Bad things found during a PIR

BillyTheSparks · Mar 10, 2011

Hi All, I have been doing a domestic PIR due to an install from 2007 where the supposedly NICEIC 'sparks' refused to sign the certificate. Anyway my client asked if I would sign it for them. I have refused due to some of the things I found....

Enjoy these:

I like the earth wire used as Neutral and switched Live.
And the earths not joined through in the joint box,
Oh and the smoke alarms wired with T&E with the earth as the interlink.

DurhamSparky · Mar 10, 2011

what about the bonding!! oh dam no clamps left lets just place it on the pipe!! same effect YEAH!!

keniff · Mar 10, 2011

Is that the water bond screwed in the compression joint? Lol

Geordie Spark · Mar 11, 2011

It looks like one of my jobs !!

It all works fine, so it's ok innit.

grantr37 · Mar 11, 2011

Ok so I see splashes of Galvi paint(dried in) on the earth sleeve on one of those pictures, would have been off cuts on a commercial site dropped on the floor and then had the galvi paint spilled on it, so this is where I assume that a labourer/electricians mate of possible non uk origin has scooped it up and kept it.....then went out and "tried" their hand at homers probably for Cash n hand....and re-used it...if this was out of a packet it wouldnt have had the grey paint on it....

Dont sign off on this LOL it would be you accepting responsibility for it, its like the customer saying "well I got it cheap....and....erm...I want you to fix the mess for free" so just do a runner...before he starts saying its all your fault or that its your doing as "last one that touched it"..."oh how could he leave it like that- smirks"....*plumber- "I would write to electsar or sumthink"*

RUN!!!!! quick I'll get the van started....

If it was me it would be- *customer* "Just sign it".........*me* poing...clatter......Electrician shaped hole in the wall....arms skyward....and straight through the wooden gate as well without stopping eithers....so a hole in that too...

wee_ron · Mar 11, 2011

Couldn't believe the Earth Bonding. How hard is it to put a clamp on a copper pipe?

grantr37 · Mar 11, 2011

hard enough if they cant be arsed and will be going back home again anyway/wont be in the area long......

mogga · Mar 11, 2011

Im having a look at pictures n the wife loked over my shoulder n said"holly chit is even I know thats not meant to loook like that!"

Hope the Lone Ranger stops whoever did this from lifting a screwdriver in the future but I doubt they will ever get caught

BillyTheSparks · Mar 11, 2011

The pictures of the earth as a neutral (pic3 & 11) were of the outside wall lights. The wire sleaved as earth went to the second light but thats where it stopped. So the outside metal class1 fittings are not even earthed.

I said to the client that I'm not signing any certificates until the PIR is complete, and even then only if everything is satisfactory. So there is NO WAY I'm signing it!

The earth bonding to the gas did have a clamp, although it was loose and moved very easily.

I don't think I've ever been so amazed/discussed/astonished/annoyed over someone elses work.

I have this blokes number, and really feel like I should call him. But I'm not sure if this would be a good idea as the client is thinking of going through the NIC complaints procedure.
Has anyone ever been in this situation?

robsparky1975 · Mar 11, 2011

the client can only get the COWBOY,AHEM sorry meant to say electrician who did the install to sign off an EIC,you cant as you did not do it so legally are not allowed to,the niceic as you may already know will either get him back to rectify the faults or appoint another nic sparks to repair all that needs doing at no expense to the client,you can still charge for your PIR and sign that because you are only making a report and its down to your professional opinion if its satisfactory/unsatisfactory,unless they get the cowboy back its a no no for EIC.

mogga · Mar 11, 2011

Iv got a neighbour wanting a PIR doing over the weekend house war rewired by rewire squad last year but NO NIC I told him Id PIR but anything found WOULD be on PIR unless it was rectifiable there n then he said N.P. I then told him about notifyable CU change rewire ect hes crapping himself as the house is on the market and I think the guy buying it WILL check all certs ect question
Should I a Do the PIR and any remedials or B tell him to get guys who did the job back to cert it ( it was done as a cash,homer(forigner) depending on where your from)

sythai · Mar 11, 2011

Had a good one this week myself.... customer just about to move in but DNO wont energise supply without a PIR cert, obviously limited to dead tests only (new one to me, normally require a completion certificate)

Lucky they did request this, as

What should have been a days work ended up being 3 days....

Whole place had been DIY'd, I ended up having to disconnect 2 of the circuits and cut the ends right out of the CU. Wish I had taken some photos, well here's a list a few of the issues:

Shower with standard 32a junction box directly above it at head height, and both the inner cores of the joined 6mm t+e's showing !!
Metal light switches, no cpc's to plate
Metal downlights, no r1+r2, cpc's snipped off
Various metal sockets no r1+r2, cpc's floating around in back
Class 1 fitting in bathroom, no bond to casing
2 x broken rings
No earth sleeving or grommets anywhere
Multiple spurs off spurs on the down ring

Got another one this week, hopefully this will go a bit better

BillyTheSparks · Mar 11, 2011

Thanks for the info robsparky. I wasn't too sure how this would 'go down isit'. I didn't want to call the milkybar kid and tip him off to anything the NIC can/will do.

Out of interest what can the NIC acually do???

gamblor6 · Mar 11, 2011

loving the main bond there lol. how can that not leak? far less the electrical probs. pir eh. we love em.

saveloy · Mar 11, 2011

mogga said:
Iv got a neighbour wanting a PIR doing over the weekend house war rewired by rewire squad last year but NO NIC I told him Id PIR but anything found WOULD be on PIR unless it was rectifiable there n then he said N.P. I then told him about notifyable CU change rewire ect hes crapping himself as the house is on the market and I think the guy buying it WILL check all certs ect question
Should I a Do the PIR and any remedials or B tell him to get guys who did the job back to cert it ( it was done as a cash,homer(forigner) depending on where your from)

Tricky one. I would think the solicitor will advise that the install should be registered properly in which case a PIR won't cut it and your neighbour will be wasting his money. Having said that, depending on how much the buyer wants the place, he might ignore the solictor's advice and buy without Part P registration. He could try and knock down the purchase price by the cost of a rewire to cover himself.

Personally I would tell the neighbour to get the other lot back and get it registered if poss. All IMHO of course!