Installation and safety certificate advice required

[zap]

I've recently qualified but not yet a member of a 'competent person' scheme. Apologies for the verbose content...

I was requested to visit a friend of the family regarding the safety of a shower.
On inspection, the mira sport shower cover was not fixed (i.e. screw missing) and it was incomplete (i.e. had a pannel or a bit missing from its left side). The hole would allow more than a few fingers to be inserted into the shower unit let alone water spashes etc.

It's important to add here that the customer informed me that the shower unit was left like this by the electrical contractor who had changed the CCU. i.e. may not be true.

The NICEIC installation certificate showed comments on existing intallation as: Shower switch wiring showing evidence of overheating. So I asked the customer to show me the shower switch which he did but said that the contractor had not opened the switch. Again, this is what the customer said! Obviously the circuit was isolated at the CCU so I opened the switch cover to find strands of the 6mm unconnected, melted insulation and undisturbed soot in the bottom of the switch enclosure. Worse of all is the cpc was not doubled over and effortlessly fell out of its connector. The test results showed an acceptable earth fault loop so I guess the cpc did have a connection in the switch.

I took photos but was unable to upload them.

The customer had already been advised not to use the shower with the hole in its side which was heeded.

The customer has already aquired a new 9.5 kW shower which will require 10mm2 cable so I removed the 6mm2 circuit from the CCU leaving it dead. I'm confident that it's safe now.

My questions are:
Should I, or the customer, do anything regarding the validity of the safety certificate etc?
Should the electrician have inspected inside the double poled switch? if he had, he would have seen what I did.
Thanks for any assistance.

 

[malcolmsanford]

I've recently qualified but not yet a member of a 'competent person' scheme. Apologies for the verbose content...

I was requested to visit a friend of the family regarding the safety of a shower.
On inspection, the mira sport shower cover was not fixed (i.e. screw missing) and it was incomplete (i.e. had a pannel or a bit missing from its left side). The hole would allow more than a few fingers to be inserted into the shower unit let alone water spashes etc.

It's important to add here that the customer informed me that the shower unit was left like this by the electrical contractor who had changed the CCU. i.e. may not be true.

The NICEIC installation certificate showed comments on existing intallation as: Shower switch wiring showing evidence of overheating. So I asked the customer to show me the shower switch which he did but said that the contractor had not opened the switch. Again, this is what the customer said! Obviously the circuit was isolated at the CCU so I opened the switch cover to find strands of the 6mm unconnected, melted insulation and undisturbed soot in the bottom of the switch enclosure. Worse of all is the cpc was not doubled over and effortlessly fell out of its connector. The test results showed an acceptable earth fault loop so I guess the cpc did have a connection in the switch.

I took photos but was unable to upload them.

The customer had already been advised not to use the shower with the hole in its side which was heeded.

The customer has already aquired a new 9.5 kW shower which will require 10mm2 cable so I removed the 6mm2 circuit from the CCU leaving it dead. I'm confident that it's safe now.

My questions are:
Should I, or the customer, do anything regarding the validity of the safety certificate etc?
Should the electrician have inspected inside the double poled switch? if he had, he would have seen what I did.
Thanks for any assistance.

Didn't he??

 

[telectrix]

i would think that if the guy has put down on the cert, that the shower cable showed signs of overheating, he would have opened the switch, unless there are signs of overheating elsewhere. and a 9.5kW shower is fine on 6mm cable as long as that cable is 1. not derated due to insulation. 2. is not a long enough run to give rise to a volt drop of > 11.5Volts. 3. gives an acceptable Zs for the MCB supplying it. 4. is protected by the correct size MCB.

 

[zap]

That's the point, I don't know.

 

[telectrix]

the important thing is that you have left it safe. remedial work is then down to the customer to request you to do it.

 

[zap]

Thanks telectrix, you made me do some calculations. Does the BGB mention 45A MCBs?
... as I said, recently qualified. :cyclist:

 

[Spark1979]

If contractor was changing board would he not test shower at the terminals in the shower, was there signs of burning there? hence if he gets acceptable reading at shower r1+r2 and IR results are fine why would he need to remove switch he's not doing a ECIR

 

[malcolmsanford]

Not in the tables is doesn't. You may need to go to a 50amp most of the 45amp ones are push conversion jobs for a Wylex CU

 

[telectrix]

you should not exceed a 40A MCB on a 6mm cable. ( assuming it's not derated, the ccc is 47A, so Iz>In>Ib is right. ( have i got that in the right order. i know it's the correct notes, but is it necessarily in the right order)

 

[SPARTYKUS]

you should not exceed a 40A MCB on a 6mm cable. ( assuming it's not derated, the ccc is 47A, so Iz>In>Ib is right. ( have i got that in the right order. i know it's the correct notes, but is it necessarily in the right order)

Right order?
How would I know, i'm a greengrocer.

 

[telectrix]

So at least you know your onions from your impedances. What was the question, i forget, some say metformin reduces the risk of altzeimers, what was that tablet? I drink to forget, forget what? Dunno, i've forgotten.