Rat and mice damage to cables

[edrobbo8]

Got a job where another electrician was supposed to do an EICR, but spotted a couple of cables that were eaten by rodents and switched the power off, telling the tenants that it was dangerous and a fire hazard.

His testing didn't yield any results, or none he put on the EICR, just a couple of C1s for cable damage and non ip rated spots in shower.

Anyway, had a good look round and done some insurance resistance tests, and although some readings are a bit low, around 5Mohm, and found some damage where rats have eaten outer insulation. Only in 2 places have they gone through to copper, and these have been repaired previously with insulation tape.

The board is on a TT supply, with 100mA up front doing 6 circuits and 30mA protecting other 6 circuits.

I am trying to work out the best thing to do - most cables are totally inaccessible being a converted barn with vaulted ceilings - where the cables are accessible there is only 2 majorly damaged cables.

What would your next move be? Obviously landlord has been told about the risk of arcing and fire but I think there's very little chance of that happening.

Anyone had similar problems?

 

[Farmelectrics]

just fill your eicr in and give it to the customer yes 5meg ohm is a bit low but still a pass recomend it needs improvement and cover yourself in the limitations table

 

[Deleted member 72666]

Got a job where another electrician was supposed to do an EICR, but spotted a couple of cables that were eaten by rodents and switched the power off, telling the tenants that it was dangerous and a fire hazard.

His testing didn't yield any results, or none he put on the EICR, just a couple of C1s for cable damage and non ip rated spots in shower.

Anyway, had a good look round and done some insurance resistance tests, and although some readings are a bit low, around 5Mohm, and found some damage where rats have eaten outer insulation. Only in 2 places have they gone through to copper, and these have been repaired previously with insulation tape.

The board is on a TT supply, with 100mA up front doing 6 circuits and 30mA protecting other 6 circuits.

I am trying to work out the best thing to do - most cables are totally inaccessible being a converted barn with vaulted ceilings - where the cables are accessible there is only 2 majorly damaged cables.

What would your next move be? Obviously landlord has been told about the risk of arcing and fire but I think there's very little chance of that happening.

Anyone had similar problems?

I had to smile when I read that bit.

 

[malcolmsanford]

Self-Amalgamating Rubber Tape Black 19mm x 10m | Building Tape | NoLinkingToThis

Also can be used for doing proper joining..................:icon12:

 

[gnselectricals]

Had similar on a marina install rats using cable duct to jetty as a runway had chewed thru most insulation on 50mm supply singles not much we could do recommend replacement, IR was fine so client not too bothered just poured about 4 ton of poison In there

 

[Octopus]

Hum a C1 for non ip rated spots in the bathroom!

 

[Barry White]

Dont matter what you do even a complete rewire wont cure this till the roden problem is sorted

 

[ruston]

Or suitable actions to protect the installation .

 

[edrobbo8]

Ah my bad... Insulation

 

[edrobbo8]

Hum a C1 for non ip rated spots in the bathroom!

Exactly...and a C1 for IP rating of consumer unit, which is at head height on inside wall in a cupboard, and easily achieved IP2X....

 

[Octopus]

So an EICR with no test results and just observations - not work the paper its printed on then!

 

[edrobbo8]

Well that's what I told the landlord - they were there 5 hours and the test results are all N/A, even the characteristics of supply are totally wrong, as are the circuits and their descriptions. They may as well have been testing nextdoor for all I know.

Also the photos attached to the report has 4 out of 7 pictures of TV coax cables that have been chewed, plus an armoured which was very slightly knawed!! Well if they can go through steel I will be damned....

 

[Octopus]

Sounds to me like the EICR needs to be done again, and properly

 

[GMES]

Sounds like the guy hasn't a clue how to test.

 

[Farmelectrics]

Tell the customer to get back in touch with this chancer and ask for his money back

 

[edrobbo8]

Tell the customer to get back in touch with this chancer and ask for his money back

NICEIC approved contractor and all.....if he was no good at testing he made up for it with his scaremongering techniques telling the tenants the place was about to burn to the ground, when some of the cables have been like that for a good 10 years according to the owner....

 

[richy3333]

NICEIC approved contractor and all.....if he was no good at testing he made up for it with his scaremongering techniques telling the tenants the place was about to burn to the ground, when some of the cables have been like that for a good 10 years according to the owner....

The customer should be told to report this to the NICEIC and they need to take action. Have you checked this firm is actually on the NICEIC roll?

 

[edrobbo8]

The customer should be told to report this to the NICEIC and they need to take action. Have you checked this firm is actually on the NICEIC roll?

Yes they are, but as we all know with the scams this isnt necessarily a sign that people are competent!!

what bugs me the most is that while there were a couple of places where the live conductor had been chewed to the copper, which is obviously dangerous where it is accessible, the fact they took photos of coax cables and 12v cables coming out of a transformer for a water softener and then proceeded to say the place was going to burn down and everyone will die!

It it is totally wrong, and while I agree that there is some remedial work required, it's not the £10k rewire that they were telling the landlord it would be!!

 

[richy3333]

Hmm. The NICEIC are usually thorough with the AP assessments not like the scams that rubber stamp DI's. Its impossible for me to comment any further without knowing the make -up of the company (1 man band v's multi employee setup etc).

From the comments made it is suggestive that they were incompetent to some degree and chancing their arm with suggesting a rewire!

 

[Risteard]

In fairness the point of inspection and testing is that inspection can reveal problems that testing can't. It precedes testing and is more important. Just because the test results appear alright does not change the fact that an unsafe condition has been identified and should be rectified urgently.