I desperately need help! Old fuseboard replaced by an electrician but it keeps tripping and he won't respond!

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nissanmicra

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Hello,

My elderly disabled mother's old fuseboard was replaced by an electrician in April of this year. He said that he would fit an 18th edition - latest module. However, he fitted another similar unit which he said he found under his stairs. Please see the attached pictures. The picture on the left hand side was the one the electrician promised but he fitted the fuseboard showed on the right hand side. Since day one, the 'new' fuseboard has kept tripping on the right hand side. It's mainly in the extension area where the boiler is situated. Although the electrician has been few times, he has been unable to resolve this issue. The boiler, sockets and the lights keeps going off. The electrics in the rest of the house is fine, except this extension part of the house. the electrician says it's my mother's faulty boiler. But it works fine when the fuseboard is reset. Not sure why this tripping problem can't be resolved. I have had the boiler serviced, the pressure guage replaced and checked and her wall thermostat has been replaced. No fault was found by the gas engineer in the boiler. The electrician has moved the boiler cables to the other working side of the fuseboard. Then why does it still keep tripping on the right hand side of the fuseboard which has only the ceiling lights and sockets which are not connected to anything.

I am really worried and frustrated. It's been 5 months. My elderly mother suffers from dementia and is prone to falling and breaking her bones. The toilet is in the extension, but she can't turn on the lights as the fuseboard has tripped. She tends to wake up several times in the night. She gets very cold and wants her heating on all day. However, it trips and she doesn't know what to do. I am not always there to reset it for her. Winter is fast approaching and it's going to get dark very early. I don't exactly understand when and how it trips. When I reset the fuseboard and turn on the boiler or the ceiling lights, it works fine. Then I leave it working for her. Next time when I visit my mother, she complains that her central heating is not working as it's tripped again. Unfortunately, the water doesn't heat up either when it trips.

This whole situation is so worrying. I wish I had never replaced the old 1930's unit which was working fine, but I was told it was dangerous. The electrician has been fully paid but won't issue the certificate due to this issue which he can't resolve. He also mentioned that the electrics was not earthed and wanted to charge me extra to fit it. I called someone else who botched up the job as well! That guy put a rod in 6 feet instead of 8ft. It stick up on the ground exposed and not buried in a plastic casing.

Can someone please advise? How and where do I seek help? Is there an organisation that I can contact, so they can get the electrician to come and sort it out or refund my payment.

Thank you.
 

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So he replaced the consumer unit but the installation had no effective earth?
If you have paid you are entitled to the certification which would also include Part P notification.
Were they a scheme member such as NAPIT or NICEIC?
 
(1) In my personal opinion that consumer unit is not the best choice for complying with the current BS7617 wiring regulations.. Yours is a Dual RCD unit, whereas a full RCBO unit is a much better solution at minimising the sort of problems that you describe!

(2) Was the electrician a member of one of the industry recognised trades bodies.. NAPIT / NICEIC / ELECSA etc.. if so you can complain to them.

(3) Trading standards are another avenue you could consider? As they are applicable for any type of work, electrical, plumbing, gardening, car maintenance, building, gardening, decorating etc.. etc..

(4) A competent electrician would have done suitable testing to resolve any potential cable faults likely to cause RCD tripping problems before replacing a consumer unit.

(5) This work requires an electrical installation certificate AND notification to the LABC for building regulations Part-P compliance.

(6) Re your earthing comment: A fundamental requirement of BS7671 wiring regulations is that the integrity of earthing and bonding MUST be verified 'before' undertaking any additions or alterations temporary or permanent..

(7) You say he has been fully paid.. Do you have an invoice with his name & address on it?
If the whole project was done only by verbal agreements and/or mobile phone contact.. then you may have shot yourself in the foot!

(8) The old 1930's unit may have appeared to be working fine... BUT it cannot detect earth leakage faults, which modern consumer unit have to be able to detect to ensure the safety of all users. e.g. consider a car with bald-tyres and faulty breaks.. It may appear to work ok.. But if you need to stop in an emergency it could prove fatal! In a similar way your old unit may not be able to offer appropriate protection levels required in modern domestic electrical installations, which could prove fatal, as electricity can kill a healthy adult in less than a second!

(9) I fear you could have a mixture of:- An old installation with some existing unknown faults, plus an "electrician" who lacks some significant basic experience and/or is not really an electrician rather just an odd-job handyman who thinks he knows how to do electrics!

I'm not sure if any of that is any help to you...?
But, welcome to the forum,
And maybe if you tell us your postcode area there may be a forum member who is local enough to do a site visit to assist you with assessing your best options.
 
I think you need to get another spark to inspect the property - then use his finding to request a refund OR face action in the small claims court

As for the lack of certificate - this is something he should issue, outlining the issues he has suggested.

This is all very basic stuff for competent sparks

Have you received a part p compliance document ?

Does this spark claim to be a member of Napit or the NICEIC?

Do you have a proper invoice from this muppet ?
 
Can you show a pic of one of the RCDs so we can see the markings behind the switch toggle?
 
So he replaced the consumer unit but the installation had no effective earth?
If you have paid you are entitled to the certification which would also include Part P notification.
Were they a scheme member such as NAPIT or NICEIC?
I am not sure whether he is a member of the above scheme you mentioned. Is there a way of finding out if he is a member? He is advertising on Nextdoor as a qualified electrician. I suppose he is qualified as it looks like he knows what he doing, but he seems to be stumped by this problem. He keeps saying that it is my boiler causing it, but as it can be seen in the photo, he has moved the boiler to the other side of the fuse board. So, why doesn't that side trip?
 
(1) In my personal opinion that consumer unit is not the best choice for complying with the current BS7617 wiring regulations.. Yours is a Dual RCD unit, whereas a full RCBO unit is a much better solution at minimising the sort of problems that you describe!

(2) Was the electrician a member of one of the industry recognised trades bodies.. NAPIT / NICEIC / ELECSA etc.. if so you can complain to them.

(3) Trading standards are another avenue you could consider? As they are applicable for any type of work, electrical, plumbing, gardening, car maintenance, building, gardening, decorating etc.. etc..

(4) A competent electrician would have done suitable testing to resolve any potential cable faults likely to cause RCD tripping problems before replacing a consumer unit.

(5) This work requires an electrical installation certificate AND notification to the LABC for building regulations Part-P compliance.

(6) Re your earthing comment: A fundamental requirement of BS7671 wiring regulations is that the integrity of earthing and bonding MUST be verified 'before' undertaking any additions or alterations temporary or permanent..

(7) You say he has been fully paid.. Do you have an invoice with his name & address on it?
If the whole project was done only by verbal agreements and/or mobile phone contact.. then you may have shot yourself in the foot!

(8) The old 1930's unit may have appeared to be working fine... BUT it cannot detect earth leakage faults, which modern consumer unit have to be able to detect to ensure the safety of all users. e.g. consider a car with bald-tyres and faulty breaks.. It may appear to work ok.. But if you need to stop in an emergency it could prove fatal! In a similar way your old unit may not be able to offer appropriate protection levels required in modern domestic electrical installations, which could prove fatal, as electricity can kill a healthy adult in less than a second!

(9) I fear you could have a mixture of:- An old installation with some existing unknown faults, plus an "electrician" who lacks some significant basic experience and/or is not really an electrician rather just an odd-job handyman who thinks he knows how to do electrics!

I'm not sure if any of that is any help to you...?
But, welcome to the forum,
And maybe if you tell us your postcode area there may be a forum member who is local enough to do a site visit to assist you with assessing your best options.
Hello,
Thank you for your detailed analysis and taking time to respond to my appeal.
- I am not sure whether the electrician is a member of any recognised trade bodies. How do I find out if he is? He advertises on Nextdoor as a qualified electrician. He did sort out a tripping issue in my house some time ago and hence I felt confident in his ability.
- The other electrician who came to instal the earthing rod, mentioned that the water and the gas pipes have not been earthed. I can see the metal plates attached to both the pipes but there is no wires between them. The boiler service guy didn't mention anything.
- I haven't been given an invoice but he did send me a WhatsApp msg asking for payment and his bank account details. I have kept all his messages.
- I am based in CR4 and the electrician lives just down the road.
- I am going to contact Trading Standards to see if they can help. As I said earlier, I need this resolved asp. My mother feels terribly cold and want me to set the heating to come on in the morning and the evening at set times. The rest of the time, she has an electric heater in her room which she uses as an when she feels cold.
- I will try and upload more pictures this weekend.
Thank you once again. You have been very helpful.
 
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I think you need to get another spark to inspect the property - then use his finding to request a refund OR face action in the small claims court

As for the lack of certificate - this is something he should issue, outlining the issues he has suggested.

This is all very basic stuff for competent sparks

Have you received a part p compliance document ?

Does this spark claim to be a member of Napit or the NICEIC?

Do you have a proper invoice from this muppet ?
Hello,

Thank you for your prompt response.

I was thinking of calling another electrician, but I don't seem to be lucky enough to get a decent honest electrician. The guy who 'fitted' my earth rod, drove his massive drill right through my wall into the boiler cupboard and straight through the gas pipe. Despite me telling him few times, I can smell gas, he wouldn't stop drilling! I was shouting at him to STOP! Eventually, he stopped and got a gas engineer who was going to power flush my system to repair the breach in the pipes. The power flush guy was paid by this electrician and he then did the disappearing act!

I thought this might be causing the tripping issues but the tripping started when the other electrician first installed the fuse board.

I haven't received any Part P compliance document and not sure if he is a member of Napit or NICEIC. Do they hold a register of their member electricians?

I haven't been given a proper invoice but he sent me a WhatsApp message with his bank details. I have all the messages from him regarding this job.
 
Hello,

My elderly disabled mother's old fuseboard was replaced by an electrician in April of this year. He said that he would fit an 18th edition - latest module. However, he fitted another similar unit which he said he found under his stairs. Please see the attached pictures. The picture on the left hand side was the one the electrician promised but he fitted the fuseboard showed on the right hand side. Since day one, the 'new' fuseboard has kept tripping on the right hand side. It's mainly in the extension area where the boiler is situated. Although the electrician has been few times, he has been unable to resolve this issue. The boiler, sockets and the lights keeps going off. The electrics in the rest of the house is fine, except this extension part of the house. the electrician says it's my mother's faulty boiler. But it works fine when the fuseboard is reset. Not sure why this tripping problem can't be resolved. I have had the boiler serviced, the pressure guage replaced and checked and her wall thermostat has been replaced. No fault was found by the gas engineer in the boiler. The electrician has moved the boiler cables to the other working side of the fuseboard. Then why does it still keep tripping on the right hand side of the fuseboard which has only the ceiling lights and sockets which are not connected to anything.

I am really worried and frustrated. It's been 5 months. My elderly mother suffers from dementia and is prone to falling and breaking her bones. The toilet is in the extension, but she can't turn on the lights as the fuseboard has tripped. She tends to wake up several times in the night. She gets very cold and wants her heating on all day. However, it trips and she doesn't know what to do. I am not always there to reset it for her. Winter is fast approaching and it's going to get dark very early. I don't exactly understand when and how it trips. When I reset the fuseboard and turn on the boiler or the ceiling lights, it works fine. Then I leave it working for her. Next time when I visit my mother, she complains that her central heating is not working as it's tripped again. Unfortunately, the water doesn't heat up either when it trips.

This whole situation is so worrying. I wish I had never replaced the old 1930's unit which was working fine, but I was told it was dangerous. The electrician has been fully paid but won't issue the certificate due to this issue which he can't resolve. He also mentioned that the electrics was not earthed and wanted to charge me extra to fit it. I called someone else who botched up the job as well! That guy put a rod in 6 feet instead of 8ft. It stick up on the ground exposed and not buried in a plastic casing.

Can someone please advise? How and where do I seek help? Is there an organisation that I can contact, so they can get the electrician to come and sort it out or refund my payment.

Thank you.
Get a decent electrician in.
You can see from looking at the installation of that board that whoever did it is to say the least slap dash.
I'd like to see a pic of the innards.
 
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The electrician has moved the boiler cables to the other working side of the fuseboard. Then why does it still keep tripping on the right hand side of the fuseboard which has only the ceiling lights and sockets which are not connected to anything.
Could be
- faulty rcd
- something plugged into a socket with earth faults. You should definitely try unplugging things, especially any heaters
- faulty light fitting
-outside light on same circuit full of water

Any real electrician could test each circuit and measure the Earth leakage.
Some electricity is regularly going an unintended route, basically going missing in action, and this safety device is operating in case it’s going through a person. It’s likely the fault was there before he started.

There is also an unlikely possibility that the smart meter in close proximity is causing it to trip. This is unusual but can happen.

Does it always trip at the same time of day?

Basically you need to get someone competent in. The first tests are simple and if a fault is measurable it shouldn’t be that hard to find it.
 
most likely you've got a fault that was always there before the board was changed, however the old one couldn't detect that fault so was never an issue previously. this is a very common problem. which is why most decent electricians will do a full test of the wiring before changing the board and only change it if everything tests good or faults are fixed first

and most decent electricians will only fit full RCBO boards and not (arguably non compliant) dual split load boards. at least with an RCBO board, and fault will only take out the affected circuit and not half the circuits

and as others have said, that board does look second hand

as for refund, small claims court would be your best option. could be messy though and its not likely to be a simple claim
 
If you have tried your best to contact him via WApp, letter email etc detailing the urgency of your vulnerable mother and you get no reply. Get someone else in ASAP (even if they are not registered) He/she could bypass the tripping RCD (if the issue cannot be found quickly) to avoid further disruption. Fault finding can be delt with later along with out of pocket expenses. Good luck
 
(7) You say he has been fully paid.. Do you have an invoice with his name & address on it?
If the whole project was done only by verbal agreements and/or mobile phone contact.. then you may have shot yourself in the foot!
Under doorstep selling legislation, the onus is on the contractor to provide a written contract and offer a 10 day cooling off period. From memory this applies to any job over £75.

Failure to comply means the customer has the right to claim back any monies paid for an unlimited time period. Even if the job has been done correctly. The fact most of us don't bother issuing contracts is not such a good idea, albeit I've never had a problem, and only issue contracts for larger pieces of work.
 
Hello,

My elderly disabled mother's old fuseboard was replaced by an electrician in April of this year. He said that he would fit an 18th edition - latest module. However, he fitted another similar unit which he said he found under his stairs. Please see the attached pictures. The picture on the left hand side was the one the electrician promised but he fitted the fuseboard showed on the right hand side. Since day one, the 'new' fuseboard has kept tripping on the right hand side. It's mainly in the extension area where the boiler is situated. Although the electrician has been few times, he has been unable to resolve this issue. The boiler, sockets and the lights keeps going off. The electrics in the rest of the house is fine, except this extension part of the house. the electrician says it's my mother's faulty boiler. But it works fine when the fuseboard is reset. Not sure why this tripping problem can't be resolved. I have had the boiler serviced, the pressure guage replaced and checked and her wall thermostat has been replaced. No fault was found by the gas engineer in the boiler. The electrician has moved the boiler cables to the other working side of the fuseboard. Then why does it still keep tripping on the right hand side of the fuseboard which has only the ceiling lights and sockets which are not connected to anything.

I am really worried and frustrated. It's been 5 months. My elderly mother suffers from dementia and is prone to falling and breaking her bones. The toilet is in the extension, but she can't turn on the lights as the fuseboard has tripped. She tends to wake up several times in the night. She gets very cold and wants her heating on all day. However, it trips and she doesn't know what to do. I am not always there to reset it for her. Winter is fast approaching and it's going to get dark very early. I don't exactly understand when and how it trips. When I reset the fuseboard and turn on the boiler or the ceiling lights, it works fine. Then I leave it working for her. Next time when I visit my mother, she complains that her central heating is not working as it's tripped again. Unfortunately, the water doesn't heat up either when it trips.

This whole situation is so worrying. I wish I had never replaced the old 1930's unit which was working fine, but I was told it was dangerous. The electrician has been fully paid but won't issue the certificate due to this issue which he can't resolve. He also mentioned that the electrics was not earthed and wanted to charge me extra to fit it. I called someone else who botched up the job as well! That guy put a rod in 6 feet instead of 8ft. It stick up on the ground exposed and not buried in a plastic casing.

Can someone please advise? How and where do I seek help? Is there an organisation that I can contact, so they can get the electrician to come and sort it out or refund my payment.

Thank you.
When he said he 'found' it under his stairs, it looks like it was connected to his installation at the time.
 
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