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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!

View attachment 45587

View attachment 45588

View attachment 45589
Whoever carried out this bodge want outing in public, right old cowboy job,
 
I'm going to say this again, and I'm going to keep saying it until the message gets through.

Various posts in this thread have been deleted because they provide no useful information, they just reboot the debate about the state of the industry.

Read this thread and take in what it says!

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Thanks very much all. I'm inclined to give the electrician the benefit of the doubt for now so won't be naming/shaming:

- As you've pointed out, the white terminal block was probably there before he arrived. I've checked a couple of other light fittings in the house and it looks like they are wired the same way. It seems surprising that there are terminal blocks just lying loose in inaccessible areas, but there you go. The way the earth is connected (just twisted on with no sleeving) doesn't seem ideal to me, so I'll ask him to take another look - it may be we can squeeze some maintenance free junction boxes through the downlight hole.

- I think he may have subbed out the installation, but he seems willing (at least in principle - he seems really busy so hasn't been able to get here for the last month, but genuinely concerned that I'm happy/looked after) - to look at and address issues that I've found.

- There is (now!) a question mark as to whether he is NICEIC registered, but if he can give a certificate that will at least mean the house is saleable in the future without needing to get a full EICR. After I get that certificate, I can get a second opinion and do anything needed to bring this up to best practice.
 
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she will say take it up with the sparky who did the job .me try watchdog.
Or waffle her way out of the situation.
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 agree with MFS, regardless of if the connector block was already there, and it seems so from what has been said.
It should have been made safe, done properly, and noted on the certificate that in His/Her opinion the client should have an EICR carried out on the property, judging from the evidence that was apparent during the installation of the switch.
To further butcher the installation in this way is wrong, and two wrongs don't make a right do they?
 
Is this NICIEC extractor fan installation safe? A5564980-1FEF-4EED-A372-3AFA3056DA76 - EletriciansForums.net Not commenting on the badge or competence but using choc block is sheer laziness....

But use of modern connections, not contained in an appropriate enclosure is on the rise ...

Like this...
 
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View attachment 45602 Not commenting on the badge or competence but using choc block is sheer laziness....

But use of modern connections, not contained in an appropriate enclosure is on the rise ...

Like this...
poor guy is probably waiting for his line products enclosures to arrive.
 
I would be very worried after reading this:

...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.
 
I would be very worried after reading this:

...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.

Crossed polarity in the socket indicates no testing was taken out. Love to know how a hob wasnt wired fully
 
Chris, it’s a 7.5kw induction hob that can be wired into a two phase supply, the idea I think being that by having each half of the job on a different phase, it’s a bit nicer to the DNO. I only have a single phase meter, so it’s necessary to bridge the wiring in the terminal block
on the hob.

My wife pointed out to me that the left two burners were giving an error message. I lifted out the hob and checked the wiring and found only one of the phase inputs had been connected (the rightmost connectors in the terminal block).
 
I haven't read all the thread but if you are worried and it sounds like you should be then take Murdoch's advice and get another electrician in to check it all.
 
Chris, it’s a 7.5kw induction hob that can be wired into a two phase supply, the idea I think being that by having each half of the job on a different phase, it’s a bit nicer to the DNO. I only have a single phase meter, so it’s necessary to bridge the wiring in the terminal block
on the hob.

My wife pointed out to me that the left two burners were giving an error message. I lifted out the hob and checked the wiring and found only one of the phase inputs had been connected (the rightmost connectors in the terminal block).

If this guy or madam is a qualified electrician, I will be a monkeys uncle and if you get a properly filled out certificate, I will eat my hat!
 
Hang on how do we know the spark did it? there may have been a feed hanging out from the ceiling and he just used that and didn't see the mess which was found when the OP was changing a light, if he did know then yes lets crucify him :D
 
Bathroom upgrades and extract fans seem to attract the very worst of the worst. Perhaps because householders plans often focus on the lowest cost quotes, and it's all about the cost of the marble tiles...
And it's not just electrics. - The quality of ductwork for airflow management and humidity can be just as horrifying. Out of sight, out of mind. I regularly need to "rescue" installations after bathroom fitters have left. Recent ones:

Is this NICIEC extractor fan installation safe? IMG_20180226_122749 - EletriciansForums.net

Is this NICIEC extractor fan installation safe? IMG_20181005_094741 - EletriciansForums.net
 
Cant beat an inline fan thrown across the loft.
To many cables for that JB, sleeking missing off some cpcs , Cable sheath outside JB, inline fan slung on joists as mentioned never could that have been done by an Electrician, if it was, then he/she wants to give up and stack shelves in Tesco, an utterly appalling job, needs reporting to trading standards, Watchdog, the mind does indeed boggle, to not incur the wrath of the Mods I'm not going to say what I'm thinking.
 
Without bringing anything to the party, I might be in danger of getting deleted here.

However, I'm not convinced that the OP is giving us the full story. Apologies OP if I'm incorrect.

Not withstanding the poor tradespersons that are out there, it doesn't take a expert to realise the state of the new installation falls way below of professional job.

If it were me I would not be allowing this so called electrician anywhere near my property & I would be concerned about the rest of the existing installation. I would be having an EICR conducted (wonder how the OP knows of this term?), and not repairing things myself. OP seems rather calm about things.

Perhaps I'm just getting too suspicious these days, having read similar threads. Getting as cynical as Murdoch :)
 

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