Domestic rewire

[Percival]

Hi

As you can tell by the title, we've just had the house rewired. When the plasterer came round to estimate some work, he was he was a bit concerned. Concerned enough to ask permission to take photos to send to his electrician friend. On seeing the images, he asked if he could come round to actually see the work. He wasn't impressed.

Would any electrician on this forum be impressed with this work?

 

[johnb2713]

I hope you haven't paid them yet, that's awful.

 

[Percival]

I hope you haven't paid them yet, that's awful.

Hi, John. Thanks for replying. Thank goodness my wife decided to withhold £1000. We at least have some leverage.

I'm not an electrician but I have years of DIY experience so I could see what was physically wrong i.e., the back boxes, some of the channeling, floorboards, etc. I had a C&G level 2 electrician snag the electrical work. The installation has been tested and certified but we haven't received the draft certificate yet. I want to give him the chance to put the work right. Can you (or any other qualified electrician) have a quick look over the snagging list just to confirm I am justified in demanding this be put right?

I've attached the snagging list. It's a bit monotonous but there are a few gems in there!

Edit: I made a copy and pasting error which has now been corrected.

 

[Murdoch]

Problem is that we don't have any idea of the size of the property, the rewire specification and the amount paid!

And whether the quote accepted was the most expensive or the cheapest?

Wonder what the fuseboard looks like and whether the spark has provided an EIC and if in England or Wales a Part P compliance certificate?

 

[Andy™]

messy and proper rough but not completely unreasonable

looking at your 'snagging list'

Where the phrase “Chasing is inadequate” is used, this indicates that the channel is either too shallow
or too narrow for capping. No capping has been used throughout the installation.

if its too shallow for the cables then yes, its an issue, but there is no requirement for any capping and never has been. if you want capping added, expect to be charged for it

Most cabling is twisted and entangled and does not lay flat to the base of the channel or flat to the
wall. Some of it is unclipped.

providing its recesed beyond the finished surface, not really anything worth moaning about. should at least be clipped back and held in place

page 2:

Fascia not earthed to back box.

its a plastic switch. it doesnt have or need an earth. should be obvious by the lack of earth terminal ont he switch to put one... chasing also looks reasonable around the box. cant say if box is lever etc or not but it doesnt look too unreasonable. bit messy

page 3:

Fascia not earthed to back box.

doesnt need to be providing at least 1 fixed lug. which it has

Back box incorrectly installed

deeper box would have been more suitable

Chasing is inadequate

cut out with a multicutter would have been neater and a better finish. and probably wouldnt have needed plastered around the box afterwards

gave up after that. also worth nothing that whist messy, for the best part it does appear compliant with BS7671 (at least once plastered and everything screwed back). if youre going to make a snagging list, at least make sure its correct and factual

tbh a decent mud slinger can fix it. definately could be neater and some boxes could be deeper to make it easier for plasterer, but your never going to get it perfect

as most things like this, im going to take a wild guess and say you get what you pay for, and went with the cheapest option...

 

[Murdoch]

Begs a question why it was 2nd fixed before the plasterer did their job

its not nice but I’ve seen worse, often

 

[kerching]

I lost the will to live around P13/15

Why at P13 onwards is there mention of the homeowners connecting the ( not required) earth wire 'if it had been present'? But not at any point before this?

It's a bit rough BUT I have seen a lot worse

 

[Percival]

Problem is that we don't have any idea of the size of the property, the rewire specification and the amount paid!

And whether the quote accepted was the most expensive or the cheapest?

Wonder what the fuseboard looks like and whether the spark has provided an EIC and if in England or Wales a Part P compliance certificate?

It's a 3 bedroom semi and a consumer unit was also fitted in the garage.
Specification?
£5200 +VAT
Out of four electricians he was the only one who replied.
Are they still called fuseboards? He said he would send a sample certificate but we are yet to receive it.

 

[Murdoch]

Specification?

Agreed work - list of what you were getting for your money, room by room

Fuseboard / Consumer unit / Switch Panel - all the same

Could you post photos of the consumer units?

 

[Percival]

Why at P13 onwards is there mention of the homeowners connecting the ( not required) earth wire 'if it had been present'? But not at any point before this?

I was told the fascia had to be earthed to the back box in case the fascia mounting screws become live. A good case in point is P4 where the live wire had not been connected properly. I changed the fascia on three switched sockets for switched sockets with USB ports. If the fascia is not required to be earthed to the back box, why earthing points exist and why did the electrician connect it in some but not in others?

 

[Murdoch]

I was told the fascia had to be earthed to the back box in case the fascia mounting screws become live. A good case in point is P4 where the live wire had not been connected properly.

By whom?

Sockets should have the CPC terminated on the sockets, plastic light switches (if a metal back box) the CPC is terminated in the back box, metal light switches should have a CPC from the back box to the light switch

 

[kerching]

Earthing points are supplied for
Conduit
MICC installations
It is good practice to connect them but NOT a requirement for twin and earth

why was ' home owner connection ' mentioned from P13 onwards where there were sockets before this annotation with no earth lead, just curious

 

[kerching]

When was this work done?
Post pics of 'fuse board' please

 

[Fleeting]

What is that flex from the grid switch unit, the boiler?
If so it requires suitable restraint preferably at an outlet plate.

 

[Percival]

messy and proper rough but not completely unreasonable

LOL

if its too shallow for the cables then yes

The cables in some instances sit flush to or protrude from the wall (S1). It's a bit unfair to ask for an opinion based on images i know but I guess that's why the plasterer's electrician friend asked to come round to see first hand.

page 2: its a plastic switch. it doesnt have or need an earth.

Thanks for that. That was obviously my mistake and I'll adjust my snagging list. What about metal switch boxes? Do they require the fascia to be earthed?

page 3: deeper box would have been more suitable

The box depth is fine. The recess depth is too deep for the box. I was told the front of the box should be flush with the face of the wall.

went with the cheapest option...

Went with the only option.

 

[Percival]

What is that flex from the grid switch unit, the boiler?
If so it requires suitable restraint preferably at an outlet plate.

Well spotted. The electrician said the plasterer should be able to sort that out.

 

[Fleeting]

Well spotted. The electrician said the plasterer should be able to sort that out.

Plasterer isn't an electrician well I assume they aren't it requires correct connection not dangling unrestrained.

 

[Andy™]

Thanks for that. That was obviously my mistake and I'll adjust my snagging list. What about metal switch boxes? Do they require the fascia to be earthed?



The box depth is fine. The recess depth is too deep for the box. I was told the front of the box should be flush with the face of the wall.

metal switch boxes would usually have the earth taken to them, and if necessary, a link from there to the switch. sockest usually the other way - earth almost always taken to the socket and a link to the backbox if necessary. only really needed to the backbox if its a surface metalclad socket / switch. facia only needs an earth if its class 1. generally (but not always), if there an earth terminal on accessory, it needs an earth. backboxes (recessed into walls), the earth terminal is often more convenience (like the light switchs)

box depth... sometimes you end up chasing out more than you'd like. happens often. all bricks are different when hacking away at them. even between the same batch in the same house, sometimes youll get one with a really neat and accurate cutout, others look like you've taken a wrecking ball to it and shoved the box in what's left of the wall. deeper boxes usually help out with that to get them somewhat flush with the plaster, but you can easily expect them to be recessed 5-10mm

the lugs are also adjustable so they don't have to be perfectly level, although they do need to be somewhat near

 

[Percival]

Agreed work - list of what you were getting for your money, room by room

The quote was the following:

 To fully rewire the full property
 To remove existing cabling and fixings were possible
 To install a new CU in the garage
 To install a new and Metal Clad CU as per BS7671: 2020
 Test the installation as per BS7671: 2018
 Issue Certificate

Fuseboard / Consumer unit / Switch Panel - all the same

I have also heard it called a distribution board and I am old enough to remember fuseboards

Could you post photos of the consumer units?

Certainly

 

[Andy™]

Went with the only option.

rewiring probably the least favourite job for many electricians... easier work out there so that's probably one of the issues