RCD - Live/Neutral switched

[Chrissss1]

Hi all,

I've recently had to disconnect the electric running to my shed whilst it was replaced.

The set up to the shed is a 2.5mm SWA cable spurred from an outside socket which is fed from a 16A radial in the house (RCD protected).

The SWA is terminated in the shed via another RCD, on to a FCU (13a) and into 1 double socket and 1 light.

A few things I noticed:

The SWA armour is not earthed either end but does have a cpc (3 core cable) - the glands used at both ends are of the plastic type with the armour cut off / stripped back.

The RCD in the shed seems to have the live/neutral swapped (L is clearly marked but has the neutral wire in)

All of the above was installed by an electrician during my rewire.

Should I be concerned, especially about the RCD? Shouldn't something like this have been identified during testing?

And to top if off I've just found out the rewire hasn't been notified to BC or NICEIC (despite them being registered!)

Any help appreciated

Thanks!

 

[EFLImpudence]

The set up to the shed is a 2.5mm SWA cable spurred from an outside socket which is fed from a 16A radial in the house (RCD protected).
The SWA is terminated in the shed via another RCD, on to a FCU (16a) and into 1 double socket and 1 light.

13A FCU - no 16A fuses for them.

The SWA armour is not earthed either end but does have a cpc (3 core cable) - the glands used at both ends are of the plastic type with the armour cut off / stripped back.

Wrong.

The RCD in the shed seems to have the live/neutral swapped (L is clearly marked but has the neutral wire in)

Wrong. Might not affect it, but it might, but not right and no reason to do it wrongly.

All of the above was installed by an electrician during my rewire.
Should I be concerned, especially about the RCD? Shouldn't something like this have been identified during testing?
And to top if off I've just found out the rewire hasn't been notified to BC or NICEIC (despite them being registered!)

Get them back to do it all properly.

Report them to their scheme if they don't do it.
You could report them now so that it is recorded but the scheme will just say they should be given the chance to rectify it first.
Photograph all the defects.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The SWA is terminated in the shed via another RCD

Rather pointless, unless you fear the one in the house failing. And if you did, having the 2nd one protecting the house would be better.

on to a FCU (16a) and into 1 double socket and 1 light.

It would be a 13A FCU, max. And it too is pointless.

The SWA armour is not earthed either end

That is wrong.

the glands used at both ends are of the plastic type with the armour cut off / stripped back.

That is wrong.

The RCD in the shed seems to have the live/neutral swapped (L is clearly marked but has the neutral wire in)

Swapped on both in and out sides, I sincerely hope.

All of the above was installed by an electrician during my rewire.

No, it wasn't.

He may have told you he was an electrician. He may even have thought himself to be one. But he wasn't.

Should I be concerned, especially about the RCD?

As long as it's swapped on both sides, i.e. you haven't got a polarity reversal at that point, that's the least thing to be concerned about.

Shouldn't something like this have been identified during testing?

Given the quality of the rest of the work, there's little reason to believe he did any.

Did you get an Electrical Installation Certificate?

And to top if off I've just found out the rewire hasn't been notified to BC or NICEIC (despite them being registered!)

You need to complain to NICEIC.

 

[Chrissss1]

Thanks for the (quick) replies.

My mistake, 13A FCU

I was given a printed and PDF copy titled Electrical Installation Certificate, it has a Certificate / serial number on it which when I tried to validate online, failed, I called the NICEIC and they have no record of him working on my property - similar story with local BC.

I took some pics of the RCD, pretty crap quality but might confirm if it's (or I'm) wrong:

1) SWA into RCD: https://imgur.com/txwI7bK
2) T+E out of the RCD (Neutral left), also stripped wire/gland: https://imgur.com/MTUG8fr and https://imgur.com/ODpY5mf
3) Finally, into the FCU supply (correct colours going in) - https://imgur.com/7rPzhGR

 

[Risteard]

Unearthed armour on an SWA cable is potentially dangerous. (But worryingly common.)

 

[Chrissss1]

Unearthed armour on an SWA cable is potentially dangerous. (But worryingly common.)

Yeah, I don't understand it, the correct glands are cheap as chips

 

[Risteard]

Yeah, I don't understand it, the correct glands are cheap as chips

Indeed, but they require some skill to utilitise correctly! Some people just don't seem to get it that armoured cable won't offer any extra protection if the armour isn't actually earthed.

 

[mwatsonxx]

Re the feed cable, does the shed have any metallic services entering it? I'm thinking this an half arsed attempt at a TT installation, in which case the SWA cable armour should be earthed at the house end via a standard brass gland and banjo. And the armour should be insulated at the shed end, hence the use of a plastic stuffing gland. With the cpc provided by a core in the SWA, that also connects to the shed extraneous metalwork. Was the old shed a metal one?

 

[Chrissss1]

Same type of gland at the house end - plastic going into a external socket knockout - no banjo.

The SWA WAS originally clipped to the fence if that changes anything in the need to earth the armour (less chance of a spade hitting it etc, but I assume not and its just bad practice?)

Shed was wooden on a concrete base, no metal work.

From the pictures then is the RCD wired in reverse?

If so it makes me doubt the tests performed and thus the general installation as a whole?

Thanks

 

[EFLImpudence]

From the pictures then is the RCD wired in reverse?

It certainly appears to be, but -

perhaps they have used Black and Blue for Line and Brown for Neutral.

 

[Chrissss1]

It certainly appears to be, but -

perhaps they have used Black and Blue for Line and Brown for Neutral.

I considered that and if that was the case then brown out of the RCD is connected to the line of the FCU so it would be reversed at that point.

I may just replace the entire set up in the shed with a small garage unit and terminate the SWA properly with the correct gland, incidentally is a garage cu notifiable?

 

[EFLImpudence]

You do not need a CU in the shed. It is only a 16A circuit.

Just terminate the SWA properly (and at the supply end) into a box and connect the sockets to it.
Run the lights through an FCU with 3A fuse (even that is not really necessary).

 

[Chrissss1]

You do not need a CU in the shed. It is only a 16A circuit.

Just terminate the SWA properly (and at the supply end) into a box and connect the sockets to it.
Run the lights through an FCU with 3A fuse (even that is not really necessary).

Fair point, a CU is a bit overkill, I'll take that approach - thanks.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

And get on to NICEIC about the bandit who did your rewire...

 

[sparkwright]

That second picture really just shows how bad that gland termination is.

It's very bad enough not to use an SWA gland and ensure the armour is earthed, but even using that plastic CTS gland has been done so roughly it's not even a tidy bodge.

Clueless some people. Not an electrician by any means.