MCB is ₹250 to ₹600; a 40A 30 mA RCCB ₹1,500 to ₹2,500, with fitting at ₹1,200. Counterfeits exist for the big brands; buy from an authorised shop and check the hologram.
Ceiling fans: BLDC has won
- BLDC versus induction. A BLDC fan draws 28 to 35 W on full speed; a standard fan draws 70 to 80 W. On a fan that runs ten hours a day, BLDC pays its premium back in about two years and runs cooler and quieter.
- Sweep. 1200 mm for a 10 × 10 or 12 × 12 room, 1400 mm for a bigger hall, 900 mm for a small bathroom or passage.
- BEE star label. Five star for BLDC. Check the air delivery figure, in cubic metres per minute; 210 to 230 is good for a 1200 mm fan.
- Warranty. Two years is standard; several BLDC makers give five on the motor.
- Down-rod length for high ceilings, and a remote with a wall holder, or you will lose it.
Brands: Atomberg, Crompton, Havells, Orient, Usha. A good 1200 mm BLDC fan is ₹2,800 to ₹4,500. Fitting is ₹450 for a standard fan and ₹550 for a BLDC with its receiver.
LED lights: the number that matters is lumens per watt
- Efficacy. At least 100 lumens per watt. Cheap LEDs claim watts; good ones state lumens.
- Colour temperature. 3000 K warm for bedrooms and living rooms, 4000 K neutral for kitchens and study, 6500 K cool white only where you want a clinic. Mixing temperatures in one room is the most common reason a renovated flat feels off.
- CRI 80 or above, so skin and food look like themselves.
- Surge protection of 2.5 kV or more. Indian supply spikes kill cheap drivers within months.
- BIS registration number on the box.
Brands: Philips, Wipro, Havells, Syska, Crompton. Expect ₹250 to ₹600 for a quality 12 to 15 W panel or batten, and ₹300 to fit one.
Geysers, stabilisers and inverters
- Geyser. BEE 5 star, ISI, 15 L for a couple and 25 L for a family, a 2 kW to 3 kW element on a 16A point with earthing, and an 8 bar pressure rating if you live above the sixth floor or have a pressure pump. Glass-lined tanks last longer in hard water. The electrical fitting is ₹850; the plumbing is a separate trade.
- Stabiliser for the AC. Size by the AC: a 1.5 ton inverter AC wants a 4 kVA stabiliser. Check the working range printed on it, 130 to 290 V is good, and that it has a time delay to protect the compressor after a power cut. Fitting is ₹400.
- Inverter. Add up the watts you want to run; a fan is 75, a light 12, a TV 100, a router 15. A 900 VA pure sine wave inverter with a 150 Ah tubular battery runs the essentials of a 2 BHK for six to eight hours. Square wave inverters are cheaper and make fans hum and chargers die. Installation is ₹1,100 for a home unit.
Ask for the bill, every time. It is how you know what went into the wall, and it is what a warranty claim needs. Electricians on TheHire are reviewed on exactly this after every job.
Where to buy
The electrical shop near the main market in any Indian town carries the brands above, and the owner knows which series is in stock for matching plates later. Online is fine for fans, lights and stabilisers, where the box is sealed and the brand is clear. It is a poor place for wire and MCBs, where counterfeits are common and the metre marking cannot be checked until the coil is in your hand.
If the electrician is buying, ask for the shop's bill in your name. If you are buying, take a photo of the electrician's list with sizes and ratings written on it, and buy exactly that.
Quick checklist before paying
- ISI or BIS mark on every item, not only the box.
- Wire is copper, FR or FRLS, correct size, metre marking on the sheath.
- Switches and sockets from one series, 16A where an appliance is heavy.
- MCB rated for the wire, RCCB 30 mA at the board.
- Fan is BLDC with a five-star label; lights state lumens, not only watts.
- Warranty card filled in with the shop stamp and date.