Where do we go from here?

[paulh53]

My in-laws had their bungalow fully rewired back in 1995,
It was done by an n****c registered contractor, I went there last week to rectify a fault on the lounge wall lights, Which had suddenly stopped working,
I eventually traced the fault to a bad neutral connection above the lounge ceiling light, All of the ceiling lights had been connected in the loft to single open terminal connectors (Chocky Blocks), And where sticking out above the loft insulation, These open connections where not housed in any form of enclosure, And where just poking through the loft insulation like the branches of a tree, just waiting for someone to accidentally touch them,
These connections should have been enclosed, Or jointboxes should have been used, All the earth wires at each ceiling light had just been twisted together in a single chocky block, with no sleeving,
The contractors even put the whole house (TN-S) on a Main switch RCD,
Which was a nightmare when burglars tried to disarm an exterior PIR floodlight, tripping the main RCD, and leaving my in-laws in total darkness while people where trying to break into their home,
I asked my in-laws for the installers installation certificates, But they said that they where not given any certificates? So I asked how they knew it was a registered contractor, And they said that the building society had recommended them, And the contractors had the Logo on their van,
And assured me that nothing electrical had been done since,

In my opinion, I fail to see how Part P, Or the Registered Installers Scheme is going to protect the homeowner from this type of "Wolf in sheep's clothing", There is just as many "Registered"; cowboys, As there is "Unregistered" cowboys, I am not registered yet, But plan to be in the near future, But at the end of the day I am still accountable for all my electrical work whether I am registered or not,
So, Where do we go from here?

 

[towman]

It all rather depend on the "teeth" of the body the installer is registered with I guess. If work is shoddy then complain in the first instance to the firm and then to the registering body. Who should then do something about it! (or just keep taking the fees!)

But I agree with the basic point that registration is no guarantee that Billy the Kid and his mates won't turn up ,just as not being registered would mean work would of poor standard.

It would probably help if there were'nt so many schemes - 5 at least? (plus Part P!) How the hell the average homeowner is supposed to know what they all are is beyond me! Bad as CORGI might be, at least it's just one scheme - if you aint registered, you aint doing it! (maybe?) Obviously vested interests would baulk at the idea of one scheme, but it would make things a lot easier. After all, there's only one way to get a driving licence! (and yes, I know that doesn't guarantee you're any good, that the bloke in the next car has got one etc etc)

 

[ban-all-sheds]

But I agree with the basic point that registration is no guarantee that Billy the Kid and his mates won't turn up ,just as not being registered would not mean work would be of poor standard.

There - that's better

It would probably help if there were'nt so many schemes - 5 at least? (plus Part P!)

What do you mean, "plus Part P"?

 

[paulh53]

I believe the contractor is no longer in business I wonder why
Think I will get "Registered", And stop paying my fees after the first year But still use my van with the n****c logo for the next five years

 

[Lectrician]

We have seen a few companies around here with NIC logos, as we are a close nit community, we can smell the rat, and they get reported.

NIC sent letters to the companies, who then removed the stickers etc, but no other action was taken

There will always be dodgy going on. Thats the way the world is. When you go to hospital you expect the best treatment, and often it is far from it.

 

[StirlingScott]

a company in our area was doing a lot of council work - eg kitchen refurbs. The council is NICEIC registered but this sub-contract company wasnt. This company though then started to use the NICEIC logos in all thier advertising, which was duly reported by other companies and they are no longer in business.

The main guy of the company now runs about in a van advertising a jack of all trades service

 

[Big_Spark]

The main guy of the company now runs about in a van advertising a jack of all trades service

Is he called Prescot by any chance??

 

[ban-all-sheds]

as we are a close nit community

That's how nits spread - people getting too close to each other....

 

[towman]

But I agree with the basic point that registration is no guarantee that Billy the Kid and his mates won't turn up ,just as not being registered would not mean work would be of poor standard.

There - that's better

Thanks BAS- bloody works comp with a sticking return key - keep losing track of what I've written as it merrily shunts to the bottom of the page!!

It would probably help if there were'nt so many schemes - 5 at least? (plus Part P!)

What do you mean, "plus Part P"?

AIUI - somone could be eg N***C registered - but not as Domestic Installer - so wouldn't be qualified to self certify partP? (but odf course they wouldn't be doing Domestic work would they......). Plus it's just another layer of confusion for the householder - I may be wrong - but if I am, doesn't it illustrate the point?