minorcamount
DIY
- Reaction score
- 21
Hi all, new to posting but been reading for years.
I inherited a house from my grandmother who passed in 2021, I intend to renovate and rent out, step by step, job by job as money allows.
Getting the property ready to rent has uncovered a fair few jobs needed to bring it out of the 1970's
I knew the electrics needed sorting so found an electrician via Check-a-trade website. He inspected wiring and said I just need an upgrade to the consumer unit. old system was 2 old bakalite cu's on day night mode I think it was called (2 different tariffs for day and night)
So he quoted and installed a single consumer unit dual rcds. 5 original circuits but I told him to disregard the shower as I would be installing a mixer tap shower .
Circuits now are, Cooker, Lights up & Lights Down on same breaker, Sockets Up and Sockets Down on separate breakers (He said their all radial circuits)
Now here comes the question as I don't think its safe.
He has installed the new consumer unit half on and half off the wooden board that the meter and main fuse are on.
Used 1 screw to fix it, the half of the consumer unit hanging off the wooden backing board there is a 30 to 35mm gap behind to the wall.
There is one screw in the bottom left into the board (I know, I took the cover off (I did safely isolate)) The CU is so unstable and wobbly.
He has had to move the CU approx 10 inch down and 14 inch to the right, so he has joined the wires above the ceiling to extend them by using junction boxes (Old bakalite types, so they must have already been there) They are free hanging between the joists under the bedroom floorboards which is just above the CU on the kitchen wall.
CU is installed at top of kitchen wall (2200mm from floor level, approx) so not accessible for kids to pull off wall or anything but it is still very loose.
There is no strip around the rear entry knockout and no fire barrier, just a large knockout with the several wires coming in.
Is this right? Safe? I need a EICR before I rent, will this even pass with those issues?
I can take photos and post them if you can't quite get what I mean.
Thanks in advance, I just want to be prepared in what I say when (if i should) call him back in to put it right.
Now, maybe the thing that should have rang alarm bells is he charged £250, is that too cheap?, I have had a glance on line and seen its usually £400 upwards.
I did as mentioned get him through check-a-trade so thought he would be reputable and everything, ultimately I want to know where I stand before contacting them and him.
thanks for the patience in reading this long winded post.
David
I inherited a house from my grandmother who passed in 2021, I intend to renovate and rent out, step by step, job by job as money allows.
Getting the property ready to rent has uncovered a fair few jobs needed to bring it out of the 1970's
I knew the electrics needed sorting so found an electrician via Check-a-trade website. He inspected wiring and said I just need an upgrade to the consumer unit. old system was 2 old bakalite cu's on day night mode I think it was called (2 different tariffs for day and night)
So he quoted and installed a single consumer unit dual rcds. 5 original circuits but I told him to disregard the shower as I would be installing a mixer tap shower .
Circuits now are, Cooker, Lights up & Lights Down on same breaker, Sockets Up and Sockets Down on separate breakers (He said their all radial circuits)
Now here comes the question as I don't think its safe.
He has installed the new consumer unit half on and half off the wooden board that the meter and main fuse are on.
Used 1 screw to fix it, the half of the consumer unit hanging off the wooden backing board there is a 30 to 35mm gap behind to the wall.
There is one screw in the bottom left into the board (I know, I took the cover off (I did safely isolate)) The CU is so unstable and wobbly.
He has had to move the CU approx 10 inch down and 14 inch to the right, so he has joined the wires above the ceiling to extend them by using junction boxes (Old bakalite types, so they must have already been there) They are free hanging between the joists under the bedroom floorboards which is just above the CU on the kitchen wall.
CU is installed at top of kitchen wall (2200mm from floor level, approx) so not accessible for kids to pull off wall or anything but it is still very loose.
There is no strip around the rear entry knockout and no fire barrier, just a large knockout with the several wires coming in.
Is this right? Safe? I need a EICR before I rent, will this even pass with those issues?
I can take photos and post them if you can't quite get what I mean.
Thanks in advance, I just want to be prepared in what I say when (if i should) call him back in to put it right.
Now, maybe the thing that should have rang alarm bells is he charged £250, is that too cheap?, I have had a glance on line and seen its usually £400 upwards.
I did as mentioned get him through check-a-trade so thought he would be reputable and everything, ultimately I want to know where I stand before contacting them and him.
thanks for the patience in reading this long winded post.
David
