M
Millboy
Hi chaps, This is part looking for advice, part moan. Bear with me..
Ive been asked to look at a rewire, no spec just what I think would be necessary (usually a mid range install, nothing fancy but no £1 sockets etc.) Now the install is 40-50 years old and is an overhead supply, as is common to the area the house is in. Looking at the earth coming in it is 2.5mm unsheathed, partially protected by rusty metal capping, and goes out the wall, disappearing under the concrete at the rear of the house, never to be seen again.
I included in my price a new rod, earth pit etc etc. Another electrician has been and told the client that the existing rod is fine and he's tested it blah blah blah (I tested it at 70 ohms). The point isn't that the reading is too high, IMO on a rewire everything needs to be put right ie. the rod needs to be accessible, connections protected etc. and that I'm not happy with the bare minimum size earthing conductor.
That's the moan over with now the question... The client says they want to go ahead with the rewire but keep the existing earth "if it satisfies the regs". Now I know there's a reg that says the connection should be accessible and protected from corrosion in the 17th, but if it was ok to bury them 40 years ago, then can it stay and not conform to the
current edition of regs?
Ive been asked to look at a rewire, no spec just what I think would be necessary (usually a mid range install, nothing fancy but no £1 sockets etc.) Now the install is 40-50 years old and is an overhead supply, as is common to the area the house is in. Looking at the earth coming in it is 2.5mm unsheathed, partially protected by rusty metal capping, and goes out the wall, disappearing under the concrete at the rear of the house, never to be seen again.
I included in my price a new rod, earth pit etc etc. Another electrician has been and told the client that the existing rod is fine and he's tested it blah blah blah (I tested it at 70 ohms). The point isn't that the reading is too high, IMO on a rewire everything needs to be put right ie. the rod needs to be accessible, connections protected etc. and that I'm not happy with the bare minimum size earthing conductor.
That's the moan over with now the question... The client says they want to go ahead with the rewire but keep the existing earth "if it satisfies the regs". Now I know there's a reg that says the connection should be accessible and protected from corrosion in the 17th, but if it was ok to bury them 40 years ago, then can it stay and not conform to the
current edition of regs?
