Please comment on the quality of my electrician's work

[McRae]

Hello,

We have just had our house rewired, and unfortunately we have a dispute with the electrician. There are several issues to be resolved, but we have totally lost confidence in their work. I would be very grateful if I could get some feedback and comments, so I can see if we are being unreasonable, or if their work is below an acceptable standard. I can't post any pictures until I have made a number of posts, but I will reply to any reply I receive to try to reach the point quickly where I can post images. The key issues are as follows:

1. Most of the back boxes for the switches and sockets are not flush with the wall, some are set back by several centimetres. This makes it more difficult for the plasterer to get an edge, and whilst I appreciate that there are ways round it, surely it is normal practice to fit back boxes flush with the wall?

2. The chasing in looks like it has been done with a hilti. I do appreciate that a rewire is a messy and disruptive job, but surely it is possible to chase down the walls with some degree of care. Photo to follow.

3. Possible due to issue 1, most of the holes for the fixing screws for the sockets have been drilled through into adjacent rooms. Some of these have been filled, but others have been left with screws and rawplugs projecting 1cm out of the wall behind. Photo to follow.

4. A double socket has been fitted so close to a radiator that one socket is covered by the rad valve, and can't be used.

5. I asked for an extractor fan to be fitted in the bathroom, but no ducting has been fitted through the wall, and no external vent cover fitted. I queried this, and was told that I hadn't asked for or been invoiced for these items, so shouldn't expect them. (??) Furthermore, he drilled out from the inside of the wall, thus seriously damaging the old external bricks on the front wall of the house. Surely you would normally drill in from the outside to avoid this. Photo to follow.

Please do give me feedback, and I will post pictures as soon as I can. Thanks.

Simon

 

[ProDave]

Sinking the socket boxes so far that the screws and plugs come out into the adjacent room is just rough.

If you can't get a plug in the socket by the radiator, how did he get to the screw to fit the socket?

for a bathroom fan it's normal to drill a small pilot hole from inside then core out the hole from outside. Not fitting a bit of ducting and a cowl is again just rough, the parts are not exactly expensive.

With a bit of luck one of the admin team will see this and enable your posting rights to post pictures as they can see you are not a spammer (which is I believe the reason for the restriction initially) 
 

 

[Tony S]

The only one I think you can quibble about is #4 and that could be argued depending on what was in place first.

 

[McRae]

I should make clear, that I am not withholding payment for poor workmanship - I have paid for the work done, just not for the couple of issues which I want to be re-done. I just want to know if this work sounds reasonable.

I forgot point 6  - I specifically asked them not to touch any BT wiring (just in case they thought that should be stripped out), but they removed two BT sockets and added network sockets which linked into a panel under the stairs, where I can apparently connect the phone with a suitable adaptor.

I am trying to establish whether the quality of the work is of sufficiently poor standard to justify me refusing to let them come back and fix the issues, which would be the normal course of events.

 

[steptoe]

socket boxes are very seldom actually flush, thats not an issue

I always chase with a Kango/Hilti type tool

screws protruding to the other side of the wall?!?!?!?!?!?!  thats just plain rough, it probably should have been packed out with a bit of cement/bonding

makes me also question what was there first as to how the electrician managed to actually fit the socket

if its an upstairs bathroom then drilling from inside out is usual [imho] , not to sleeve or put a grill on is just lazy lazy lazy [prob about £3]

 

[McRae]

thank you, still can't post pictures yet

 

[Lurch]

1. Most of the back boxes for the switches and sockets are not flush with the wall, some are set back by several centimetres. This makes it more difficult for the plasterer to get an edge, and whilst I appreciate that there are ways round it, surely it is normal practice to fit back boxes flush with the wall?

Not unusual to be not completely flush, but several centimetres is a long way from 'somewhere near'.

2. The chasing in looks like it has been done with a hilti. I do appreciate that a rewire is a messy and disruptive job, but surely it is possible to chase down the walls with some degree of care. Photo to follow.

You mention it is an old building. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the plaster has blown so a reasonably straight chase ends up with 1m² of brick exposed! A lot of the plasterers I work with would rather I knock all the loose lettuced off while I am at it so they can make a nice finish to a solid bit of wall.

3. Possible due to issue 1, most of the holes for the fixing screws for the sockets have been drilled through into adjacent rooms. Some of these have been filled, but others have been left with screws and rawplugs projecting 1cm out of the wall behind.

There is no good reason for that. If the sinking of the boxes has ended up with oversized holes then it would usually be good practice to build out the hole so the box is reasonably square and flush. If there isn't enough brick left to fix to then the box would usually be attached using other methods, usually cemented in, not screwed through to next door!

4. A double socket has been fitted so close to a radiator that one socket is covered by the rad valve, and can't be used.

Poor. If there is no room for a double then fit a single, or fit it somewhere else. Accessories should not be obscured by fixed objects (like radiators).

5. I asked for an extractor fan to be fitted in the bathroom, but no ducting has been fitted through the wall, and no external vent cover fitted. I queried this, and was told that I hadn't asked for or been invoiced for these items, so shouldn't expect them.

This is a bit of a he said/I said thing, but really if the electrician has drilled the hole and fitted the fan I cannot see why they wouldn't also fit the ducting and grille. Either all or nothing really, that's a bit of an odd no mans land of a job.

Furthermore, he drilled out from the inside of the wall, thus seriously damaging the old external bricks on the front wall of the house. Surely you would normally drill in from the outside to avoid this. Photo to follow.

Depends, I have drilled from inside out (using a core drill) many times with no issue. Stitch drilling though, not so much.

 

[Sharpend]

Screws protruding through wall is plain rough and rubbish, assuming that the wall is standard thickness 4" ? Are the walls render or Dot&dab? Standard 25mm back boxes rarely need chasing in to wall if dot and dab. 

As for the fan hole, if using a proper core drill and bit then from inside to out will not smash brick face. Duct and grill usually come complete as a kit, but either way they're not expensive. 

 

[Tony S]

thank you, still can't post pictures yet

Use a 3rd party hosting site (photobucket) and link from there.

 

[Murdoch]

An extractor fan without a proper duct and or vent is not complete imho.

Sounds a right lash up by amateurs ......

edit. Have they given you an eic or confirmation that part p notification has been done? Do you have their scheme numbers?

 

[Andy™]

1. Most of the back boxes for the switches and sockets are not flush with the wall, some are set back by several centimetres. This makes it more difficult for the plasterer to get an edge, and whilst I appreciate that there are ways round it, surely it is normal practice to fit back boxes flush with the wall?

2. The chasing in looks like it has been done with a hilti. I do appreciate that a rewire is a messy and disruptive job, but surely it is possible to chase down the walls with some degree of care. Photo to follow.

3. Possible due to issue 1, most of the holes for the fixing screws for the sockets have been drilled through into adjacent rooms. Some of these have been filled, but others have been left with screws and rawplugs projecting 1cm out of the wall behind. Photo to follow.

4. A double socket has been fitted so close to a radiator that one socket is covered by the rad valve, and can't be used.

5. I asked for an extractor fan to be fitted in the bathroom, but no ducting has been fitted through the wall, and no external vent cover fitted. I queried this, and was told that I hadn't asked for or been invoiced for these items, so shouldn't expect them. (??) Furthermore, he drilled out from the inside of the wall, thus seriously damaging the old external bricks on the front wall of the house. Surely you would normally drill in from the outside to avoid this. Photo to follow.

Please do give me feedback, and I will post pictures as soon as I can. Thanks.

1: its rarely possible to get the box sitting flush with the wall. it will usually be in the wall a bit. it also give a little extra room for fitting wires, but should not really be in by several cm. if it is because the wall has crumbled etc, then a deeper box could be fitted

2: re-wiring is very destructive. some walls even chased carefully look like they have been done with a wrecking ball

3: it does sometimes go through the wall. but there shouldnt be screws there

4: either the radiator was fitted later or he sounds like an idiot (we have seen plenty plumbers cover electrics)

5: i almost always drill inside to out. but with a core drill it wont damage the outside by much at all (if anything). bit duct and vent should be included as part of the job of fitting the fan. if he was any use, he could also fit the vent and duct without even getting ladders upto the hole

 

[McRae]

They have told me that part P notification has been done, but I haven't actually seen evidence of that yet. Perhaps my copy is in the post. They are still registered with NICEIC.

Please find a few sample photos attached, as promised.



Sorry, now I have posted one photo of < 0.5mb, it won't let me attach any more. I will have to go to plan B.

 

[Andy™]

old plaster often crumbles away like that, although the chase does look a bit wire just below the picture rail. there is also a lack of cables in the bit thats been chased out, unless it hasnt been wired yet?

 

[Murdoch]

What about the EIC (Electrical installation certificate)?

 

[McRae]

Sorry, I don't know what the EIC is. If that is something that they should have given me on completion, I haven't seen it

BTW, they chased out that wall then decided to run the cables down the other side of the wall as there is a switch behind

 

[Manator]

A chase with no wires installed?? I see them below but not down the chase.

We should name and shame!!

 

[McRae]

Aha - I think I can only upload one photo in between other members' replies. If I try to upload two consecutively, it broaches the size limit by merging the messages. Sorry, I haven't got the hang of this forum yet.

 

[McRae]

Shaver socket set too deep into the wall (the previous photo of projecting rawplugs shows the other side of the wall on my landing)

 

[Lurch]

TBF that chase is a bit wide, and a bit pointless (plans change, it happens) but it is still pretty tidy. I wouldn't be too disappointed with that.

The shaver socket should really be in a 47mm box, that is a 25mm by the looks of it, hence why it is cut in so deep. At that point there isn't much wall left behind it, I would have probably tried to avoid drilling all the way through, but those weren't as bad as I was expecting (if they are the only ones) and the shaver socket is the only device in the house that needs such a deep box usually.

 

[Manator]

Sorry, I don't know what the EIC is. If that is something that they should have given me on completion, I haven't seen it

BTW, they chased out that wall then decided to run the cables down the other side of the wall as there is a switch behind

View attachment 7658

This is where they came through the other side of the wall!!

I would always advise anyone to get at least three quotes for a job. There is a very good long standing argument for this.

Firstly two of the quotes will be very close, and inevitably very much higher than the cheapest. The highest quote will often be itemised, and requires no additional costs as the quote has perceived this and given a fair assessment of unforeseen circumstances. However with all the information it is worth talking to the two closest quotes and finding a mutual ground that you can work with.

The lowest quote should always be thrown in the bin, they have no conception of business, profit, or even regulation. It is amazing how many people fall for the low quote, but then again we would not have programs like watchdog, cowboy builders and the like without them.