Absolute blinder of a job

Talk Electrician Forum

Help Support Talk Electrician Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

phil d

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 25, 2016
Messages
1,686
Reaction score
143
Location
merseyside
I was asked by my daughter in law if I'd take a look at a friends electrics, she'd been having various problems and had informed her landlord, an electrician. He'd sent one of his lads out to have a look and do an inspection, however, this was only after the young lady's brother threatened to sort him out!

She was still worried as the lad didn't seem to know what he was doing and spent most of his time either on the internet on his laptop. or on the phone asking someone questions. On arriving at the house the first thing I noticed was a lump of 16mm g/y sticking out of the front wall, this went into a small Wiska box and in this was the top of an earth rod, funny, because it's on my patch so to speak and most of the old houses are TNS! Anyway, I enter th property and go to the meter cupboard, the seals on the service head have been cut, as have those on the meter, tight up against the service head is a fairly big white metal enclosure, it contains a 100mA rcd, not time delayed, this is fed from the meter, the outgoing tails then go to the cu.There is also a 10mm g/y from the case to the met, also attached to the met is an earth from the rod, one from the cu, and one from the earth bar on the side of the service head.

She helpfully offers me an eicr, written by this lad, the outcome is unsatisfactory, according to him, according to me, the report itself is unsatisfactory. Contractors ref no NA, agreed limitations, NON, later on there are numerous columns marked LIM, including ir values, loop values and R1+R2 values!

There is nothing filled in on the section to do with distributors equipment, although curiously later on he does state that the cutout is showing signs of rust, interesting, because it's actually a black plastic one!

I discover that it is, or rather should be a tns system and after isolating the board I carry out an external earth loop test, once without the rod connected,  around 180 ohms, and once with rod attached, 33 ohms, I realise that it is a looped service from next door and pop round to ask if I can take a look at it, their measured value is also identical to next doors, there's obviously a fault on the incomer. I inform dno and they attend, the guy isn't happy, Why have I broke seals on the service head? why have I broke seals on the meter? why have I attempted to convert their TNS into a TT? and finally, why have I damaged the head leaving it dangerous?

I explain the situation to him, I did not carry out the work, I merely discovered the issues when I came out, at no charge, to check the install at my daughter in law's request. He promptly declares that the "spark" who did it is an idiot and could have made a bad situation even worse, especially as it affected 2 properties! I show him the cert, he laughs, he then asks where the paperwork is for the work that has been done (fitting rcd and rod) there isn't any, he's also replaced a couple of mcb's and not secured them to the rail, they are simply plugged into the busbar!

He replaces a corroded BS951 clamp on the cable net door, value of loop drops from 33 ohms to 0.33, excellent, he decides however that the cable is damaged and they will replace it in the next few days, all good, we leave the property and are stood outside discussing the job, the DNO don't want to get involved, very odd, but he suggests I report the guy, I was already planning to. I ring the NICEIC as he's a member, approved contractor actually. I spend half an hour on the phone to one of their tech guys explaining the problems, he listens, he even agrees that it's totally wrong, he even goes as far as to state that, on discovering the problem lay with the suppliers equipment, he should have just rang the DNO and let them deal with it .

I ask him what he's going to do about it, then he drops a bombshell! despite tampering with equipment belonging to the DNO and meter supplier, and despite potentially endangering the people next door, the only thing to do is for me to register a complaint, then, if they receive another 2 or 3 complaints of a similar nature from other people regarding different jobs, THEN, and only then, they'll have a WORD with him, a word!

I'm absolutlely amazed and go into a rant about how they keep advising customers to "only use a registered electrician, it's your only guarantee of quality" I point out that this "cowboy" had a badge, one of theirs actually, he agrees it's wrong, but is unable, or unwilling to do anything else, he then starts trying to explain how the system works, until I tell him that some years ago I was a QS for one firm, so am acutely aware of the obligations and responsibilities. I'm slowly losing the will to live at this point so sarcastically thank him for all his help and hang up. What is the point?

There were loads of problems, some with the installation, most with his "report", but I didn't want to drive everyone to terminal insanity, so I just gave you the edited highlights.

Best Wishes, Phil

 
you could also point out that any job Part P registered through the NICEIC is under warranty from them for 6 years....(although this may be regarded as commercial work). 

You could try Trading Standards, this is shoddy work for which money has been charged.

 
Thanks guys, I'll be back on here every so often now, I'm trying to take it easy these days, lol. I was just bloody annoyed at the attitude of the NI, as others have said, pay your subs and thats all that matters! It's totally wrong, they seem intent on demonisinganyone who isn't scam registered, like WE are the cowboys, well, I think that this experience proves otherwise doesn't it.

 
I was involved in  a case of a shoddy re-wire that went to court. Sparky concerned got done for mis-use of NICEIC registration (his bosses) rather than a dodgy job - easier to prove I suppose. Once it was clear said sparky wasn't NICEIC registered they basically disappeared, Trading Standards brought the prosecution.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I was involved in  a case of a shoddy re-wire that went to court. Sparky concerned got done for mis-use of NICEIC registration (his bosses) rather than a dodgy job - easier to prove I suppose. Once it was clear said sparky wasn't NICEIC registered they basically disappeared, Trading Standards brought the prosecution.
That's the trouble, they are more interested in non-members using their logo than members doing shoddy work, it's all down to money. Maybe it's time someone asked the people who give them a licence to operate exactly why they are so reticent to take action against any member who carries out dodgy work.

 
Welcome to the real world all.

I'm leaving the NICEIC and this is one of the reasons why.

The system is broken, the QS system is broken.

The "scams" do not protect the public, to steal a phrase from a friend of mine, "it's all about money, not about safety".

Search #e5

 
NICEIC wont be interested. as above, they only do something if they clim to be NICEIC when they are not. leave exposed live wires all over the place and youre going to court for misuse of a logo

 
NICEIC wont be interested. as above, they only do something if they clim to be NICEIC when they are not. leave exposed live wires all over the place and youre going to court for misuse of a logo
And do that dangerous work without using a logo. What happens?

 
nothing usually
Oh dear Andy, judging by some of the comments some people might say you're a bit of a cynic, I'd say it shows experience. lol.

I think the general consensus of opinion is that THEY are not fit for purpose, maybe it's time we had a body run like gas safe, as we all know in our game it seems to be a case of pay your subs and you have a licence to do lettuced work.

 
And do that dangerous work without using a logo. What happens?


A few years ago, mysef and several other local electricans tried to report a cowboy sparky to the NICEIC. The reply was that as we were not the customer,  we could not lodge a complaint. Trouble is customers just tend to put  a bad experience down to be being a bad experience, and move on as they haven't got the time to persue a complaint.  So frustrating! 

 
I remember one chap on here a few years ago, he was involved with a dispute with the NI, something to do with a house rewire someone had made a mess of, he got called to do some other work and found out how bad it was, THEY didn't want to know, it was only when I kicked off on the NI at one of the Elex events, that the contacted him wanting to sort it out, somehow I don't think they like bad publicity.

 
Anyone remember some years ago, the Labour party tried to go all trendy using a pop song for their election campaign? Well I heard that the NI are planning to have a new campaign next year, it's supposed to be all about clarity and openness,they're using a pop song too, have a listen




 
Top