phil d
Well-known member
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
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