Recent Electircal Work Questions

[RF Lighting]

I'm turning my phone off just in case!

 

[vards01]

It's a worry when you realise this, but your electrician clearly doesn't!

I'm a qualified mechanical engineer so have a reasonable aptitude for most things technical, and have studied electrical and electronic engineering at degree level. Unfortunately when I questioned him I genuinely believe he thinks this is OK.....which is the worrying thing, others who are not technically minded would rely on his work and not question it......this is where he becomes dangerous. He is a nice polite, pleasant guy, but I feel he is grossly incompetent. I will be calling building control on Monday.

 

[vards01]

I'm turning my phone off just in case!

Lol.....this chap is also local but I have him by recommendation from a builder who wouldn't take this kind of crap work.....I honestly didn't think this kind of practice still existed with the part P and NIC EIC registration system, so naively used the local paper. Never again.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I have a trusted electricians phone number who I will call tomorrow.....

So are you still going to pay the lying, thieving, dangerously incompetent c*** who has perpetrated this mess on you?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

when I questioned him I genuinely believe he thinks this is OK......

I'm sure he does.

But then he is a lying, thieving, dangerously incompetent c***.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

On the circuit side he has put 2 x A3 radials in

Has he?

You must then have another CU somewhere, because there are no 20A breakers in the one you have shown us.

Either that or he is not telling you the truth.

But he has also left the socket by the back door on another circuit….so someone working on this house may think they have isolated the kitchen circuits where as one would still be live!!! He has clearly labelled the CU with kitchen sockets…..

Not helpful, but anybody who works on a circuit without checking for dead using a proper 2-pole tester which they know is working OK deserves anything they get if it is not dead.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I think he has switched to the other type mcbs as the lighting ones are wylex…..I should have taken a picture before to be sure!!!!

They should all be Wylex.

But weren't you the one who asked him to use Legrand?

 

[vards01]

On the circuit side he has put 2 x A3 radials in

Has he?

You must then have another CU somewhere, because there are no 20A breakers in the one you have shown us.

Either that or he is not telling you the truth.

But he has also left the socket by the back door on another circuit….so someone working on this house may think they have isolated the kitchen circuits where as one would still be live!!! He has clearly labelled the CU with kitchen sockets…..

Not helpful, but anybody who works on a circuit without checking for dead using a proper 2-pole tester which they know is working OK deserves anything they get if it is not dead.

OK so by definition an A3 radial must be fitted with 20A breaker, and this would be regulation?

He used the word A3 Radial, I was referring to the rated load of the 2.5mm2 cable when used as a radial circuit @ 20A.

The idea was all the sockets in the kitchen were meant to be on a ring. NOT on a load of heath robinson radial mish mashes.

In terms of the breakers.....when I see that there was one sticking out I said to him surely they should all be the same. He told me it was a wylex one but there was two different types this is the newer one hence bigger. I said well I would like them to be consistent. Not having taken a picture, he may have put the legend ones in.....OR the previous electrician may have done this and he simply put another legend one in to match. I doubt the latter though as the lighting ones are wylex. I can not verify any of this as I didn't pay too much attention, and the least of my worries as correct one can be purchased easily. But still another pain in the ass.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

OK so by definition an A3 radial must be fitted with 20A breaker, and this would be regulation?

"A3" is the term used to describe a 20A radial. Where the regulations come in is that you can't have a device rated at more than 20A if you use 2.5mm² cable.

The idea was all the sockets in the kitchen were meant to be on a ring. NOT on a load of heath robinson radial mish mashes.

You

do

not

have

any

breakers

capable

of

supporting

2.5mm²

radials!




You

do

not

appear

to

have

any

conductors

in

your

32A

MCBs

apart

from

the

ends

of

1

ring

each!



Unless

you

have

another

CU

somewhere

you

have

no

radials!

 

[sparkwright]

For what it's worth, I don't have a problem with two different circuits serving the sockets in a kitchen, as this can be marked up at the consumer unit.

And as mentioned by someone, you should also test the power is off with a suitable test instrument.

Still rubbish work though.

 

[vards01]

Having just been at the house and having the floors up this is what we have in the kitchen:

Radial(s):
1 radial circuit containing 3 x twin 13A socket joined in junction box to 2 x twin 13A sockets + 1 x switched & fused extractor hood.

On a separate radial circuit 1 x twin 13A socket.

These two radial circuits are wired to 1 x 32mcb labelled 'kitchen sockets'

Ring:

1 x twin 13A socket on a spur from main ring circuit wired to 1 x 32mcb labelled 'sockets' (this is the main breaker for all sockets within the property)


Cooker:

1 x cooker supply switch incorporating 1 x 13A socket connected to 1 x 32mcb labelled 'cooker'

New electrician is coming next week so we shall see what he has to say about the install.

 

[JohnW2]

1 radial circuit containing 3 x twin 13A socket joined in junction box to 2 x twin 13A sockets + 1 x switched & fused extractor hood. ... On a separate radial circuit 1 x twin 13A socket. .. These two radial circuits are wired to 1 x 32mcb labelled 'kitchen sockets'

Are you absolutely certain that those two 'radials' aren't joined, creating a ring? Do I also take it that the wiring is all in 2.5mm² cable? If so, those two radials on a 32A MCB are seriously non-complaint.

Kind Regards, John

 

[securespark]

You could invest £10 in a multimeter from Maplin to check continuity.

And before you get the other spark in, you sure you don't want to further a complaint with the NIC??

Because once you get the other guy in, the NIC won't entertain a complaint.

 

[vards01]

1 radial circuit containing 3 x twin 13A socket joined in junction box to 2 x twin 13A sockets + 1 x switched & fused extractor hood. ... On a separate radial circuit 1 x twin 13A socket. .. These two radial circuits are wired to 1 x 32mcb labelled 'kitchen sockets'

Are you absolutely certain that those two 'radials' aren't joined, creating a ring? Do I also take it that the wiring is all in 2.5mm² cable? If so, those two radials on a 32A MCB are seriously non-complaint.

Kind Regards, John

Absolutely certain one is literally right next to the CU and the other he has removed from the old ring circuit (existing for the rest of the house) and then joined in the junction box as a radial circuit. All on 2.5mm2

 

[vards01]

You could invest £10 in a multimeter from Maplin to check continuity.

And before you get the other spark in, you sure you don't want to further a complaint with the NIC??

Because once you get the other guy in, the NIC won't entertain a complaint.

Its easy to follow the wires....have a multimeter but wasn't worth checking as you can clearly see under the floor.

I looked at the NIC complaints procedure and this means writing letters and long waits.....I don't have the time, hence why I was going to building control.