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Hi,

Quick Q from a newbie. I had a NICIEC registered electrician install an isolation switch and extractor fan in my downstairs bathroom. I’m now replacing one of the down lights and found what is a surprising mess of wires in the false ceiling, all joined together with a terminal block (centre is neutral, left and right are live).

The grey cable leads to the isolation switch and the terminal block has been installed by the electricians. They’ve twisted the earth wire onto an existing twisted arrangement.

Is this safe/correct? I found it surprising from an Australian perspective but am open to being told that this is how things are done in Britain.

If this isn’t right, what should I do before adding the downloght? Put the terminal block in a junction box? Solder then sleeve twisted earthing wires?

My wife is back in an hour and I want everything back in the ceiling then, so prompt responses appreciated!

Is this NICIEC extractor fan installation safe? 003C95EE-F332-4C1D-8622-5C8343E29349 - EletriciansForums.net

Is this NICIEC extractor fan installation safe? C3B358A2-435D-4924-8235-D501534F42AF - EletriciansForums.net

Is this NICIEC extractor fan installation safe? 1168CB1C-B024-486D-A8A0-5C1058A3C8FF - EletriciansForums.net
 
The connections need to be enclosed in a suitable enclosure i.e a junction box, which will have to be maintenance free if it isn’t accessible and that is not an acceptable way to joint CPCs (earths) The NICEIC has a platinum promise so call up the guy who did this and tell him you’ll be sending pics to the niceic if he doesn’t get his butt back and sort it the way it should be done, also if he refuses to come back and sort it. Get on the phone to the NICEIC and make sure they send out someone who will do it right, their platinum promise thing means they will send someone else to do it for free if the original contractor won’t/can’t fix it.

Edit; after another look I have spotted some copper showing on the black termination to the far right for which there is no excuse and also the lack of proper identification of the cores i.e sleeving not to mention the obvious lack of sleeving for the CPCs

And personally I don’t think you should add anything to it until that mess has been rectified.
 
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Is this safe/correct? I found it surprising from an Australian perspective but am open to being told that this is how things are done in Britain.
I can only apologise for a fellow spark has done .and you have the write to complain .send me his details and I will make sure that my big boots are on to kick him or she up the A77.
 
I can only apologise for a fellow spark has done .and you have the write to complain .send me his details and I will make sure that my big boots are on to kick him or she up the A77.
I wouldn’t call the nugget that did this a spark any day of the week. I didn’t realise you have to write to complain that’s good to know for the future.

OP did you receive any sort of certificate for the work that had been done?
 
I would suggest that those connector blocks have been there before your electrician was it looks like the 3 white cables have at one time been a lighting point. However your electrician should not have added his new cable into that lot in that way. For the sake of a small enclosure a bit of sleeving and a few MF connectors it could have been done correctly.
 
Thanks all. I haven't received a certificate but he tells me that he is planning to issue it once he gets a chance to come back to resolve one outstanding issue. Safety is my priority, but getting that certificate comes pretty close.

You actually prompted me to take a look, and I can't actually find him/his company listed on the NICEIC website. Not entirely sure what that means - my builder (who referred me to him) told me he was NICEIC registered and he and his partner came in NICEIC hoodies, but I didn't do any further checks. Hopefully they are just registered under a different name.

You might be right about the connector blocks - I may have made an unfair assumption.
 
Thanks all. I haven't received a certificate but he tells me that he is planning to issue it once he gets a chance to come back to resolve one outstanding issue. Safety is my priority, but getting that certificate comes pretty close.

You actually prompted me to take a look, and I can't actually find him/his company listed on the NICEIC website. Not entirely sure what that means - my builder (who referred me to him) told me he was NICEIC registered and he and his partner came in NICEIC hoodies, but I didn't do any further checks. Hopefully they are just registered under a different name.

You might be right about the connector blocks - I may have made an unfair assumption.
No matter if the connectors came before the spark he should have enclosed it and done it properly because he connected into it. If it was me I would have either told you about it or fixed it had I even noticed it never mind actually connected something to it. I would be asking them for their NICEIC registration number and what their company is actually called. The NICEIC will be very interested to hear if these people are purporting to be registered if they are not. With this standard of work left I’d be checking everything else that they done as well. Is the unprotected connector block the issue that they are returning to resolve or have they left some other horrors?
 
I work in a small town, and no schemes here. Believe me, of the NICEIC Approved contractors that we have, anyone of them could have a installed a mess like that, none of them are short courses, they are just s**t.
 
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Thanks; the outstanding issue is that an isolation switch does not actually isolate (not their fault - the switch is faulty I think). There are a couple more bits and pieces too - hob wasn't wired fully so is malfunctioning, one socket has the live and neutral switched around, and the extractor fans weren't connected to the ducting, just left to vent into the void space. But this is all stuff that I can fix myself if I have to, and have already pulled out the extractor fans and attached them to the ducting (I'm much less confident about terminations and junction boxes).

I have their official company name but it doesn't appear on the NICEIC website... If it emerges that they actually aren't NICEIC registered, would they still be able to issue a certificate to me? I'm conscious that some of the wiring they did is now under floorboards and carpeting, so suspect it would be difficult to get a certificate from someone else...
 
Thanks; the outstanding issue is that an isolation switch does not actually isolate (not their fault - the switch is faulty I think). There are a couple more bits and pieces too - hob wasn't wired fully so is malfunctioning, one socket has the live and neutral switched around, and the extractor fans weren't connected to the ducting, just left to vent into the void space. But this is all stuff that I can fix myself if I have to, and have already pulled out the extractor fans and attached them to the ducting (I'm much less confident about terminations and junction boxes).

I have their official company name but it doesn't appear on the NICEIC website... If it emerges that they actually aren't NICEIC registered, would they still be able to issue a certificate to me? I'm conscious that some of the wiring they did is now under floorboards and carpeting, so suspect it would be difficult to get a certificate from someone else...
From what you have said so far it appears that these people are purporting to be electricians never mind members of the NICEIC I’d probably be looking for a new spark to come in and check their work. You are correct though no reputable spark in their right mind would sign off someone else’s work without at the very least seeing it being installed or inspecting the entire run. No electrician would ever connect a socket up wrongly and energise it the Initial Verification (Inspection & Testing) should have all been done before the installation was put into service and this defect would have been highlighted and repaired had it been completed.
Any electrician can issue a certificate they don’t have to be registered with anyone, but you may fall foul part P trying to get it signed off if it applies or even building control if the electrical work was part of a bit of building work etc.
 
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