Guest viewing is limited

Surface mounted wiring into recessed box for boiler?

K

Karen Regan

-
image-jpg.39014
We are now 18 weeks into a six week project. There are so many things that just seem a bit botched. I'd be grateful for any advice - is this usual, legal, acceptable?

1. The electrician suggested a grid pattern for down lighters but now that the plastering is done the lights are very off centre. They tell me they can't make them central because there is a joist in the way. I know this is so but shouldn't they have considered this before suggesting this lighting pattern or moved the joist when building?

2. The wiring to my new boiler is surface mounted . The trunking is crooked and does not go all the way up to the ceiling. It also goes across for 10 cm across the worktop wall (also crooked) where I want to tile! Surely this is just a bodge? They built the wall and plastered it - surely they could have chased the cabling in?

Karen Regan, Today at 6:52 AMReport
Reply
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
Yes it's a bodge...the electrician (if you can him that) could of used a skeleton box so the trunking butted up to it. With the down lights he should of come up with a pattern that avoided joists by choosing different spacings, amount of lights etc. It looks like a rough old job.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Karen Regan said:
image-jpg.39014
We are now 18 weeks into a six week project. There are so many things that just seem a bit botched. I'd be grateful for any advice - is this usual, legal, acceptable?

1. The electrician suggested a grid pattern for down lighters but now that the plastering is done the lights are very off centre. They tell me they can't make them central because there is a joist in the way. I know this is so but shouldn't they have considered this before suggesting this lighting pattern or moved the joist when building?

2. The wiring to my new boiler is surface mounted . The trunking is crooked and does not go all the way up to the ceiling. It also goes across for 10 cm across the worktop wall (also crooked) where I want to tile! Surely this is just a bodge? They built the wall and plastered it - surely they could have chased the cabling in?

Karen Regan, Today at 6:52 AMReport
Reply
Click to expand...
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
From what I can see, that is an abortion of a job, was the Muppet that did that an Electrician, or a boiler bloke, either way a carp job. An awful job all round, has he been paid, any certificate for the work, if that's what it's called?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I think you should address your concerns in writing to the main contractor.

As for downlight positions, they are nearly always a compromise, but I'm a little surprised the guys doing this didn't discuss this with you at the time
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I can't see bugger all but you can't start moving joists to accommodate down-lights, didn't they point this out at the first fix stage? Positioning down-lights can be a fine art, it looks to me from the thumbnail that it would have been obvious there is a joist smack in the middle of those two skylights. Looks bloody awful.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Well - I spoke to the project manager who said that surface mounting was acceptable and I tried to explain that it looked sh*t. He then shouted at me so I rang his boss and asked him to take a look. They have now channelled the main wire in but there's still the wire going back to the boiler which appears to be left hanging. The boiler tripped out all the sockets yesterday.
What should I say next? It's in my utility room so not critical that it looks brill but I did want to tile that wall.

As for the downlighter - can't move them - any suggestions to make it look less crap?
Leesparkykent said:
Yes it's a bodge...the electrician (if you can him that) could of used a skeleton box so the trunking butted up to it. With the down lights he should of come up with a pattern that avoided joists by choosing different spacings, amount of lights etc. It looks like a rough old job.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your help - I keep being told that I'm super fussy. I was told that if I was fussy about where the lights went I should have paid more for the M&E drawings! His company "service" included all plans and drawings. How should I respond without slapping him?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Karen Regan said:
Well - I spoke to the project manager who said that surface mounting was acceptable and I tried to explain that it looked sh*t. He then shouted at me so I rang his boss and asked him to take a look. They have now channelled the main wire in but there's still the wire going back to the boiler which appears to be left hanging. The boiler tripped out all the sockets yesterday.
What should I say next? It's in my utility room so not critical that it looks brill but I did want to tile that wall.

As for the downlighter - can't move them - any suggestions to make it look less crap?


Thanks for your help - I keep being told that I'm super fussy. I was told that if I was fussy about where the lights went I should have paid more for the M&E drawings! His company "service" included all plans and drawings. How should I respond without slapping him?
Click to expand...
Karen, for my 5 pennysworth, I would engage an Electrician to come and take a look at this work that you are complaining about, it may cost you a call out fee, but in the end you eill get an independent assessment.
Was the company that did this work allied to any of the CP Schemes, NICEIC, NAPIT there are a few more. If they are, then it may be worth contacting them as a disgruntled customer, failing that Trading Standards would be a good move if you get no help from any other route, especially as the Project Manager was being a bit of a pr-t over the phone,
Was there any paperwork in the form of an Electricail installation certificate left with you on completion, if not then that is another failure on their part, if you're not satisfied, and from your description, you have every right to be peeved then take it all the way, about time these scumbags were brought down a peg or two, sory for the rant.
The trouble w
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Further to Pete's reply these C.P. Schemes are only a way of obtaining compliance with building regulations Part P They will not get involved with financial disputes or as you are describing here a poor job visually if the regulations are complied with.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Pete999 said:
Karen, for my 5 pennysworth, I would engage an Electrician to come and take a look at this work that you are complaining about, it may cost you a call out fee, but in the end you eill get an independent assessment.
Was the company that did this work allied to any of the CP Schemes, NICEIC, NAPIT there are a few more. If they are, then it may be worth contacting them as a disgruntled customer, failing that Trading Standards would be a good move if you get no help from any other route, especially as the Project Manager was being a bit of a pr-t over the phone,
Was there any paperwork in the form of an Electricail installation certificate left with you on completion, if not then that is another failure on their part, if you're not satisfied, and from your description, you have every right to be peeved then take it all the way, about time these scumbags were brought down a peg or two, sory for the rant.
The trouble w
Click to expand...
anthonybragg said:
Further to Pete's reply these C.P. Schemes are only a way of obtaining compliance with building regulations Part P They will not get involved with financial disputes or as you are describing here a poor job visually if the regulations are complied with.
Click to expand...
The OP hasn't replied yet regarding the whereabouts of any certifications, lack of is in itself a deviation fro BS7671, so if a certificate hasn't been produced, the the CPS if the company was registered they should be investigated by whichever CPS they are registered with, don't you think? I would be willing to take a look, but far to far to travel.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Pete999 said:
Karen, for my 5 pennysworth, I would engage an Electrician to come and take a look at this work that you are complaining about, it may cost you a call out fee, but in the end you eill get an independent assessment.
Was the company that did this work allied to any of the CP Schemes, NICEIC, NAPIT there are a few more. If they are, then it may be worth contacting them as a disgruntled customer, failing that Trading Standards would be a good move if you get no help from any other route, especially as the Project Manager was being a bit of a pr-t over the phone,
Was there any paperwork in the form of an Electricail installation certificate left with you on completion, if not then that is another failure on their part, if you're not satisfied, and from your description, you have every right to be peeved then take it all the way, about time these scumbags were brought down a peg or two, sory for the rant.
The trouble w
Click to expand...

The build isn't finished yet so no certificates and we have only paid half. Trouble is i'm not sure what it should look like. Wondering if anyone on this forum could post a picture of a boiler fused thingy so that I can compare! Is it supposed to have a loose wire going back to the boiler?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Pete999 said:
The OP hasn't replied yet regarding the whereabouts of any certifications, lack of is in itself a deviation fro BS7671, so if a certificate hasn't been produced, the the CPS if the company was registered they should be investigated by whichever CPS they are registered with, don't you think? I would be willing to take a look, but far to far to travel.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your advice.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Karen Regan said:
The build isn't finished yet so no certificates and we have only paid half. Trouble is i'm not sure what it should look like. Wondering if anyone on this forum could post a picture of a boiler fused thingy so that I can compare! Is it supposed to have a loose wire going back to the boiler?
Click to expand...
It would be very difficult to compare individual installations Karen, each has it's own idiosyncrasies, and would be an unfair comparison. The fused thingy you describe is a fused spur unit, with an outlet hole for the flex to the boiler, which will be loose, so my advice about getting an independent opinion seems to be bad advice as it stands, if on the otherhand you are still of the opinion that all is not well on completion the my advice will still stand, leave it until completion, and then reevaluate the situation.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
The downlights could be altered to be symmetrical by installing two rather than one. If there is a central joist two downlights could be installed one either side. Natty looking mini downlights are available so that they wouldn't look overpowering.
This sort of thing is inevitable, but people who care about the finish will come up with a solution rather than just tosh it in wherever it'll fit.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Karen Regan said:
The build isn't finished yet so no certificates and we have only paid half. Trouble is i'm not sure what it should look like. Wondering if anyone on this forum could post a picture of a boiler fused thingy so that I can compare! Is it supposed to have a loose wire going back to the boiler?
Click to expand...
the boiler will normally have a 3 core flex from the Fused Connection unit to the boiler. this will usually be just an exposed loop.
similar to this, but the pic shows programmer.
Nest-3rd-gen-thermostat-03_w720_h405.png
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
image.jpg

Ta dah! They have now channelled in the wiring but it still looks like a dogs dinner. Don't know why they haven't screwed the socket in but guessing it's because when I pushed it in it shorted out the rest of the electrical sockets.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
The blocks at least one of them maybe connecting the switch live side of the boiler to a remote stat/programmer perhaps so it maybe a 4 core flex or a 5 core flex incorporating a pump overrun also
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
it's because when I pushed it in it shorted out the rest of the electrical sockets.

obviously a fault in that back box. choc blocks or poor terminations perhaps. either way it's a monkey's abortion. the surface flex is normal.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
telectrix said:
it's because when I pushed it in it shorted out the rest of the electrical sockets.

obviously a fault in that back box. choc blocks or poor terminations perhaps. either way it's a monkey's abortion. the surface flex is normal.
Click to expand...
But there's a difference between your photo and that posted by the O.P.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote

Similar threads

Trusty Crow
Running cable over / through garage blockwork
Replies
5
Views
586
DPG
DPG
J
UK DIY 2-plate 2-way Garage Lighting, feed through 3 core and earth?
Replies
7
Views
408
Avo Mk8
Avo Mk8

OFFICIAL SPONSORS

Electrical Goods - Electrical Tools - Brand Names Electrician Courses Green Electrical Goods PCB Way Green 2 Go Pushfit Wire Connectors Electric Underfloor Heating Electrician Courses Heating 2 Go
These Official Forum Sponsors May Provide Discounts to Regular Forum Members - If you would like to sponsor us then CLICK HERE and post a thread with who you are, and we'll send you some stats etc

Advert

YOUR Unread Posts

Daily, weekly or monthly email

Receive a daily, weekly, or monthly email containing a digest of new and recently updated threads.

Thread starter

K

Karen Regan

-
Joined
Location
Maidstone

Thread Information

Title
Surface mounted wiring into recessed box for boiler?
Prefix
N/A
Forum
UK Electrical Forum
Start date
Last reply date
Replies
34
Unsolved
--

Thread Tags

Tags Tags
boiler box mounted recessed surface wiring

Advert

Thread statistics

Created
Karen Regan,
Last reply from
Toneyz,
Replies
34
Views
4,019

Advert

TrueNAS JBOD Storage Server

Tilers | UK Tiling Forum | Tilers Forums | Find a Tiler
Plumbers Forums | Plumbing Advice | Gas Forum
Back
Top