Dangerous connections

[oompedoomp]

Hi all,

I am not a spark just a reasonably competent diyer. My house suffered a fire and a building company appointed by the insurers have been renovating. Their electrician went in last week to fit faceplates and ceiling roses etc.

Today I changed a plastic ceiling rose for a metal fitting. Didnt work! Went to loft and found that the return conductor had come loose from a choc block. Also found that the earth was just taped together, no twist or nothing. As a picked it up to look it separated!

As I am still alive I now need to write to the insurers and builders. I would like to quote the relevant IEE regs to them. Also, what can be done about this 'electrician' who has potentially endangered my and my familys lives?
I assume that I am in my rights to demand a full check by another party chosen by me?

Any advice would be gratefully received.

Cheers


Si

 

[onions1066]

Pictures would be good

 

[Marvo]

Did you get all the appropriate certification paperwork for the new electrical installation?

 

[Jabbajaws]

If you do have certs then id be asking the person who has signed them for an explanation and also to rectify the problem.

You shouldnt have been able to 'pick' up a choc block, for a start. It should have been inside an enclosure for one.

A friend of mine moved in to a renovated building, which their only exit was the ground floor through the garage, where the CU was kept.

Despite all certs being in order, she went down to find her fusebox sparking and about to burst into flames, which it did after they evacuated and phoned the fire brigade.

The problem turned out to be a loose neutral inside the CU and that was with certs.

Youve already had one fire and l would personally pay for a second opinion, with a different company for piece of mind, if nothing else...

 

[Guitarist]

If this is not a wind-up then you have a real safety issue here. As already asked, do you have certificates for this job?

 

[oompedoomp]

Thanks for the replies guys.No, I dont have certs as I guess they would go to the builders first as they appointed the electrician.
The choc blocks were contained in a box but when I moved the loft insulation to get to it the return was clearly visible outside the box.
The earth just fell apart as I lifted it with my finger. I have attached phots to prove its not a wind up.
Cheers
Si

 

[snowhead]

First call is to speak to the insurers, they've paid for the work.

You don't need to quote regs, just tell them you think it's unsafe, send the photos.

If they don't respond then you will initialy have to pay for a third party to investigate.

 

[onions1066]

Amatuer at best. Get onto the insurers

 

[Marvo]

I would say the installation in the photo is very poor. The connections are poorly made, it looks like there's solid and stranded wires in the same connector block, you can see the insulation on the wires has been nicked where the cable sheath was stripped and the CPC of at least one of the cables is used as a conductor.

If that was in my house I'd be kicking up hell. I'd look for an experienced and qualified sparky in your area and pay him to do an EICR. Once you have this you have good grounds to approach the insurance company with a view to getting it safe and compliant.

 

[Guitarist]

Thanks for the replies guys.No, I dont have certs as I guess they would go to the builders first as they appointed the electrician.
The choc blocks were contained in a box but when I moved the loft insulation to get to it the return was clearly visible outside the box.
The earth just fell apart as I lifted it with my finger. I have attached phots to prove its not a wind up.
Cheers
SiView attachment 19999View attachment 19998View attachment 19997

Forward those pictures to your insurance Company who paid for the work.
Any certificates should be left with you, not given to anyone else. Ask the builder if they have the originals (the electrician should keep copies).

 

[Octopus]

If the sparky has been changing face plates, and ceiling roses why are you picking holes about old installations in the loft?

Those cables are at least 10 years old.

 

[oompedoomp]

Just sent email to insurers and builders including the photos.
I have said that I have turned off all power at mains until my own appointed electrician has checked all the work this guy did (7 ceiling roses, 21 sockets, 6 light switches and a system check). He is supposed to be a qualified spark doing insurance work!!!???

 

[Octopus]

Just sent email to insurers and builders including the photos.
I have said that I have turned off all power at mains until my own appointed electrician has checked all the work this guy did (7 ceiling roses, 21 sockets, 6 light switches and a system check). He is supposed to be a qualified spark doing insurance work!!!???

So you've ignored my comment. Did he/she give you any certificates?

I hope you've got deep pockets as I suspect the insurance company will refuse to pay for "your" electricians work.

 

[Hants-Spark]

What work did the electrician actually carry out? As Murdoch has stated the cables in the pictures are not new.

 

[oompedoomp]

Thanks Murdoch. The electrician was charged with relocating the existing ceiling lights in that room - reducing from two to one and locating centrally. All the wiring is his own.

 

[Octopus]

The problem with threads like this is that they are posted by a "competent DIYer" which I very much doubt, looking to get more money out of an insurance company.

My advice to you, my friend, is to write a letter, politely, to the insurance company, making a formal complaint.

Please don't include anything quoted on this forum as you well know, google "advice" isn't always accurate.

 

[Octopus]

Thanks Murdoch. The electrician was charged with relocating the existing ceiling lights in that room - reducing from two to one and locating centrally. All the wiring is his own.

It would seem unlikely that an insurance claim would cover such "changes" - normally they make good.

 

[oompedoomp]

Ha! When I say 'competent' I mean I can tackle most stuff but always seek advice beforehand if unsure, particularly electrics outside of part P control. We all know that there are many people out there trying to squeeze extras from their insurers but I really cant see anything about my post that suggests this. Quite frankly, I don't give a monkeys about the money, I just want my family to stay alive.

What do you think may have happened had I not been able to do diy, not spotted this and fully trusted the insurers contractors that all was well?

 

[jimmymac]

I can smell something....and it's not the smell of melted pvc

 

[oompedoomp]

Really? Well it isn't me fella. Perhaps you need to pop off somewhere else instead of trolling this forum and ruining it for genuine users. Goodbye.

Thank you to the other members who made me feel welcome with their advice.