Bodge Job - Why?

[iwaters]

I had been reading up on what I needed to do to add a couple of sockets and some lights into my garage in order to educate myself on the correct way of doing things.

The previous owners of the house had already installed a supply to the garage. They had this running three outside lights, three inside lights and a pond filter pump. However, when I started to look at the supply I realised that they had used 1.5mm2 cable. When I investigated further this supply was an unfused spur from a socket in the kitchen which was already running from a spur.

Why on earth do people do this? It's not a secret that you can only have one spur from a socket unless it is running via a FCU and how they can think that 1.5mm2 cable will be enough? The costs are negligible, so what is it?

I can't believe that people are so ignorant, especially with electricity. Its one thing to use the wrong screw to fix your shelves up where the worst that will happen is they will fall down. But using the wrong wire, and wiring it wrong, the result could be fatal.

Needless to say I have removed this cable completely and will be calling in an electrician to run a proper supply from the CU. Anybody recommend a good sparky in the Milton Keynes area?

Rant Over!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I had been reading up on what I needed to do to add a couple of sockets and some lights into my garage in order to educate myself on the correct way of doing things.

Excellent plan.

Why on earth do people do this? It's not a secret that you can only have one spur from a socket unless it is running via a FCU

It's not a secret, but nor is it part of the National Curriculum. How did you first find it out, and how easy would it have been for you to not have found out?

and how they can think that 1.5mm2 cable will be enough? The costs are negligible, so what is it?

Ignorance.

I can't believe that people are so ignorant, especially with electricity.

I can.

Its one thing to use the wrong screw to fix your shelves up where the worst that will happen is they will fall down. But using the wrong wire, and wiring it wrong, the result could be fatal.

http://www.screwfix.com/talk/thread.jspa?threadID=80375

 

[iwaters]

It's not a secret, but nor is it part of the National Curriculum. How did you first find it out, and how easy would it have been for you to not have found out?

I guess it is easier to not find out, but all I did was buy a £10 book and read some entries on this forum. I guess professional electrictians see stuff like this all the time, it just frightened me that somebody would do something like that and not even check the basics.

 

[breezer]

we can only speculate as to why.

maybe a friend who "knows a bit bout lectrics" did it, the fav is , "well it works doesnt it?"

 

[streetlighter]

People dont want to spend money on there electrics but they will spend thousands on UPVC windows/doors, Kitchens and bathrooms.

Worst ive seen was a 1mm2 T&E spured off the incoming terminals of a FCU for a boiler which was passed through an airbrick clipped along a fence then run under turf for about 15 meters to a garage which was wired in four core flex with the 4th core nipped off.

when the gardener put his spade into the turf the BS3036 fuse carrier exploded burning the old board up and leaving a massive hole in the spade.

 

[daytona]

that about it,in a nutshell mate.

it works and thats all they know.how many class one fittings have you checked on a PIR with no cpc.doesnt need one for the lamp to illuminate.
there ends the knowledge

 

[DESL]

People dont want to spend money on there electrics but they will spend thousands on UPVC windows/doors, Kitchens and bathrooms.

Nature of the job!!

Electrics are out of sight out of mind.

"All that work just for a couple sockets the other side of the room"

 

[streetlighter]

I also herd of a homeowner who whilst having a re-wire done refused to pay for the main and supp bonding as she said "im not paying for what i cant see"

 

[Pensdown]

They should have clipped it surface diagonally across the lounge wall. I bet then she would have paid them to move it.....

 

[streetlighter]

Now thats an idea either that or clipped to the skirting board like NTL do with there coax.

 

[Click-Sure]

Ahh, NTL have started using clips now then?

I thought the NTL standard was staples through the middle of the coax?