Board change help

[Pete1234]

Customer needed a new consumer unit due to no rcd.

Did all my checks and gave him a price.

Customer happy so went back to change the consumer for him.

Upon changing to a full RCBO board found shared neutrals on lighting and socket circuits so RCBO’s tripping.

Then the customer tells me that his builder has moved some sockets upstairs and in the kitchen but only used 2 core cable (no earth).

I’ve since walked away from the job as he is a very difficult customer.

Did I do the right thing walking away?

 

[Andy™]

if you did all your checks, why did you not notice the shared neutrals?

this is why a full EICR should be done before a board change. then its just a case of swap the board and limited further testing required for the EIC

 

[Luckyboy]

Always best to do a full EICR before any board change to prevent things like this, saves a lot of hassle in the long run. If the customer doesn't want an EICR done then you're probably better walking from the start...

 

[Fleeting]

So you have changed the consumer unit after the builder has moved these sockets?
Did the sockets with no cpc not show up on the test?
Someone has an accident due to one of those sockets not having a cpc could put you in a whole lot of trouble.

 

[binky]

so what have you done about the light circuits?

 

[Apache]

How did you rectify the tripping? You have done the wrong thing swapping aboard and leaving the house with no lighting and dangerous sockets.

 

[kerching]

Too many issues here
What checks did youmdo
How does he know ( customer ) that 2 core was used
So,now they have no lights or power?

 

[Murdoch]

Walking away was a very very bad move IMHO

I hope you didn't leave the customer with tripping circuits ...... and as for lighting without CPC's that's not a problem as long as there are no class 1 lights or switches.

AND very importantly how did you document your work?

All my CU change quotes included the following:

"NB: If problems are detected during the fuseboard change additional work may be required. Such issues and associated costs will be discussed with you, prior to being implemented"

Never been challenged on the above and very rarely have I had to charge more

 

[Fleeting]

Can't see a mention of lights with no cpcs from what I made out it was sockets.

 

[Murdoch]

Can't see a mention of lights with no cpcs from what I made out it was sockets.

My bad

still sounds less than ideal.

Fingers crossed the OP will update us

 

[Barnet Al]

I did a board change last week. Customer already had an EICR with remedial work needed, but he had struggled to get them back. I repeated the tests and found that the high Zs was down to the TNS earthing conductor not being connected to the MET and not poor wiring. Also found 2.5mm2 radial in the kitchen on a 32A and the ring had 1.5mm2 for a socket ring in the attic, again on 32A, so I throttled both down to 20A. All this was missed by the company who did the EICR.
Put in a split board and was called back due to kitchen counter lights tripping. I'd missed them on my checks, turned out it was taking power from the lights and had borrowed the neutral from the kitchen sockets. I advised him it needed sorting correctly but put both circuits on the same RCD as a work around.
Shame I missed it as had given him a clean EICR and should be a C2. But for me, just goes to show you need to do your checks before doing a board change!

 

[kerching]

Put in a split board

Why not RCBOs? Just curious. What was the leakage on each RCD?

 

[Barnet Al]

It was to keep the cost down, client is selling the house. I didn't bother trying to catch the leakage, it tripped on switch on. When I took the 2 gang light switch off, it was powered by a spur on the switch with a FCU under the cabinet with different wiring, so obviously a borrowed neutral.
Bit now I am thinking... split load RCDs may be a good call for older houses, easie to work around if there are undetected borrowed neutrals

 

[Fleeting]

Bit now I am thinking... split load RCDs may be a good call for older houses, easie to work around if there are undetected borrowed neutrals

Not really you lose both lighting circuits in the event of a fault.

 

[Andy™]

Bit now I am thinking... split load RCDs may be a good call for older houses, easie to work around if there are undetected borrowed neutrals

er.. no. a borrowed neutral is not compliant. what you are suggesting is a bodge. do the job properly or not at all

and you can easily argue that a split load board doesn't comply anyway

 

[Murdoch]

It was to keep the cost down, client is selling the house. I didn't bother trying to catch the leakage, it tripped on switch on. When I took the 2 gang light switch off, it was powered by a spur on the switch with a FCU under the cabinet with different wiring, so obviously a borrowed neutral.
Bit now I am thinking... split load RCDs may be a good call for older houses, easie to work around if there are undetected borrowed neutrals

Split boards were never a good idea and they should never be installed now

 

[kerching]

Split boards were never a good idea and they should never be installed now

Well they sell them in B&Q so they must be ok

 

[Andy™]

Well they sell them in B&Q so they must be ok

not many daft enough to buy from B&Q

 

[NozSpark]

While putting the 2 circuits on the same RCD may stop the RCD from tripping it’s still very far from being compliant, if they were put on the same MCB then that’d be fine though

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

I did a board change last week. Customer already had an EICR with remedial work needed, but he had struggled to get them back.
Put in a split board

Why do you think that EICR electricians didn't want to come back to make some money one easy remedials?

Golden rule No1... Assume EVERYTHING is Faulty, Wrong, Dangerous, Non-Compliant, Done by DIY-Bob, Incorrectly identified, Never been tested.. etc.... etc... UNLESS... You have proved otherwise yourself personally!!!

Golden rule No2.... Split-Load-Boards are so much "Yesterdays-Solution" and "out of date".... that anyone with half-a-brain-cell, would never even consider them any more useful than a Beta-Max video recorder bought cheap off E-Bay to try and store your favourite family videos of the children / grandchildren, that you don't want to lose!!!