Partial lighting rewire problems

[Blue Fox]

Hello all,

Doing a c/u change along with a kitchen rewire, new sockets and hanging a chandelier and found the lighting circuit has no earth, so let the customer know that the chandelier can't go up nor can the other metal light fittings stay unless the earthing is done. The customer is happy for me to rewire the lighting circuit except some of the switch drops as the only way to get to them would be to lift some floor boards on top of which they have just had a carpet laid and will not let me take it up. I am thinking of doing what I can and the switches I can't get to putting plastic screws in and noting this on the cert, what do you all think am I ok to do this?

 

[NozSpark]

Tell them to get a carpet fitter in.. It'll cost them all of

 

[matt.leung]

bad practice, but one solution is to change the lighting switches to plastic and instead of a metal B/B use a plastic one.. this way if the switch line has not earth, there is no way of getting a shock from the switch its self. even with the use of metal screws as now a days the plastic B/B inner threads are totally surrounded with plastic... (acts like double insulating) but you will need to sort out the earthing at the light it's self. what i mentioned above is only a temp solution.

 

[Blue Fox]

They are happy for me to do the main supplies to the lights just not the switch drops. Not happy about the carpet fitter coming in as carpet was only laid a couple of weeks ago - why can't people call the electrician first rather than last and expect us to magic cables into place!

 

[revjames]

I know people who do the whole house up, new bathroom, re decorate, new flooring and carpets and then think about re wiring the place!

 

[NozSpark]

They are happy for me to do the main supplies to the lights just not the switch drops. Not happy about the carpet fitter coming in as carpet was only laid a couple of weeks ago - why can't people call the electrician first rather than last and expect us to magic cables into place!

It's amazing that a carpet is more impoortant than a safe electrical installationheadbangheadbang

 

[ian932]

A spot of bedtime reading, there is a bit in there about risk assessment

http://esc.org.uk/pdfs/business-and-community/electrical-industry/BPG1_08.pdf

 

[revjames]

I was comissioning a house of a senior RAF officer (forces property) and the clerk of works and RAF inspector were on their way to have the house handed back from the main contractor. I noticed that the wall lights were not working. Recalling the approx position of a JB I went upstairs to the newly carpeted bedroom. (bear in mind the arrival of the officials was imminent) I quickly pulled the carpet up and to my surprise they had also put down vynil floor tiles as well. I pulled a couple up found the right floorboard, found the JB and the cable that should have been in it and connected it. Whacked down the tiles putting the little nails from tower clips in the corners, pulled the carpet up to the gripperrods with my bare hands and used a bolster chisel to push the edge behind them, quickly brushed the carpet and put all the bits and pieces away. My look out then told me 'theyre coming'. Place was inspected and passed without a hitch!

 

[NozSpark]

New carpet is much easier to refit than an old one - goes down much nicer!

 

[revjames]

In the above case I was very thankfuil for that!