Dodgy trade pictures for your amusement! - 1 Million Views!

[Baddegg]

It works......it’s fine......just need someone to sign it off.....

 

[Toneyz]

That there is a total abortion, @Marcus Vaughan
I can’t see one regulation that HAS been adhered to.
The gray sheath is inside the enclosure though

 

[-Matt]

Interesting one I found the other week, nice laser cut and labelled front panel (sorry no picture), yet they couldn't think of a better solution for the earth and neutral bars other than a choc block!

 

[casperLennon]

Is the rcd not serving any purpose? This picture is really hurting my eyes and head.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Can we actually make a list of what's wrong? It's kinda tricky because some of the errors have mistakes in them. It's non-compliant in so many ways, perhaps more interesting is to work out where the real danger lies.

If I'm reading Marcus's comments right, it's fed from a 15A BS3036. On paper the cable is not rated for that (nor for 'power' circuits of any rating) but in truth it would be very hard to overheat it badly on a 15A fuse unless it's fully embedded in thermal insulation. Seems the fuse hasn't blown, so although the Ib, Iz and In are all the wrong way about, it's probably not going to hurt anyone.

The MCB rating is irrelevant - if the incoming cable isn't going to melt, the outgoing ones won't either. There are lots of legacy circuits without RCD protection; not connecting it doesn't make it any more dangerous than those. The colour code doesn't make any difference until you start modifying or testing. The leccy doesn't care which wire is which. Grommets, bare copper, chock block, meh.

Which brings us to that earth bar, sorry, neutral bar. The one used for the neutrals because the lines are in the proper neutral bar. It's connected to the case, although the outgoing earths are connected to earth, it seems. This gets my vote as the main risk here - one loose connection and that casing goes live. (TN-C is also prohibited, FWIW).

Thankfully that is easy to solve - take the link out, job's a good'un!

 

[Marcus Vaughan]

Is the rcd not serving any purpose? This picture is really hurting my eyes and head.

Nope.
Not connected.
Purely ornamental!

 

[Marcus Vaughan]

Thanks Lucien and all.
I’ll be back there today.
I’m determined to find the origin of that feed and disconnect it. Yes it is fed from a 15A 3036, which starts at 2.5mm but somewhere steps down to 1.0mm. The old 3036 board is almost back to back with this new board, and I did manage to get a hole through the wall from one location to another ready for a new feed....
Onwards with a day of moving furniture, lifting carpets and boards etc. Their 10yr old son had a near panic attack last night when he couldn’t turn his PlayStation on.
Meanwhile an image of a socket wired in 1.0mm 3 core..

 

[Dustydazzler]

Looks like a new fitted and tiled kitchen , that’s going to a right badger to rewire

 

[Marcus Vaughan]

Looks like a new fitted and tiled kitchen , that’s going to a right badger to rewire

A right Badger - I like that - might use when talking to the customer. And yes - it is a right Badger. Laminate floors, terrible access from above. Jeez.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Might be a silly question but what were you actually there to do? Was this a complete surprise for the homeowners or did they expect trouble?

 

[Strima]

When was the garage conversion done? Before doing anything it might be worth speaking to building control regarding a dangerous installation. This cowboy needs stopping.

 

[lozarus]

Replaced a fly zapper today, found this whilst removing the old one - fuses are "overrated" anyway (hoho!).

 

[Dustydazzler]

That's one way to stop the staff turning it off...

 

[Marcus Vaughan]

Might be a silly question but what were you actually there to do? Was this a complete surprise for the homeowners or did they expect trouble?

Add a socket!

Given the choice of 2 boards I opened up the one with the RCD first.

 

[Marcus Vaughan]

When was the garage conversion done? Before doing anything it might be worth speaking to building control regarding a dangerous installation. This cowboy needs stopping.

I tried to persuade the customer to go down that route, but he wasn’t interested. Just wants its fixed. Shame. I agree. This person is probably doing the same elsewhere right now.
He’s brickwork is good though..,

 

[Marcus Vaughan]

When was the garage conversion done? Before doing anything it might be worth speaking to building control regarding a dangerous installation. This cowboy needs stopping.

About a year and a half ago.

 

[Strima]

I tried to persuade the customer to go down that route, but he wasn’t interested. Just wants its fixed. Shame. I agree. This person is probably doing the same elsewhere right now.
He’s brickwork is good though..,

Sweet baby Jesus and all the orphans, what the **** is that mess? Thing is, customers allow them to get away with this crap in the first place, if they didn't these cowboys wouldn't last long and end up working in Tescos stacking shelves...

Either that or the customer did it themselves and won't admit it.

 

[Dustydazzler]

I tried to persuade the customer to go down that route, but he wasn’t interested. Just wants its fixed. Shame. I agree. This person is probably doing the same elsewhere right now.
He’s brickwork is good though..,

That can not be the finished job surely

That is rough as ----

 

[DPG]

It's probably getting rendered.

 

[Strima]

It's probably getting rendered.

Looking at the brickwork it's about 15mm out at the top, would be a pain to render properly.

 

[DPG]

Good point.

 

[Dave5678]

I tried to persuade the customer to go down that route, but he wasn’t interested. Just wants its fixed. Shame. I agree. This person is probably doing the same elsewhere right now.
He’s brickwork is good though..,

What's the protocol in this situation? Is cooperation of the customer required for building control to take notice or should it be reported anyway? Given the state of it there can't be any way building control are aware the work has been carried out and fixing the wiring will leave a paper trail that shows you've worked on it and not reported it when something else goes wrong and they find out.

 

[pirate]

Strima, it looks as though the brickie worked as a shelf-stacker in Tesco...that brickwork looks very like a badly stacked shelf...
and yes, maybe it will be rendered...(it'll have to be now, clearly) but what about the wall either side? Just render the bad bit and...
make a "feature" of it, as many a "builder" has said in the past.

 

[westward10]

All I did was to unscrew it from the wall.

 

[telectrix]

All I did was to unscrew it from the wall.View attachment 50656

it's OK. the cpc is still connected.

 

[Dustydazzler]

Looks like the connection was right at the tip of the twist and was only just in the terminal. The second you pulled it forward it snapped off ?

 

[westward10]

it's OK. the cpc is still connected.

Don't shout but it was live when I took it off by the time I had took the pic and gone off to isolate the cpc departed company and the face plate was on the floor
Think they screwed the terminals with their small finger nail.

 

[Marcus Vaughan]

Strima, it looks as though the brickie worked as a shelf-stacker in Tesco...that brickwork looks very like a badly stacked shelf...
and yes, maybe it will be rendered...(it'll have to be now, clearly) but what about the wall either side? Just render the bad bit and...
make a "feature" of it, as many a "builder" has said in the past.

It was not originally intended to render it - unless there was a mis-communication. Even it was planned it’s still bad. Bricks stacked on top of each other?! Surely we learn to stagger bricks when we play with Lego. Mortar beds are pretty much non-existent in places.

Anyway - no other houses are rendered on the street, so it’s going to be out of keeping.

Made some progress today but keep finding stuff. Here is how to do a single socket to double socket conversion;
Step 1: Twist existing cables together and extend with 1.0mm.
Step 2: Protect the connection with selotape.
Step 3: Extend the other bit with some more 1.0mm using a choc block.
Step 4: Push extended cables through the back of a surface mount back box and attach back box to the wall. Make sure you do not use any rawl plugs, woodscrews into crumbly plaster is just fine.
Step 5: Connect up and write invoice, ensuring you have sufficient funds to- restock on sellotape.

Customer is following me around whilst I sort all this out.....

 

[DPG]

Unbelievable!

 

[Strima]

I would hate to sound racist but was the work done by someone who’s not native to Europe?

 

[Marcus Vaughan]

What's the protocol in this situation? Is cooperation of the customer required for building control to take notice or should it be reported anyway? Given the state of it there can't be any way building control are aware the work has been carried out and fixing the wiring will leave a paper trail that shows you've worked on it and not reported it when something else goes wrong and they find out.

Good questions but I honestly don’t know. I’d say it’s between the customer and the builder and I’ve got to be especially careful to cover my self with plenty of images, test results and certificates.

Come to think of it certificates are going to be a nightmare. Cross connected circuits and all sorts.

I think the customer is moving towards taking some action but keeps talking about social media etc. Which I don’t think is the way.

My understanding is that if a customer is not satisfied with a tradesman’s work then they have to give them the opportunity to make it right. Not sure that works with electrical work because, obviously, everything worked fine and looked OK (ish).

 

[Marcus Vaughan]

I would hate to sound racist but was the work done by someone who’s not native to Europe?

I don’t think so actually.....

 

[telectrix]

just because it works, don't make it right. to be right it must work, obviously, but also must comply with regs. and therefore be safe to use. that abortion obviously ain't right.

 

[GBDamo]

Think they screwed the terminals with their small finger nail.

 

[GBDamo]

Only someone who'd done that would think to accuse another of doing so.

 

[Baddegg]

I tried to persuade the customer to go down that route, but he wasn’t interested. Just wants its fixed. Shame. I agree. This person is probably doing the same elsewhere right now.
He’s brickwork is good though..,

I have no words for that.....

 

[pirate]

Marcus, obviously you agree with me about the brickwork, but are you being a little harsh on the wiring...
I mean if it's real Sellotape, not some cheap copy, what could go wrong?
My Dad always insisted on proper Formica...not some cheap imitation stuff!


Seriously though...those pics are shocking...frankly, someone should be jailed for that

 

[pirate]

I wish we had a WTF button...

 

[ferg]

@Marcus Vaughan
Is that green goo?

 

[Marcus Vaughan]

@Marcus Vaughan
Is that green goo?

Good spot!

Yes it is.