imago
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So, a bit of background.
I had to run a new ring (looped radial for those that don't like rings) and cooker point into a kitchen refurb. Nice young couple with a toddler, house previously owned by a disabled elderly gent. The elderly gent had had a wet room built as an extension to the back of the kitchen in 2005. An NIC "approved contractor" had carried out the work and certified it (16th Ed).
What I found.
Take a look at the pictures, it's unbelieveable. Zones? What zones? In the wet room was a wall mounted electric heater 1800mm from the shower 300mm from the floor, directly opposite the shower head. In the corridor to the wet room are two double sockets used for the washing machine and fridge. They and the heater were on a 2.5mm radial from the RCD side of the board (approximately 10 metres away) in a 32a MCB shared with a new socket in the front bedroom again on it's own 2.5mm radial. The cable ran along under the stairs in trunking, along the bottom of the kitchen wall just hanging at skirting level, through the wall and up through the plaster into the ceiling. No way of telling that the cable was there at all. The "DNO" earth was infact an ordinary band clamp tightened down onto the incoming cable sheath. The CU was an absolute rat's nest, incorrectly labelled, shared circuits etc etc.
Testing.
Zs was quite respectable due to the bonding to copper water and gas. Ze was a different matter as it ranged from >2000 ohms, to the best reading of 3.92 ohms (wiggle clamp, etc).
DNO.
I rang them, explained what was going on and asked them if they wanted to get involved in the earthing. They said no, and I said that's fine I'll put in a rod and go to TT as long as they made a note that's what was being done. They were happy with that, so I asked "and what about the service head as it has VIR tails from a junction box to a rotary main switch that's 10 years older than god?" "Oh, we'll change that!" Two hours later two lads turned up that I had met before. They changed the head, and as a favour sweated a new earth on and fitted an isolator. Nice blokes, good attitude, top job. I can't repeat any of their comments about the previous electrician as they all involved expletives.
End result.
A safer installation, a happy customer, a satisfied DNO, and I can sleep soundly. Next week I'm going back to fit a new CU and sort out the mess of what's connected to what, shared with which, and whatnot. They now have a ring in the kitchen which has neon SFU above the worktops instead of a socket in the cupboards for the appliances, the hood is fused down correctly, and the cooker's on 6mm properly routed.
I do shudder to think what they and the disabled elederly gent were living with/in. All courtesy of an NICEIC approved contractor.
So, the pictures, and my appologies for such a long post.
I had to run a new ring (looped radial for those that don't like rings) and cooker point into a kitchen refurb. Nice young couple with a toddler, house previously owned by a disabled elderly gent. The elderly gent had had a wet room built as an extension to the back of the kitchen in 2005. An NIC "approved contractor" had carried out the work and certified it (16th Ed).
What I found.
Take a look at the pictures, it's unbelieveable. Zones? What zones? In the wet room was a wall mounted electric heater 1800mm from the shower 300mm from the floor, directly opposite the shower head. In the corridor to the wet room are two double sockets used for the washing machine and fridge. They and the heater were on a 2.5mm radial from the RCD side of the board (approximately 10 metres away) in a 32a MCB shared with a new socket in the front bedroom again on it's own 2.5mm radial. The cable ran along under the stairs in trunking, along the bottom of the kitchen wall just hanging at skirting level, through the wall and up through the plaster into the ceiling. No way of telling that the cable was there at all. The "DNO" earth was infact an ordinary band clamp tightened down onto the incoming cable sheath. The CU was an absolute rat's nest, incorrectly labelled, shared circuits etc etc.
Testing.
Zs was quite respectable due to the bonding to copper water and gas. Ze was a different matter as it ranged from >2000 ohms, to the best reading of 3.92 ohms (wiggle clamp, etc).
DNO.
I rang them, explained what was going on and asked them if they wanted to get involved in the earthing. They said no, and I said that's fine I'll put in a rod and go to TT as long as they made a note that's what was being done. They were happy with that, so I asked "and what about the service head as it has VIR tails from a junction box to a rotary main switch that's 10 years older than god?" "Oh, we'll change that!" Two hours later two lads turned up that I had met before. They changed the head, and as a favour sweated a new earth on and fitted an isolator. Nice blokes, good attitude, top job. I can't repeat any of their comments about the previous electrician as they all involved expletives.
End result.
A safer installation, a happy customer, a satisfied DNO, and I can sleep soundly. Next week I'm going back to fit a new CU and sort out the mess of what's connected to what, shared with which, and whatnot. They now have a ring in the kitchen which has neon SFU above the worktops instead of a socket in the cupboards for the appliances, the hood is fused down correctly, and the cooker's on 6mm properly routed.
I do shudder to think what they and the disabled elederly gent were living with/in. All courtesy of an NICEIC approved contractor.
So, the pictures, and my appologies for such a long post.
atriot:
