Class 1 fittings with no earth - consumer unit change

[danny7299]

Hi All

Went to look at a Job for replacing a consumer unit , No earth on lighting, and metal fitting in kitchen , Customer doesnt want to rewire and doesnt want to get rid of metal light fitting! (Bloody customers)

What are the options if any ?

Cheers Guinness

 

[NozSpark]

Walk or Run....

it's up to you

 

[Andy™]

as above. run. far away. and issue danger notice if you want...

its either change to class II, or earth it.

and dont do what a plasterer done on a job i got called to the other day - put the 'earth' from the light in the perm live terminal.... customer gets shock whilst trying to change lamp...

 

[danny7299]

think i will run, And let the customer get another "spark" to do it. bad day explode

 

[NozSpark]

That's a shame really..

Can you not talk the "customer" around... explain the dangers!

 

[Andy™]

think i will run, And let the customer get another "spark" to do it. bad day explode

who will then tell customer how much of a cowboy you are trying to get extra work, and that there is nothing wrong with leaving it as is

 

[danny7299]

to be honest with you im pretty flat out and was gonna price myself out , and she said she was gonna get a few other quotes , im sure some one will just do the job and say it was changed afterwards ! ha ha its funny , im sure that if it was a potential gas leek or somthing the silly sod of a customer would listen ... some people still work on the theory , is been like that for 38 years and its been fine!

 

[NozSpark]

Usual thing then!!

 

[PC Electrics]

http://www.esc.org.uk/pdfs/safety-in-the-home/Earthing-bonding-ESC.pdf

and look at the flow chart in the relevant best practice guide.

http://www.esc.org.uk/business-and-community/electrical-industry/best-practice-guides.html

 

[spinlondon]

PC, you'll have to change your signature.

There is no thanks button to click.

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

We did a job like this last year. New consumer unit fitted with Rcbo's except 1, 2.5mm sub circuit fed from a 16A breaker to the old consumer unit which now fed only the original 2 lighting circuits with no Cpc's. Warning sticker placed on old board and danger notice given to the householders. We had wired 2 other lighting circuits as part of the building works. We used this as one of our assesment jobs.

 

[sellers]

don't walk without explaining the options mate,

earth the class 1,

or replace with class 2,

or leave circuit on original board

 

[spinlondon]

Could you not just run an earth conductor to this fitting as sellers suggests?

 

[sparky b]

Check the download section of the elecsa website, there is useful info on this subject.

 

[Zeespark]

Isnt there a site on the web that does plastic backboxes for exactly this type of problem? seen it on here I think at some point.

Andy

 

[sparkytim]

Do the risk assessment as prescribed in the esc guide and you MAY find you can leave it with RCD protection and label fitted on CU.

 

[spinlondon]

It appears to me that you have three choices.

Refuse to do the work at all, do the work and make a note in the section for comments on the existing installation or convince the customer that either an earth is required or the fitting is changed.

 

[Evans Electric]

As you say you are busy at the moment, just walk.

 

[ianmacd]

You sure the fittings are not connected back to the MET somehow? Seen that before. Not great but also only a code 4 until someone removes the other circuit.

 

[Theorysparky]

Do what a customer of mine did last year

still wanted a metal light fitting in the kitchen so got a class II one on the net more expensive