Advice on safety of new Consumer Unit Install

[minorcamount]

Could I ask also what your meaning of disgraceful is?

Do you mean the way it’s printed and completed or the values of the test results?

 

[westward10]

It looks like his work a mess. He is a con man and shouldn't be undertaking electrical works.

 

[Dartlec]

So I should be contacting him and asking for those 2 certificates?

Every new bit of info is a real twist in this saga!

What you have there in theory is a satisfactory EICR, which is what you legally need to rent - and which would normally be charged extra.

It's severely lacking in places, and is printed on the most basic of certificates, but I've seen worse on more professional looking certificates too!

There are noticeable errors or ommisions: Bonding to gas and water doesn't seem to be mentioned at all on it, and some of the values on the test sheet are questionable (1000V IR tests?!).

He also seems to be suggesting there is a socket circuit, on a 16A MCB, with 1mm twin and earth, which would be concerning if true, but appears to be a certificate error (order of circuits is wrong too)

More importantly, what he should have given you for the consumer unit change is an Electrical installation Certificate - which would look quite similar, but is specifically for new work, and most importantly a Part P notification certificate, to prove that the work has been notified to the Local Building Control, as is required by law.

You can check yourself for NICEIC or ELECSA members - at NICEIC Online Certification - http://www.checkmynotification.com/, but it doesn't appear to cover NAPIT work.

Not only is the notification a legal requirement, it is also important because it is required when selling a house these days, and not having it can cause complications with the legal process or additional costs.

In general, only the person who did the work can make that notification, so I would certainly chase up the electrician to get the EIC and Part P certificates - If he doesn't come forward with them, then definitely contact NAPIT and follow the procedure.

Whether you want to let him loose to try and correct his issues is up to you, but I'd be tempted to get someone else to sort the mess out properly - which would probably include a more thorough and trustworthy EICR.

 

[minorcamount]

Every new bit of info is a real twist in this saga!

What you have there in theory is a satisfactory EICR, which is what you legally need to rent - and which would normally be charged extra.

It's severely lacking in places, and is printed on the most basic of certificates, but I've seen worse on more professional looking certificates too!

There are noticeable errors or ommisions: Bonding to gas and water doesn't seem to be mentioned at all on it, and some of the values on the test sheet are questionable (1000V IR tests?!).

He also seems to be suggesting there is a socket circuit, on a 16A MCB, with 1mm twin and earth, which would be concerning if true, but appears to be a certificate error (order of circuits is wrong too)

More importantly, what he should have given you for the consumer unit change is an Electrical installation Certificate - which would look quite similar, but is specifically for new work, and most importantly a Part P notification certificate, to prove that the work has been notified to the Local Building Control, as is required by law.

You can check yourself for NICEIC or ELECSA members - at NICEIC Online Certification - http://www.checkmynotification.com/, but it doesn't appear to cover NAPIT work.

Not only is the notification a legal requirement, it is also important because it is required when selling a house these days, and not having it can cause complications with the legal process or additional costs.

In general, only the person who did the work can make that notification, so I would certainly chase up the electrician to get the EIC and Part P certificates - If he doesn't come forward with them, then definitely contact NAPIT and follow the procedure.

Whether you want to let him loose to try and correct his issues is up to you, but I'd be tempted to get someone else to sort the mess out properly - which would probably include a more thorough and trustworthy EICR.

Thank you everyone who has chipped in, and thank you dartlec,

I have send an email and text to the electrician re the Part P and EIC and why I have a EICR instead and why he has it down as 1mm T&E on the socket circuit, and the failure to mention the bonding etc etc etc, I will report back on his response if any.

As for getting it all sorted, I don't trust him coming in now and will need to get another spark in. Only issue is, I inherited the house and its stuck in the 80's so am doing as much work on it myself whilst been partially disabled, kitchen rip out, decorating, even going to try my hand at patch plastering (oh dear please cross your fingers for me on that one)

So not a lot of money to go around and will have to wait till I save a little bit more up.

I obviously thought I would leave the dangerous stuff to the correctly qualified people ie Electrical, and central heating install (I managed to get a grant for the central heating install and the NEW connection to the gas network)

I even thought I was doing it right this time instead of putting an on FB or elsewhere for a sparky I thought I would do it properly and go through Check-a-trade thinking surely nothing can go wrong they're on check-a-trade and thats how I contacted them through that.


Whilst typing this, Sorry for long winded replys, the sparky has replied and I quote verbatim ""Yes ur right, send me a snapshot of the certificate I sent you its obvo wrong and do you need a EICR doing?"""" is this the point I insert (..sic)

 

[swaRRR]

He's put the install as TN-S. TN-S would mean the earth is done through the sheathing of the supply cable. What he's attempted to do with the earth would make it a TNC-S.

That work is absolute cack and you're going to have to pay someone else to put it right. I wouldn't have the same guy back to try and remedy it.

 

[minorcamount]

He's put the install as TN-S. TN-S would mean the earth is done through the sheathing of the supply cable. What he's attempted to do with the earth would make it a TNC-S.

That work is absolute cack and you're going to have to pay someone else to put it right. I wouldn't have the same guy back to try and remedy it.

Thant's what I am dreading.

I thought I was doing it right going through check-a-trade so I didnt have these issues. Now it might cost more to put it right when I thought I was making it safe originally by getting the old system changed by what I thought was a reputable/accredited electrician.

I might contact check-a-trade with all the evidence from the photos and from what the great folks on this forum have told me as I think they have a scheme to put things right if it goes wrong, but I think they require me to allow the original to attempt to put it right first.
I will feel awkward and embarrased (even though I shouldn't) if he comes back after I have complained, thats why I don't like to complain much. (apart from behind a keyboard ha ha ha)

Before that, I'll try get the floorboards back up this evening or tomorrow and take some pictures of the 'floating' junction boxes, I'll isolate the supply and open the JBs to see what the connection are like and photograph.

 

[Pretty Mouth]

I asked this a while ago on here, and I was told somewhere between 1940 and 1950.

I can confirm that using a water pipe as an earth electrode was definitely still allowed in 1946, and definitely not allowed in 1966.

 

[JBW175]

Hand written so there’s no electronic trail on that abomination of a certificate.

 

[DPG]

It's a shame you've been let down like this, it makes the trade look bad. DIY work is often much better than the mess you have there.

Be interesting to see those junction boxes he has done.

 

[minorcamount]

It's a shame you've been let down like this, it makes the trade look bad. DIY work is often much better than the mess you have there.

Be interesting to see those junction boxes he has done.

To be honest I couldn’t wait any longer myself so I’ve just nipped round to the house and pulled the floorboards (by hand) as he didn’t re fit them properly and to be honest I didn’t think it could get any worse

He had to extend the cables as they would not reach so everything your about to see is what he has done. They may be the original JBs but he has re used them and, Well. Here you go. Have a look

One of the JBs I couldn’t open because it’s so tort to the ceiling/floor plasterboard that there is no play to twist it enough to open the screw let alone move it. And this is how I found it so nothing secured all floating with bare circuits (al be it a dead old shower 6mm (doesn't look like 10mm, maybe 6mm so probably better i didnt have him re-connect it as it was running an 8.5kw shower). I asked him not to reconnect as we’re removing it for mixer shower off boiler)

I’m pretty upset to be honest. I know it was only £250 but I thought it would be done to at least a basic standard. I could have done that better if I was allowed, I’m not and he is and he has certificates telling people he is allowed to install that and why oh why oh why. Any way. Any Thoughts on the JBs?? (I say sarcastically), He couldn't even put any sleeving on the bare cpc's.

I did safely isolate before opening the JBs