Dual fuel cooker and CU change

[IzzyS]

Afternoon everyone.

Been to look at a potential CU change. While I was doing a few checks before I price it up, the guy said he was having a dual fuel cooker fitted to replace his faulty one. The system is TT, with Ra of 300ish ohms and no bonding to oil or gas, so needs sorting.

My problem is the Gas Safe fitter is installing and wiring the cooker when I'm not there. Obviously I would normally test R1+R2, IR, and Zs for my EIC, but in this case I won't be able to access the cooker terminals (on account of the gas supply). The best I can do is R2 to the metalwork of the cooker, and Zs at the isolator and note it on the cert. Should I be losing sleep over this, or just do it and move on?

I'm sure the gas fitter will comment on the high loop impedance and lack of bonding...

 

[wozz]

Id be suprised if the fitter did comment.

Id do as you have said and not loose any sleep.

 

[ProDave]

Make sure the GAS FITTER issues an EIC (or MWC) for his electrical work. That will give you all the readings you need. And since you are in England, and this is in a Kitchen, he will of course give you the Part P certificate as well. :slap

You CAN pull a cooker forward to access the terminals for testing. Unclip the anti topple chain (which he WILL have fitted because he's doing the job properly) pull the cooker forward a bit and have a look. Depending how long the gas hose is, you might be able just to pull it out, otherwise unplug the (usually) bayonet fitting of the gas hose to the cooker.

 

[Evans Electric]

I think, Izzy, that the gas fitter is responsible for whatever he does ,( he should pick up on that earth rod reading too) but probably won't.

I must have been to hundreds and hundreds of jobs where sparks have preceeded me but have not taken any action over high Ze,s , crappy rusty old earth clamps onto STA lead sheath cables , bits of 1mm as main earth , the old bare earth wire onto a water pipe as main earth and best of all , no earth whatsoever . These have often been after shower circuits have been installed too !!

I think your main job is to put some more rods in to get the reading down . 200ohms is considered unstable , Then fit your new board.

And don't worry about what the gas fitter does .

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Look at it this way....

What do you do when changing a CU at a house with an integrated cooking appliance???

I certainly don't go removing ovens from kitchen units to get to connection plates at the back...

Just test to the nearest accessible point.. and get on with it.

You only do the work you are contracted to do and the customer is paying you for..

So do your quote for your CU.. Include a bit of time for checking out the earth rod.

When you do your CU change you will take your readings as a Snap-Shops of the circuits that are there,

Note em on your cert get your money and move on!!

If someone else is contracted to do some other work before or after your work..

They will be responsible for their bits!!

NOT your problem IMHO.

Guinness

 

[NozSpark]

I've just done a shower rewire on a job where someone else is rewiring the lights and adding a load of spots in the kitchen and bathroom....

When I did my bit there were no lights in the bathroom, no supplementary bonding or RCD on the lights,,,, there was no bond to the water either

All I did was install my circuit and a bond to the water,,, I also noted on my cert that there were no other circuits in the bathroom and that the lights were being rewired by "others"; I'll of course Part P my work

 

[kerching]

Gas Fitter connects electrics...his problem! Test and cert up to your switch, note on cert that Mr Corgi gas Safe Number123456 connected the cooker and thus your responsibility finishes at the wall isolator. Don't make yourself responsible for somebody else's mistakes...... :coat

 

[IzzyS]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I won't be pulling out the cooker as it's one of those double oven ranges with 6 gas burners. I'll make a note on the certificate and send him the bill.

As an aside, the customer told me that since I was there he's had his bathroom re-plastered and "an electrician" has fitted lights in the bathroom and issued a certificate, which presumably states that it doesn't comply with the 17th edition, has no 30mA RCD, no main and supp. bonding and an unstable rod reading. Part P is great isn't it!

 

[NozSpark]

Just test to the switch,,,, no different to if it'd been there years really