Small Socket Fire In Newbuild House Info Needed

[kerching]

Your very humble at the moment kerching anything to do with the kia?

I have some "issues" at present all of which will become apparent to those who know me within a couple of days

Just waiting

 

[anth1987]

Yes i agree im not going in guns blazing ive asked what they intend to do and explain to me why i have several faults on the sockets so far i have had checked downstairs and in my daughters bedroom. They want to send out the same company who installed the "bodged" job electrical work in the first place so i have declined and will have my own indendant electrician out to test all the electrics and see what else he finds before i kick up a fuss. In this life you get no where just rolling over and accepting this so far found shoddy workman ship. I worked very hard for years to save up my deposit for this house so you can imagine im pretty pi$sed off about the matter. Cheers

 

[NozSpark]

By refusing to allow the person's who carried out the work to rectify it you could be causing yourself problems.

Whilst you have a right to have a safe and properly functioning house, the contractors also have the responsibility to repair it,,,, they do not have any responsibility to pay for your chosen contractor to carry out repairs though

 

[Doc Hudson]

Noz makes a very valid point. No matter how upset and frustrated you are by the poor standards and we all understand your reluctance to have the original contractors back, unfortunately if you get a third party in to investigate the work, the original contractor can deny their findings and claim that your new contractor has messed up their original work. Within the eyes of the law it is perfectly reasonable that a trader may have made a mistake on some part of their work and if they have, it is also reasonable that they should be given opportunity to put right any discrepancies identified. But it is unreasonable to expect some compensation from the original trader when you have already employed someone else to fix something they have not had a chance to fix themselves. Consider if a customer complained about some of your work but took the car to another mechanic first to have it fixed, then came with that bill to you to pay for them. You would quite rightly decline to pay saying you were not given any opportunity to fix it yourself at your own cost, which may also be cheaper than the new bill. I would think if you are using another electrician, you need a third party observer from the builders there while you have your own electrician investigating the installation, or it could end up one big denial or responsibilities argument.

Doc H.

 

[anth1987]

Cheers guys i have managed to get a friend whos an electrician to come and oversee them check the original work as i know the basics of household electrics and would know obvious things like what i found in the picture posted above but want to know exactly how bad the house has been wired etc . I want to know how many of the sockets etc have been faulty so i can go back to the builder and see how we can resolve this matter. Im well aware that these things can happen and yes if it had just been the 1 socket that was incorrectly fitted i would accept that with just repaired but so far i have 6 sockets out of 9 checked that are faulty. Its just not acceptable when there leaving loose wires behind sockets. Whats to say they havent earthed a socket correctly and as ive already found in 4 sockets live wires left loose and my daughter was to touch the metal screws in the face plate etc as you know this is what kids do. Its not worth thinkin about.

 

[Sharpend]

Out if interest how loose is loose? I have put a new socket on then a couple of days later had to open it up again and found that the screws would take another 1/4 - 1/2 turn. Copper is a soft metal and is subject to compression so can settle and leave the screws looser, add to that that AC is alternating and whilst not noticeable to the eye does effect the copper. Hence why sockets that have been on for a while will appear loose at the terminals if disturbed???

 

[anth1987]

Loose as in pinch bolt/screw wound all the way out on every socket found faulty. You could pull the wires in and out the socket with no evidence of the screw being tightened up onto the wire. As the end of the wires still fresh with no clamp marks from being clamped down by a screw.

 

[Steve3948]

This may have been an apprentice using incorrect size screwdriver or afraid to do them too tight.

You can have too tight which will weaken the connection or when moved snap off completely.

The company responcible will have a warranty period but if you let someone touch the installation that warranty will be void.

I was called out a few years ago with almost the exact same issue, I made it safe and the customer contacted the builder next day, a few days after the Electrical Contractor called and asked how much he owed us for the call out.

I was later told the the contractor sent someone in to check all the installation right through, it was blamed on a 2nd year apprentice.

 

[OnOff]

Seems more than a few complaints about electrics from a quick Google:

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=persimmon+homes+electrical+complaints&oq=persimmon+homes+electrical+complaints&aqs=chrome..69i57.17761j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8

Surely if screws were that loose you would get an idea of this when doing the end to end tests on the ring? Would have been interesting to have done this before tightening any screws and then comparing with the original Schedules Of Test. No doubt the results don't vary much between neighbouring houses but then why would they.......similar cable runs, fittings etc. 

 

[anth1987]

Yes ive read some horror stories from this builder so doesnt suprise me to be honest. Wrong size screwdriver? These were at the end of the thread these screws. I doubt a screwdriver even touched the screw ends lol!! I think this house has just been a complete rush job for completion and my opinion was thrown together and it probably hasnt even been tested correctly. From been told this wasnt a high priority when i had no down stairs electric for a day/night as i didnt want to repair the wire as then i would be liable, it now seems since theve seen pics and a report from there out of hours electrician about several electrical faults i now have top managers constantly ringing me up on a daily basis. at least im now getting somewhere

 

[binky]

sockets quite often have 'captive screws' ie the screws are backed out and retained by an indent in the metal so they don't drop out in transit. Problem is many apprentices mistake the tightness of the screw as meaning it's been clamped down tight on the conductor.

 

[kerching]

Just a thought.......

I have seen a fair few of them where the cable has been put on the "wrong side" of the clamp. The clamp screw tightened then onto fresh air

A quick tug when you have finished is advised

Just advising

 

[Steve3948]

What you have a quick tug after you have finished, I'm impressed

 

[kerching]

Always time for a tug if you think it warrants it

 

[OnOff]

Seeing how this thread has degenerated so, it seems apt to point out that the Afrikaan's slang word for one who "tugs" in is fact "draadtrekker

The literal translation being "wire puller". So if some hairy Saffa calls you a "Dradtrekker" he's NOT being friendly.

A big thanks to my mate Si, ex ZA navy sparks all the way from PE / the brig at Walvis Bay for broadening my education! Thanks to him "Ek praat n' bietjie Afrikaans"  but it's mainly limited to "Nice ar**!" / "That bloke in the suit is a c**t!" / "Grab the tools/drill" and "There's the light fitting!" Out of hours we can add "Another beer!" to that list.

:lol:

 

[kerching]

always good to have a smattering