Assessment Job

[mikparkes]

Despite avoiding notifiable jobs as I only normally do electrics part time due to my work being slow decided to join a competent person scheme.
Turns out I can notify my assessment job after I join scheme so saving paying council £150. So I get a job to fit a shower and a consumer unit.
Also spoke to someone at Elesca about what jobs I can use.

Seems easy enough and at first glance didn't look to hard. Fitted shower and a cooker circuit easy enough, then came the consumer unit.
It was only after digging through the coats and shoes under the stairs that I started to realized how bad the wiring was. I removed the fuse board,
the 4 way rcd board and 2 fused breaker boards after removing all the now unused cable I found that the house had no equipotential bonding.
To cut a long story short there are circuits coming from every direction cables only just reach inside CU, I have made them as tidy as i can in the CU
One circuit is wired in a cable I can't identify,and as for clipping cables for new circuits to wall to keep them tidy it failed because the plaster was damp and fell of the wall.

Now I understand that as a contractor brought in to do a job I am only responsible for the work I do and not the whole building. I have tested the house and It checks out.
I have listed all these defects on the Installation Cert under "comments on existing installation".

My worry is that when I do my Elesca Assessment he is going to expect it to look like a new rewire and not take into account the poor shape of the installation when I arrived.
Do any of you guys who have done assessments know what these guys are like or have any advice for me

Cheers Mik

 

[gnselectricals]

I wouldn't use it as an assessment job if it's as bad as you say, I would add a socket to a circuit or something along those lines perhaps in your house but make sure everything is tidy.
I would however go to the original job and install protective bonding to the incoming services as this is something that should be checked on all jobs prior to carrying out work. Also a couple of bits of trunking & a joint box or 2 would give you a tidy install to the DB, something to think of on the next one.

Regards
Gram

 

[mikparkes]

Thanks for the advice.

Actually to install protective bonding would require ripping up the floor boards in the living room as the gas and water are nowhere near the electric.

As for using an additional socket as an assessment think thats too small a job.

I was wondering if rearranging 2 16A circuits (half kitchen & half kitchen and bedrooms) into a 16A and 32A circuit (Bedrooms and kitchen) would count as new circuits.
Think i'll give them a call and ask.

 

[JD6400]

Is this a wind-up ?
What about the non existing bonding that you have just left !

 

[gnselectricals]

You can't leave it like that, just get a sparky to sort it out mate

 

[mikparkes]

Got to go back tomorrow and finish of some small jobs (damaged socket covers).

Was just saying the bonding is not a small job and I would not be able to pop in and throw a piece of cable in.

I will have a list of things that need to be done that do not comply with regs and hopefully she will agree to have this work done,
but as with anything I can only do what they let be do.

 

[topquark]

You shouldn't be undertaking any new work unless that work includes the necessary main bonding of incoming services (and upgrading of the main tails, if necessary).

 

[CSEE]

With the issues of non bonding, good practice is you should not complete any work or alterations to property unless you include to rectify the non bonding issues,this is a non compliance to BS7671 2008.
In my own opinion you need to look at work twice, quote once! as clients will not be happy with extras being asked for that should have been picked up during the visit where you went to quote the work.
If they are an awkward client they may possibly insist that you complete this work FOC as it should be upgraded to lastest BS 7671 Standards.
As for your comment of " Now I understand that as a contractor brought in to do a job I am only responsible for the work I do and not the whole building. I have tested the house and It checks out."
It fails the Testing as no Bonding, and as a contractor it is your responsibility to put this right which should of been in your quotation.
Personally i would walk away from a job, if client did not want to rectify exisiting non compliances such as earthing.

Darren

 

[davetherave1979]

if you dont go and do the bonding then im=n my appion you shouldnt be allowed to join a schem as there is a chance that this is what you will be doing at every job if you are a fully qulified sparks as people have said on hear then you now that there should be bonding

 

[Dave 85]

Can you clip a 10mm earth round the outside of the house to get to the gas and water? If you can then you should be able to use this job as your assessment.

 

[mikparkes]

Been back today and fitted the bonding under the floor boards. Turned out easier than i'd thought it would be.

This will teach me to properly inspect a job no matter how much crap is under the stairs with the fuse box.

Thanks for all the advice ...

 

[tesla09]

got my assessment soon
iam going to be very carful