Shocking installation

[JohnW2]

No, I'm compiling a report regarding that! Is appreciate some expert opinion regarding my electrics though if anyone minds

Unfortunately, you won't get a meaningful assessment of the electrical installation over the internet - you really need to get an electrician to undertake an inspection (an 'EICR'). However, as I wrote previously, it's very unlikely that you'll have any case against the surveyor in relation to electrics - as I said, their report is probably full of caveats about their not being competent in relation to electrical matters, and may well even advise getting an electrical inspection undertaken.

Kind Regards, John

 

[gigz]

Hope that's not a gas pipe in your first and last pics

 

[coopersim]

Boiler feed and return pipes.

 

[Ahtyrrell]

Is it me or is there no main switch on the CU just two RCDs I know there is a main isolator but that is shoddy work at the best

 

[Spark123]

The far right RCD looks to be the main isolator, probably a 100mA RCD with the other RCD being 30mA.
At a guess it is a TT supply, can't really tell from the pics.

 

[mfarrow]

The far right RCD looks to be the main isolator, probably a 100mA RCD with the other RCD being 30mA.

Nope, full size photobucket shot shows they're identical.

The main switch has therefore gone AWOL somewhere and the current wiring looks like it might make one of the RCDs redundant.

 

[JohnW2]

Nope, full size photobucket shot shows they're identical.

This is impressive - can you really read the labelling on this:

Untitled

• JohnW2
• 9 Nov 2013
• 1

?

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Is it me or is there no main switch on the CU just two RCDs I know there is a main isolator but that is shoddy work at the best

If there is an isolator before the CU, what is shoddy, per se, about there not also being one in the CU?

 

[mfarrow]

This is impressive - can you really read the labelling on this?

Any better, John?
View media item 68732

 

[viewer]

Be pragmatic. As said you can't do anything without a proper report. Get the report and a costing for putting right and compare the costs with the cost of trying to take action. Bear in mind that once you do start proceedings you have effectively notified the lenders and legal representatives that you are aware that the house is unfit and a part of any mortgage agreement will be that you maintain the property. You might be angry (and rightly so), but it could be much cheaper to solve the problem than to be proven right.

 

[OwainDIYer]

Is it me or is there no main switch on the CU just two RCDs I know there is a main isolator but that is shoddy work at the best

If there is an isolator before the CU, what is shoddy, per se, about there not also being one in the CU?

It wouldn't be a Consumer Unit, it would be a Distribution Board, and it might be being used in a way that is not described in the manufacturer's instrctions if it's intended to be used as a CU?

There might also be RCDs in series leading to loss of discrimination and the current carrying capacity of the upstream RCD being exceeded if it has to carry the whole board load.

Also, an Isolator is not the same as a Switch.

 

[rjm2k]

How long had the vendor lived there?

 

[JohnW2]

Any better, John?

Much better - even I can read that! Why didn't it work for me, I wonder? - we must surely have both been looking at the same photobucket image!

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

If there is an isolator before the CU, what is shoddy, per se, about there not also being one in the CU?

It wouldn't be a Consumer Unit, it would be a Distribution Board, and it might be being used in a way that is not described in the manufacturer's instrctions if it's intended to be used as a CU? ... There might also be RCDs in series leading to loss of discrimination and the current carrying capacity of the upstream RCD being exceeded if it has to carry the whole board load. ... Also, an Isolator is not the same as a Switch.

It's interesting that if that RCD on the right were a time-delayed one, actinga s the incomer, and the installation were TT, then no-one would have batted an eyelid in the days of 'split load' CUs, and even today such type-tested CUs (not 'just DBs') are available (e.g. the Wylex NHSTM range). Similarly, until 30mA RCD protection of all final circuits started to become the fashion, it was fully accepted that the upstream (time-delayed) RCD in a TT installation had to carry (and be able to carry) the whole board load, and that this RCD could act as a CU's incomer.

As for 'shoddy', having an isolator (which, in practice, is often the same, or nearly the same, component as would be used as a CU main switch) is surely safer (e.g. for someone working in the CU) than a main switch within the CU - are 'safer' and 'shoddy' the same thing?

Kind Regards, John

 

[mfarrow]

John, I would like to say it's some form of NCIS/CSI/24 image enhancement, but sadly not.

If you actually go to the guy's photobucket album, and view the full size image as uploaded (just keep clicking on pluses) you'll get the full resolution image.