dodgy electical work??

[molinari]

I had some electrical and plumbing work done in my kitchen last week and I had a few problems. Just wondering if anyone can give me some advice.
The company now want paying but I'm holding off for reasons you'll see in a minute.

Firstly, whilst finishing off the work 3 days late, one of the workers was wiring in a plug socket. He'd turned off the power at the fuse board to do this and when he turned the power back on, the fuse for the lower ring main blew - big black marks on the fuse board above and below the fuse. I pointed this out to him and he took out the fuse, stripped some old wire from an old socket and wrapped it around the fuse. When he plugged it back in it appeared to do the trick although I was a bit concerned about this.
The following day I had a friend of the family coming round to check on the new boiler (qualified plumber & electrician, corgi registered etc...) which he'd put in two weeks previously. Quite literally as he pulled up in his car, the fuse in the fuse board blew again. He came in and saw straight away that they hadn't used 30 amp fuse to re-wire it, but several thin strands instead. He proceeded to check over the rest of the electrical work they'd done. This is what he found:

- Incorrect wiring used to re-wire fuse in the fuse board.
- None of the water or gas pipework (copper) had been bonded.
- No earth sleeving on any of the earth cables in any of the plug sockets or cooker power socket.
- The gas pipework had been extended by several feet (above floor level) and no clips attached to the wall were used to support it.
- No rubber grommet protecting the wires from the metal case of the cooker power outlet.
- Electrical wiring had been connected under the floor and simply wrapped in tape.

I was told that they have broken electrical regulations with this work but I'm unsure as to which items he was specifically talking about, so if anyone here could point this out to me I'd be grateful. I want to know whether I can get money taken off of the bill because of having to have their mistakes fixed; I'd rather not have to pay twice for the work.
Thanks.

 

[RobFurn]

sounds very dodgy can I ask:

Were the firm part P registered?

Did they test the installation and give you and electrical installation certificate?

 

[molinari]

No idea whether they are part P registered or not (sorry, I don't know what that means). I didn't receive any certificate either. Should I be asking for this?

The company we used did similar work on next doors kitchen (and bathroom). They are also used by a letting agency that our neighbour used to work for, and they are run by a woman who uses Polish workers to do the jobs.

 

[RobFurn]

Yahooooooo

Polish cowboys

you have been done!

Part P is a part of the building regulstions for safety of electrical installations in dwellings anyone doing notifiable work (and if they have been in your kitchen it certainly is notifiable work) they must be part P registered or get soemonoe who is to inspect it or they must have incormed the LABC who will arrange for the job to be inspected


Ask them if they are Part P registered if not ask them who is coming to inspect and test if the brush you off refuse to pay them and state they are breaking the law. Not sure who you can shop them with probably the LABC (local area borough council)

 

[davelx]

LABC = Local Authority Building Control.

Third party certification is not permitted.

If the electrician doing the work is not a member of a Part P Competent Persons Scheme, then only the LABC or a sub-contractor appointed BY THE LABC can do the inspection (and that subby does not have to be a member of a Part P scheme, BTW) and the BC Notification must be submitted BEFORE staring work, so that the inspections can take place at the appropriate stages.

 

[securespark]

Invite the manager round for a chat. Make sure you have a witness present.

Keep the remains of the "fuse-wires" to show him.

Invite him to inspect his work and ask him if he finds that acceptable, and if not, why not.

Point out that he should have provided the correct paperwork for the job, and either self-certified or notified the LABC.

Using wire instead of fusewire is suicidal.

Carrying out installation work without first checking that earthing & bonding is adequate is contrary to regulation. I only have the yellow copy of regs with me, but the number in that book is 130-09-01. If it has changed can someone post the correct number here?

Sleeving: 514-03-01 and table 51A.

Grommets: 522-08-01

Junctions: Section 526.

Please can someone update these reg numbers if they are wrong?

 

[bernardgreen]

Contact your local Trading Standards Office and explain what has happened. They may offer to be the witness when you meet the manager.

 

[dingbat]

I only have the yellow copy of regs with me, (Tut, tut, tut!) but the number in that book is 130-09-01. If it has changed can someone post the correct number here?

130-07-01

T'others are okay.

 

[molinari]

** Update **

So I've just spoken to the owner of the company who said that they were planning to come round after the kitchen had been fitted (by different people) to finish off and certify it. They hadn't told me this at any point. She also said that they are also Part P certified.

She said that the kitchen fitters would have been responsible for bonding the water and gas pipes, not them - is this correct??
She also said that they would never not use junction boxes to join the wires, even though I have photos to prove otherwise.

It is puzzling me as to why they would fit sockets around the kitchen without putting sleeving on the earth wires come back to sort them all out later. Also, how would they get to the sockets behind the units without having to take appliances out??

Is she grasping at straws or should I just accept what she is sating??

securespark - any chance of quoting those bits from the regs, I can't find them elsewhere.

 

[diyr]

i'd get your neighbour to check their wiring as it sounds as though they may have a problem aswell. Also where are they doing work as I wouldnt want to rent one of the houses they've rewired!!!

 

[Chivers7]

paying but I'm holding off for reasons you'll see in a minute.

Firstly, whilst finishing off the work 3 days late, one of the workers was wiring in a plug socket. He'd turned off the power at the fuse board to do this and when he turned the power back on, the fuse for the lower ring main blew - big black marks on the fuse board above and below the fuse. I pointed this out to him and he took out the fuse, stripped some old wire from an old socket and wrapped it around the fuse. When he plugged it back in it appeared to do the trick although I was a bit concerned about this.....
. Quite literally as he pulled up in his car, the fuse in the fuse board blew again. He came in and saw straight away that they hadn't used 30 amp fuse to re-wire it, but several thin strands instead. He proceeded to check over the rest of the electrical work they'd done. This is what he found:

- Incorrect wiring used to re-wire fuse in the fuse board.
- None of the water or gas pipework (copper) had been bonded.
- No earth sleeving on any of the earth cables in any of the plug sockets or cooker power socket.
- The gas pipework had been extended by several feet (above floor level) and no clips attached to the wall were used to support it.
- No rubber grommet protecting the wires from the metal case of the cooker power outlet.
- Electrical wiring had been connected under the floor and simply wrapped in tape.

I was told that they have broken electrical regulations with this work but I'm unsure as to which items he was specifically talking about, so if anyone here could point this out to me I'd be grateful. I want to know whether I can get money taken off of the bill because of having to have their mistakes fixed; I'd rather not have to pay twice for the work.
Thanks.

Very concerned about the first bit mentioned with regards to the fuse and the fact the guy didn't check over any of the wiring they had done before replacing the fuse. Perhaps may have been caused by no Earth sleeving and the live shorting out and what wire size did he actually use / is this what "blew" again as that must have been a pretty high current to blow normal copper cable. Don't pay any money until the work is safe, I suggest taking photographs as well of the offending work.

 

[molinari]

Very concerned about the first bit mentioned with regards to the fuse and the fact the guy didn't check over any of the wiring they had done before replacing the fuse. Perhaps may have been caused by no Earth sleeving and the live shorting out and what wire size did he actually use / is this what "blew" again as that must have been a pretty high current to blow normal copper cable. Don't pay any money until the work is safe, I suggest taking photographs as well of the offending work.

I have photos of all that they did. I took photos during the two weeks they were here just in case something went wrong, glad I did now.

 

[RobFurn]

I have photos of all that they did. I took photos during the two weeks they were here just in case something went wrong, glad I did now.

can you post some pics on here?

 

[DESL]

If the company claim to be part p registered look up the company here

http://www.competentperson.co.uk/search.asp

If they're on the register contact the scheme they're registered with and tell them what has happened

If they're not on the register they are commiting a fraud. You then need to contact trading standards.

Do not enter into any discussion with the company until you have this information.

Also withold any payment until you are satisfied

 

[molinari]

Here are 3, please comment on them.

Electrical socket for cooker...


Fuse wire that blew...


Plug socket...