I Have Been Advised My Re-Wire Job Is Dangerous

[M107]

Thats consumer unit install is dog rough.

Line 25mm tail has what looks like bare conductor due to poor stripping of insulation.

16mm earth conductor looks like it's had a few strands cut off.

Generally untidy and not done by a spark who takes pride in his work.

 

[Zeespark]

I have seen guys doing their first CU install at college and that one makes their efforts look professional. Oh the virtues of Part P.

Andy Guinness

 

[batty]

The 'Part P' scrap paper should arrive in the post direct from the scheme operator, ie NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA  etc & its A5 size. It should not come from the builder or electrician. The default is for it to be addressed to 'The current occupier', but i change that to the customers name if its known.

You  should also be given a EIC, (sometimes deic, domestic) Electrical instalation certificate direct from the electrician. This will normally be 6, A4 sides and full of readings & results plus the electricians details and signature .

BSI do it different to other schemes. I do the certificate online print it off and give the customer or builder the copy.

 

[OnOff]

That cu picture in post #143 is God awful! 

Presumably the cover must currently be left OFF like this? Itself a danger surely. Brings safe isolation procedures to mind! Show THAT to the BCO if he comes round. Simply should not be leaving it with the lid off like that. Assume YOU were able to access the area and take the pic?

Those T&Es not coming in through knock outs, in there temporary? To be re-routed later?

If this cu is in a cupboard then FFS keep it locked. Even if they're leaving it daily with "one screw" in, little fingers and all that.

And at the end of the day the spaghetti is going to make it a pain for the next guy to test/inspect/add. No pride!

 

[Sharpend]

Do you think the lid was left off deliberately to allow a greater airflow to prevent overheating??? Rip it out and get a professional in to do it properly and contra charge the cowboys.

 

[GeorgeP]

Wow! Just been able to get time to see all these comments.  Something strange happened today.  The electrician texted me to ask for a photo of the mcb.  I didn't know what that was so I had to google it.  I sent him the same pic of the CU that you guys have seen.  They have since put a cover on it.   So, the electrician said he couldn't find the mcb on the photo and could I send him another one.  I went to the house and asked the joiner - he didn't know what the electrician is going on about. So, the builder just happened to stop by and we both had a look.  There are no mcbs on the CU - only RCDs.  I rang him and left a message on his mobile to tell him that. AND THEN....... this electrician who is supposed to be coming tomorrow to finish off and give us a Part P... turned up today at the house without letting us know.  It was the joiner that just happened to see him.  Electrician did not ask for access and did not say hello to the other tradesmen whilst there.  He was supposed to ring my husband back today and didn't. What could he be up to??????

The 'Part P' scrap paper should arrive in the post direct from the scheme operator, ie NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA  etc & its A5 size. It should not come from the builder or electrician. The default is for it to be addressed to 'The current occupier', but i change that to the customers name if its known.

You  should also be given a EIC, (sometimes deic, domestic) Electrical instalation certificate direct from the electrician. This will normally be 6, A4 sides and full of readings & results plus the electricians details and signature .

Thanks!

Point taken, I don't know how big the house is or what's in it.

House is now 5 bedrooms.  It has had a loft conversion that is now two bedrooms with a bathroom.  Downstairs is big "dining" room, kitchen, utility and front room. Upstairs is a small office then 3 bedrooms with a family sized bathroom.  Garage is integral to the house. 

My five year old has just been in and asked why there isn't a double switch for the two light fittings in the kitchen.  :slap   headbang    you have to walk to the other side of the room (about 10 paces) before you get to the other light switch.  You can't also switch the kitchen lights on from the utility room.. which is..... next door....to the kitchen. They are  wired so it's just on one wire and I've been told we can't change that now without chasing it all out. 

 

[Sharpend]

The MCB's are the smaller(thinner) modules with the references of B32,B40 etc. I would guess that he couldn't remember make of MCB's and needs to get one for the cables that haven't been terminated as yet?

 

[GeorgeP]

Aha, thanks.  We have asked him to take out all the old stuff because none of his guys he's sent have done anything with the old wires.  In fact, when he did turn up the other day to assess what needs doing to finalize, he noticed an old socket still in skirting board and said he was surprised to see that still there. I told him it was typical of the work on the job.....

 

[steptoe]

:shakehead

do you want a cut price EICR done when your 'electrician' has finished?

you know the drill,

tight top, short skirt, stillettoe boots, husband out of the way,  :slap

 

[GeorgeP]

Do you think the lid was left off deliberately to allow a greater airflow to prevent overheating??? Rip it out and get a professional in to do it properly and contra charge the cowboys.

Husband's just asked if getting a new CU would solve any potential problems?  Only we are about to move in with two kids and wonder how long putting this right would take.  I was going to pay these guys to get rid of them and then get a bona fide person in to re-inspect and test it all.....

 

[steptoe]

changing your CU may not solve any issues, but it may help the protection somewhat,

its in all honesty, a rough install, especially for the price,

your switching issue could be solved without chasing, and would be cheaper than chasing, via the use of remote switches etc, not ideal, but would be the best you can get under the circumstances

 

[GeorgeP]

:shakehead

do you want a cut price EICR done when your 'electrician' has finished?

you know the drill,

tight top, short skirt, stillettoe boots, husband out of the way,  :slap

I just asked Sharpend's advice on that.. see above.  Tight top would expose beer belly, do not own a short skirt anymore (quite frankly that's just sad) and as for stilletoe boots, what about you borrowing mine - not sure if they fit me any more....   :innocent     But seriously, yes we would appreciate a cut price EICR.  Got to have some piece of mind after the nightmare of this set of vagabonds.  :Blushing

 

[Sharpend]

There's nothing wrong with the Cu in itself purely the disaster of the work gone into throwing the wiring in there.

 

[GeorgeP]

changing your CU may not solve any issues, but it may help the protection somewhat,

its in all honesty, a rough install, especially for the price,

your switching issue could be solved without chasing, and would be cheaper than chasing, via the use of remote switches etc, not ideal, but would be the best you can get under the circumstances

I kept your number in my phone - shall I call you when this electrician has finished? IF HE EVER DOES!!!  headbang

 

[Sharpend]

Apparently the rumour is our Steptoe will work for nothing if beer is on tap and there are motorbikes going round on the telly.

All that talk of short skirts and sharp shoes is just a facade.!

 

[steptoe]

I kept your number in my phone - shall I call you when this electrician has finished? IF HE EVER DOES!!!  headbang

:Blushing

something you need to tell me

:Blushing

yes certainly,

in a professional capacity only tho, Im a married man,  :innocent

without trying to drum business, as I originally explained to you,

what I saw was mostly OK, albeit dog rough, seems things didnt improve, and in fact may have in certain cases got worse.

BTW, being rough isnt a crime, or wrong, but, its certainly NOT right, good, or correct, or becoming of any decent tradesman.

Apparently the rumour is our Steptoe will work for nothing if beer is on tap and there are motorbikes going round on the telly.

All that talk of short skirts and sharp shoes is just a facade.!

well, with beer on tap and motorbikes on telly I probably wouldnt notice anything else anyway, 

 

[GeorgeP]

:Blushing

something you need to tell me

:Blushing

yes certainly,

in a professional capacity only tho, Im a married man,  :innocent

without trying to drum business, as I originally explained to you,

what I saw was mostly OK, albeit dog rough, seems things didnt improve, and in fact may have in certain cases got worse.

BTW, being rough isnt a crime, or wrong, but, its certainly NOT right, good, or correct, or becoming of any decent tradesman.

well, with beer on tap and motorbikes on telly I probably wouldnt notice anything else anyway, 

My husband isn't happy with anything either (especially my lack of short skirts)  :slap  .... we both agreed that we should get someone in to look at this afterwards because of the way they have faffed about.  E-mail me with a quote, as you saw the job when it started and you flagged up things like the CAT 6 - for which I now have three points installed and they haven't been wired to a router.  This is because this latest electrician said there are several ways of doing that depending on how we'd want to use it so I just asked him to leave it, especially seen as I had seen the CU...... 

 

[steptoe]

do I have your e.mail ?

text it to me and I'll sort you something out.

we'll go through how thorough you want to be etc.

 

[kme]

As you have already found out, our Albert is a diamond

From what has been said - they don`t know what they`re doing too well.

The 2 way switching isn`t a problem - as uncle steptoe says - remote switching can solve a multitude of problems

the UTP network cabling is not exactly brain surgery - but it seems as though you have got some really rough workers..

( by the way - I`ve said it before - MY C.U`s aren`t "works of art" - especially replacement DBs can look a bit "scruffy" internally -  but not to THAT extent.)

Steve: I appreciate your comment wrt the RCD sizing; I was going by the (apparent) loading; given the MCB sizes and cable CSAs. You may well be right - but I don`t think it right to consider BOTH RCDs together - iirc, the labeling states that circuits should not exceed maximum stated RCD current......... 

 

[GeorgeP]

We are very glad of this forum!