Questions about Part P cert in renovation project

[phils01]

Hello All

I am after some advice from you knowledgeable folk.

My parents are in the process of renovating a property to sell on. The property had a jumble of meters and fuse boxes (economy 7 & wired fuses etc.)

They had a local electrician remove the fuseboxes and add a new Consumer Unit.

He issued a Part P certificate for the work - and all seemed fine.

Now they have come to work on completing the project and the Electric Shower does not work, they have had the same electrican back to look at it and he claims there is a problem with the neutral wire from the Consumer unit to the shower isolation switch -

My Question is - surely he would have to check the wiring to the shower BEFORE he issued the certificate?

The shower is connected to the consumer unit on it's own MCB - so any problem with the wiring should have been identified when he tested it?

He is now going to charge another load of money to fix this wiring - which I really don;t think they should have to pay for.

Can anyone advise me whether I am right or wrong - before I get my parents to talk to him about it.

Thanks in advance

Phil.

 

[ruston]

If any work has been done in the shower / bathroom during renovations it is possible that switches or shower has been opened and disturbed by tilers/ plasterers etc.It will be difficult to say if the sparks should have found it unless it is a basic design fault ;which is unlikely as you say the rest of his work is up to standard.

 

[ipf]

He should have issued an Electrical Installation Certificate for the work. If so, details of circuits tested and results would be included. Check to see if this is the case. If so, a problem may have occurred since. If not........why not?

 

[phils01]

No work has been done like that - the bathroom has not even been touched (other than cleaned).

It looks clear to me that he did not test the shower at all - and this has been faulty all along.

Is it possible/legal to issue a test certificate for a new CU and not test the wiring from one of the new MCBs?

I would have though it impossible to issue a certificate saying it has been installed correctly without actually testing all the appliances now fixed wired?

 

[phils01]

I have been sent (by my parents) scans of all the docs they received, there is a 'Distribution Board Details' page - which contains details like 'circuit impedance' and 'Insulation Resistance' but I am not sure if that proves he tested the wiring or not.

Nothing has happened at the property that could have interfered with the wiring for the bathroom - all that has happened upstairs is painting and cleaning.

He only installed this CU in August and now the wiring has failed? I doubt that. I still maintain that it was not tested at all (or it was and he noticed the problem then but wanted to get another call out for it).

 

[trev]

Depending what type of fault it is it could occur over a period, gradually getting worse or it could suddenly fail. I'd have thought the best course of action would be to ask for details of what exactly this fault is and his opinions on how it happened and how it is to be rectified.
Any certificate for electrical work is like the MOT for your car. It states that when the installing electrician left it that was the condition at that time because and hour after he left a rat could have got into your attic and chewed on a cable or a joiner could have spiked through a cable.
Talk to the sparky, see what he says then come back preferably with photos

 

[trev]

The only way to prove your allegation is to hire another electrician to retest the installation. His/her test results should be broadly similar to the original results. However there are variables to consider which being a non spark I won't bore you with the details

 

[Spazz]

you mention it was painted - was the bathroom painted - some painters loosen the face of the switch to get a clean line around it.

What are the results for the shower MCB?

Has anyone tested the shower between August and now - if so why has this not been mentioned before then?

5 months have now gone - if it was 1 month then yes you could prove something but 5 months I doubt it.

 

[ruston]

It's difficult to say, depends what the fault is, usually a bad connection on the N melts the insulation, its reasonable to expect that he dead tested to the shower and did not pick up the N fault. It is also possible that he did not functional test the shower.

Ask him for an explanation and as ipf says check the certificate schedule for the the test he performed and the results he got.

 

[Octopus]

I'm always wary when there's a mention of electrics not working and building work going on.

Either your parents get another sparky out and thats likely to cost or get the chap back again!!

 

[ruston]

To be fair the work you describe hardly amount to a renovation.

 

[trev]

What area are you in phils01?

 

[phils01]

The Shower has never worked (now I am told) and was definitely not working in November - as I went to see progress at the house.

No-one would have touched anything electrical - even to loosen a switch - they are too scared of 'electricals'.

the only reference to the shower on the paperwork he left is

I cannot tell from that if it was tested or if they are just standard values.

 

[trev]

The thing is apart from us being able to say whether or not they are within the expected parameters we can't tell you either mate. If he has tested it the numbers are what they are. If he hasn't and has made them up then they'll probably be just about right.
What cable supplies the shower? 6mm 10mm or something else?
By the way your picture would not open

 

[micknew]

Cannot understand what crime the guy who changed the CU has committed except not to have stripped off, take a shower and report shower not working..

 

[ipf]

Remember, you only had the consumer unit installed. The circuit wiring was existing, as was the shower, and they would not be under any form of guarantee. Problems can occur to existing wiring and it cannot be inspected completely. Check the circuit results and ask the electrician to explain them and the tests in question.

 

[a1guvner]

The CU change hasnt made the grout go of colour as well by any chance, if it has he is bang out of order, drag him back to be stoned and dragged through the town, lol, deal with it the shower has had its day

 

[Mark_Burgess]

Realistically speaking a consumer unit change does not make him liable for the existing installation.
Testing for insulation resistance, R2, Zs and RCD's are the basics to ensure the system works.

How long was he there for, I do hope it was not 21mins......

If he was there for the whole day they he more than likely did a through test throughout and turning on a shower or fridge etc does not come part of that.

It sounds like he is within his rights to charge if he chooses to, personally if it were my job i'd pop by when passing for free then discuss the repair costs.

 

[a1guvner]

Realistically speaking a consumer unit change does not make him liable for the existing installation.
Testing for insulation resistance, R2, Zs and RCD's are the basics to ensure the system works.

How long was he there for, I do hope it was not 21mins......

If he was there for the whole day they he more than likely did a through test throughout and turning on a shower or fridge etc does not come part of that.

It sounds like he is within his rights to charge if he chooses to, personally if it were my job i'd pop by when passing for free then discuss the repair costs.

Common Sense, at last, hopefully the OP will take on board

 

[ipf]

Common Sense, at last, hopefully the OP will take on board

'at last'. What does that mean? Read the posts:annoyed: