New boiler - what do you sparks think of this wiring?

[NewOrder]

My grandmother has just had a new boiler installed. There is a few bodges such as the thermostat being placed next to the gas fire!! but the wiring in the boiler room doesn't look too clever to me

There seems to be wires all over the place which are not secure, the power to the boiler electrics comes from a BS1363 plug and there are wires touching the hot pipes. I am not sure what rating the cables are as the specs are very faint so I don't know if they are high temperature cables.

The other issue is there is a old MK connection unit where the wire has been chopped off, I suspect it is still live.

The picture is not great as I have taken it with my phone but what do you think?

Untitled

• NewOrder
• 7 Apr 2012
• 1

It just looks a bit of a mess but it is a cupboard so it doesn't show.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

what do you think?

I think it was a plumber wot done it.

 

[NewOrder]

Indeed it was a plumber, but surely it has to still be of a decent standard?

 

[SimonH2]

I agree with B-A-S, Looks about normal to me
For a lot of plumbers (and a few sparks), that is a decent standard

 

[NewOrder]

So the general feeling is it is a mess but nothing really to worry about?

 

[RF Lighting]

Yeah. It's not the prettiest of installations, but there's nothing which strikes me as being immediately dangerous.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

It is a mess, some of the cables need to clipped as they could be offering stress to terminations and they also there are dangers that the cable can be accidentally pulled from position due to slack cables, also concerns would be if the gas pipes wire in direct contact with electrical cable.
But not an unusual sight, aesthetically not that pleasing to the eye.
I would flag up your concerns to the installer.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

It is a mess, some of the cables need to clipped as they could be offering stress to terminations and they also there are dangers that the cable can be accidentally pulled from position due to slack cables, also concerns would be if the gas pipes wire in direct contact with electrical cable.
But not an unusual sight, aesthetically not that pleasing to the eye.
I would flag up your concerns to the installer.

 

[NewOrder]

What about it all being powered of a plug? That is what that big dangling wire does, it goes to a plug socket.

Also do the wires behind those hot water pipes look ok?

I think I have already got my grandmother a bit worried . I have told her it is safe but just a bit of a mess but she will ask another family member who knows more about electrics than me to look at it.

What annoys me about this is if I was a plumber there is no way I would leave it in that state, at the very least I would have clipped all the cables and used an FSU rather than a plug.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Using a plug is fine - better than an FCU in some ways.

It's just untidy - some people are.

 

[OwainDIYer]

if it's powered by a plug then it should be an unswitched socket.

Some switched sockets only have single-pole switches, so to ensure isolation the plug must be removed. Using an unswitched socket forces removal of the plug to isolate.

 

[NewOrder]

Wow I didn't know that about switches! But yes it is on a none switched single socket.

 

[EFLImpudence]

if it's powered by a plug then it should be an unswitched socket.

Some switched sockets only have single-pole switches, so to ensure isolation the plug must be removed. Using an unswitched socket forces removal of the plug to isolate.

Whilst all true, It's a bit ott as switching off will switch off the system and, I'm sure, anyone working on it will remove the plug -
which is why I said better in some ways - TOTALLY isolated.

 

[NewOrder]

But I guess if it is a single pole and the phase is some how switched due to a fault, the consequences could be level by only isolating at the switch! It is an unswitched socket anyway so its not an issue.

 

[EFLImpudence]

But I guess if it is a single pole and the phase is some how switched due to a fault, the consequences could be level

by only isolating at the switch! It is an unswitched socket anyway so its not an issue.

The switch on a socket is for switching - not isolating.