green-hornet
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- Feb 25, 2009
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I received a call by recommendation, the brief was to supply some extra sockets and two way switching to a house that the clients had just bought.
The house was sold with a new kitchen and new bathroom installed, so to all looked like a real bargain.
On arrival I noticed the new bathroom and freshly installed kitchen, I asked the client if they had the Electrical Installation certificates, they had none, I asked if they had been given or asked for an electrical safety report, they had not.
Anyway my usual method of working is to approach all prospective jobs as if I was doing an assessment, so main bonding was checked 6mm to gas meter, connection to water unverified and not accessable.
Fuse board next and this was fully boxed in by the new kitchen, almost impossible to work on and the main cut out totally un accessable without removal of kitchen units.
Without being able to check the supply for earthing characteristics I ventured outside to check the in comming supply, and took a few pics from my phone.
Thats what looks like 16mm twin and earth and the single cable serves 3 houses, from the main supply, going the other way from the main supply two cables serve most of the rest of the street.
Thats the fuse board and meter, so you can see the problem I have.
There is recent work to the kitchen and bathroom both works carried out in the last 6 months and its still on a rewirable fuse board which is as I have said almost impossible to work on.
I now have a problem, how the hell am I to install extra sockets and install two way switching to the stairs with no RCD protection and bonding that is to a previous edition.
Another question is why should we upgrade and update any installation when the supply companies never do?
The clients are short of cash but want the job done right, I felt like a conman when I explained how wrong everything was.
Any help or advise from you guys would help.
Me personally I would file for prosecution of the previous owners and get this Part P fiasco sorted out once and for all, or everyone refuse to be a part of it.
The house was sold with a new kitchen and new bathroom installed, so to all looked like a real bargain.
On arrival I noticed the new bathroom and freshly installed kitchen, I asked the client if they had the Electrical Installation certificates, they had none, I asked if they had been given or asked for an electrical safety report, they had not.
Anyway my usual method of working is to approach all prospective jobs as if I was doing an assessment, so main bonding was checked 6mm to gas meter, connection to water unverified and not accessable.
Fuse board next and this was fully boxed in by the new kitchen, almost impossible to work on and the main cut out totally un accessable without removal of kitchen units.
Without being able to check the supply for earthing characteristics I ventured outside to check the in comming supply, and took a few pics from my phone.
Thats what looks like 16mm twin and earth and the single cable serves 3 houses, from the main supply, going the other way from the main supply two cables serve most of the rest of the street.
Thats the fuse board and meter, so you can see the problem I have.
There is recent work to the kitchen and bathroom both works carried out in the last 6 months and its still on a rewirable fuse board which is as I have said almost impossible to work on.
I now have a problem, how the hell am I to install extra sockets and install two way switching to the stairs with no RCD protection and bonding that is to a previous edition.
Another question is why should we upgrade and update any installation when the supply companies never do?
The clients are short of cash but want the job done right, I felt like a conman when I explained how wrong everything was.
Any help or advise from you guys would help.
Me personally I would file for prosecution of the previous owners and get this Part P fiasco sorted out once and for all, or everyone refuse to be a part of it.