Discuss Tails inside consumer unit bare copper, not terminated correctly - C1 or C2 ? in the Periodic Inspection Reporting & Certification area at ElectriciansForums.net

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Ok, I'm in the middle of an EICR for a client. The tails are going into the consumer unit in separate holes (It's metal, so that's against the regs), and then inside the consumer unit they have been terminated in a really shoddy way with bare copper showing. Now copper showing on the tails is a C1 outside the CU, but is it still a C1 inside the CU given you would have to remove the cover before risking an electric shock ?
 
IMO:

Tails entering through different holes: C3, based on a JW vid I saw where he tested this at ~100A, and nothing really happened.

Copper on show: I'd need to see a photo, but it would have to be really bad to warrant more than a C3. CU's full of live copper after all.
 
Definetly not a c1 although it is poor workmanship the terminal screw is live and can be touched whether the copper is showing or not and that does not receive a code. It does not present an immediate danger. C3 at most.
 
How much copper ? 2 mm then nothing to worry about , 2 cm then its rough as my badgers arse
 
Ok, I'm in the middle of an EICR for a client. The tails are going into the consumer unit in separate holes (It's metal, so that's against the regs), and then inside the consumer unit they have been terminated in a really shoddy way with bare copper showing. Now copper showing on the tails is a C1 outside the CU, but is it still a C1 inside the CU given you would have to remove the cover before risking an electric shock ?
pictures please
 
How much copper ? 2 mm then nothing to worry about , 2 cm then its rough as my badgers arse
I'll post a photo tomorrow, but it's a lot, at least 1cm or more. The only place copper should be showing is at the neutral or earth bars, the bus bar should be covered. As a matter of interest the codebreakers book states any copper showing on line conductors is at least a C2
 
I'll post a photo tomorrow, but it's a lot, at least 1cm or more. The only place copper should be showing is at the neutral or earth bars, the bus bar should be covered. As a matter of interest the codebreakers book states any copper showing on line conductors is at least a C2
Aside from opinion on here and Codebreakers which is generally considered a joke what do you think and why. To compile a Report you must have enough competence and knowledge to assess the type of installation you are working on.
 
The only place copper should be showing is at the neutral or earth bars, the bus bar should be covered.
Supposedly not an issue, according to BPG4:

Items that should not be listed as non-compliances with BS 7671 and do not require reporting (Mythbusting):

Absence of barriers inside a consumer unit (provided the cover is removable only with the use of a key or tool)
 
Unless the barriers and front cover are off, or the copper is out and exposed going into the tails gland I'd C2 myself, purely because it drives the requirement to fix, that said a few seconds to chop and re-terminate and no code at all, depends how you see it.
 
If you C1 exposed copper then potentially every pendant would be a C1

At worst a poorly stripped conductor leaving too much bare wire showing is a C2 as an untrained person fiddling inside the enclosuer could touch the bare wires. Which then questions why is an untrained person fiddling with the wiring in the first place

For me C1 should only be used for really serious things like a bare wire exposed so anyone can touch it. If that wire is inside a box then its much less of an issue
 
He’s not waiting for an answer. WE are waiting for a photo.

There are various degrees of “bare copper showing” that determines whether a C3, 2 or 1
Funny you say that , I worked with a sparks who every time he made off tails he stripped way too much insulation and often left about an inch of bare copper wire poking out the terminal...
Did my head in but he was about 15 years my senior and had done it this way for donkeys years so wasn't going to change his ways...
He is exact same on sockets , switches and JBs he would trim off way to much insulation leaving a solid inch or more of bare wire
 
If it’s just a few mm showing at the terminals, then that’s C3. Improvement.
It’s more likely someone can touch the terminal screw with a fingertip if they really tried.

If bare copper can be accidentally brushed against, when not trying…. That’s C2. As another fault needs to make it a C1…. Such as no front panel, or missing blanks from the front panel.

A C1 would be live copper floating about in free air, likely to be accidentally touched.
 
If you start coding bits of bare copper within the consumer unit where do you stop, do you end up coding sockets and switches that are showing a bit of copper or how about the brown junction boxes with their exposed brass terminals once the lid is off and all generally need a tool to access the areas of concern, it then begs the question should ceiling roses have a key / tool removable cover instead of the current twist off cover because it is too easy to access live terminals
I would suspect there are more items posing a greater danger than this on most installations, it seems now that some doing EICR's don't feel they have completed it correctly unless they hit that pinacle of a C1 on the report, but a few C2's can usually be a substiute for the upset
 

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