Discuss BAD wiring- what can the customer do? in the Industrial Electricians' Talk area at ElectriciansForums.net

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I never like to complain about others peoples work, but this job takes the biscuit! Sorry about the long thread too, but this is the worst i have seen in a long time!

I got a call out over the christmas to a bungalow where the RCD kept tripping.

I had a quick look around and found that there was nothing plugged in, the lady had just bought the house and moved in a few days before but not yet brought her furniture etc. The fault was traced quite quickly to the socket circuit (IR reading 0.2!) and then we found water under the floor and joint boxes lying in the water. In the joint box was 2 x 2.5 T & E, which hadnt been cut, they had both had the sheath removed and then crossed over so in effect the ring was crossed!



P1080351.JPG

After a bit more look around we found that the ring main showed a ring in the kitchen, but in fact that too had been crossed somewhere and that ring was fed from a single 2.5 to another JB in the loft. 2 of the sockets had 4 sets of cables in! Some of the cables fell out the terminations as the cover was pulled forward! The lady had bought the house as the kitchen was fairly new and she thought the house didnt need any work doing to it!

P1080388.JPGP1080348.JPG


At the same time the kitchen was fitted, they fitted new LV down lights and cupboard lighting! This was the first thing i saw over the kitchen, which says it all about the wiring in the house!

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I explained all about the dangers and bad wiring practice saying that everyone needs to be Part P registered and comply with regulations. I was asked my advice on what to do and i said she needed the house rewired!

I have been doing the rewire over the last few days and she came with a 'piece of paper' she found amongst all the paperwork she got with the house!

I was mortified today when she presented me with a Minor Works Certificate from a NAPIT registered electrician which was dated for sept 09 for the alteration to the kitchen ring main! She doesnt have a one for the lights.

The first and most glaringly obvious point from the certificate, is that this so called registered electrician (who recorded his position as 'Inspector') is that he thinks it is a TNC-S system - hmmmm.... dont think so mate!

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He also recorded the earth (that goes to the rod directly below the board) as being 16mm, when it is actually 10mm!

so.....

What can the home owner do about this? apart from complain to NAPIT. Can she go back to the tester and claim any compensation? To be fair, or kind of, i think the so called inspector has gone along and signed off the work of some one day wonder spark, or kitchen fitter who thinks he's a spark cos it looks easy!

Will the LABC tell her what work was notified to them - ie the kitchen ring or the lights in the kitchen, or will they refuse!

Any suggestions chaps?
 
I dont know how long you have been a Spark, but you will see a lot of this, and most of it will be a lot worse believe me. this sort of stuff is common place in my experience, and yes some of it is by registered and qualified Sparks. Fortunately there are those of us who like to sleep at night, so we work properly. It is this minority that give the rest of the trade a bad name. all you can do is keep taking the photo's for you archive like i do, and sort out the mess. The worst job i have seen was by a DIY'er, he had spurred a radial off ring final and added 4 twin sockets wired in 0.75mm 2 core flex, the stuff that is on pendants all protected (or not as the case was) by a 3036 30a rewireable fuse, not an earth in sight. His comments "it cant be that bad cos they all work".

Cheers........Howard
 
Sorry buddy this is not my area but nice piccys of top quality workmanship there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It must be a nightmare when you say to a client your house is a nightmare and needs a rewire...especially if they think your the one who's pulling the wool over their eyes.sure one of the guys on here will have an answer.
 
Sorry buddy this is not my area but nice piccys of top quality workmanship there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It must be a nightmare when you say to a client your house is a nightmare and needs a rewire...especially if they think your the one who's pulling the wool over their eyes.sure one of the guys on here will have an answer.

Yeah, i always feel bad when i have to tell them that, but more so in this one when i told her all about the Part P stuff, and that i was registered with NAPIT!
 
I personally dont have a problem telling her majesties public the truth, and i always advise them to get a second opinion to mine in cases like this if they have any doubts. It is just this sort of thing that keeps the roof over my head. Not wishing anyone any harm or injury, but long may this type of workmanship continue, it keeps me busy, very busy.

Cheers...........Howard
 
Did you mention you have allready started rewiring? if so bit late now. although through experience of simmilar issue of napit i believe not agreat deal would be done about it rotten to the core.
 
Did you mention you have allready started rewiring? if so bit late now. although through experience of simmilar issue of napit i believe not agreat deal would be done about it rotten to the core.

Yep, already started. I never in million years thought that she would turn up with a certificate! Thought it had been some un registered cowboy, turns out to be a registered one! Luckily, regardless of the faults on the circuits, the lack of knowledge re the earthing arrangement cant be argued with if NAPIT do send an inspector!
 
Who's going to prove who done what? she moved in after the work was done. So a mistake or two was made on the test sheet over the earth system and earth size.

Poor workmanship just endorses the fact that part p does nothing to help its paying members, just gives the good guys of the part p a bad name.

More of this should help get rid of part p and its members.
 
I think just the one example should be enough to lead to the suspension of his membership! Or is it that they would rather get his annual fee, than protect the unwary public?
 
That sums it up, doesn't it ?

The standard of work is awful, the chances of any action against the previous installer(s) are probably non existent.

On another note, can anyone understand why someone would buy a house for say £200,000 and not have the services checked by the relevant trades?

It just amazes me, people buy a second hand car for say £5000 and get a mechanic to check it over! Weird!
 

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