Log cabin burnt down

[Ash]

This log cabin has only been built 4 months ago and it's now burnt down. It was quite obviously an electrical problem so I was asked to go have a look.

The electrician who installed it works for a company and this was a private job. The company signed it off, however on the cert, his name was under the design, construction and testing part, but no signatures. No Cert number, and the company's NICEIC reg number was used.

The installation looked like it had all been done professionally, 63A HRC fuse from the tails with a 25mm SWA cable feeding, Earth rod outside all earthing and bonding there, test results were all good except a couple of high Zs readings but all RCD'd.

I was struggling to work out the cause, but with the overhype of torque screwdrivers I tried to pull out wires from the left over of the circuit breakers, some successfully but after pulling hard.

The I found the polystyrene sheet...

 

[ProDave]

So what do you think the cause of ignition was?

Polystyrene insulation is never a good idea, it's just so flamible. But it still takes something burning to ignite it. PVC and polystyrene don't mix, but I would have thought even that was not the cause as the building is too new.

As many of you know I do a lot of wiring in "portable" timber buildings, but in our case all the services are installed in a service void quite seperate to any insulation.

 

[Ash]

more pics

 

[Ash]

I struggled to find anything, apparently the only thing actively on was storage heaters and a PC.

 

[Steve3948]

The source of the fire will be where the main concentration of burning took place, don't they call it hot spot or something.

 

[Ash]

next issue, the company don't want to know and the electrician has no insurance

 

[ProDave]

What's that in the top right picture in post #3? looks like something containing electronic components, I can see what looks like a resistor.

The only thing "wrong" I can see is lack of grommet in the top of the metal clad box, but that's clearly NOT what caught fire.

Did the local FB attend? did they attempt to identify the cause of the fire?

The electrician could be in deep doo doo with no insurance IF his work was found to be the fault, but let's not jump to conclusions.

 

[Ash]

If I remember it was just melted insulation.

The rest I don't know yet.

This is such a tough one because the majority of it has been done properly

 

[revjames]

sorry just read the list of unread posts "log cabin burnt down, started by Ash" made me smile - arsonist!

 

[kme]

Pic 4 looks line 2 core cables into a JB - WTF is going on? And I don`t know what I`m looking at in pic 5.

They need a fire investigation officer in there...........with a name like "ash", you don`t want to be too associated with it, do you :slap

 

[batty]

Loop readings seem quite low for TT or did he export earth?

 

[samson337]

^ That's what I thought. It looks like he has exported the earth, but also has a rod.

 

[Barx]

Wouldn't be the first time I'd seen a storage heater cause fire. Had to rewire a high-rise flat that had only been re-wired 3 months previous. hot spot was a storage heater.

 

[binky]

if stuff was generally done right, then most likely cause is loose termination or some other form of poor termination - it's too easy to do. Other possibility is vermin

 

[Steve3948]

Mostly electrical fires are appliance faults or items placed over things, electrical connections should be inside non flamible enclosures, so we can sleep at night.

 

[Doc Hudson]

next issue, the company don't want to know and the electrician has no insurance

Surely this should be taken up with the formal complaints procure to the NICEIC if they are issuing certificates with an NIC reg No?

Doc H.

 

[Steve3948]

Surely this should be taken up with the formal complaints procure to the NICEIC if they are issuing certificates with an NIC reg No?Doc H.

Oddly, NIC terms and conditions are that you have insurance and it is checked on assessment each year, so not sure how the guy has none.

Ash has not pointed to it being directly a fault with the electrical installation from what I see, it looks from the photo's that it started in the corner of the kitchen, what was there ?

 

[ProDave]

... from what I see, it looks from the photo's that it started in the corner of the kitchen, what was there ?

Yes I thought that too.

There are a lot of wires hanging down in that corner. What's that all for?

 

[Andy™]

Oddly, NIC terms and conditions are that you have insurance and it is checked on assessment each year, so not sure how the guy has none.

possibly expired after assessment and not renewed?

 

[revjames]

Looks like it started in the consumer unit - probably usual loose connections, high load from a cooker/toaster/kettle. just a thought.