Extension and Garage Conversion Wiring

[markyrp]

Gaz,

Thanks for the response. I need to speak to both the builder and the sparky and give them a chance to address my concerns.

I suppose I was just looking for the thoughts of others as I am not happy with the work so far. I may well take you up on the offer of a 2nd opinion. I am in Irvine by the way.

 

[SS-2015]

I have personally fitted supplies to small sheds/outbuildings from downstairs ring (if CU is a pain to get to and customer doesn't need a large supply) but I have always fitted it via 13a FCU and Double pole isolator - at least this way if you have any faults outside you can isolated the external wiring and restore power to your ground floor ring.

As already said, the 'poof' would have definitely been a fault somewhere, which he would have found if he did IR check before energising.

As for compliance - it's a bit hard to judge without seeing it. I wonder if he has any cable calcs?

 

[Octopus]

Have you been given ANY paperwork regarding the electrical work?

 

[markyrp]

Have you been given ANY paperwork regarding the electrical work?

No paperwork as yet. The building work isn't complete.

As for previous post referring to cable calc's, I would be pretty confident in saying that no cable calc's were carried out.

No means of isolating shed power other than house CU. Just checked and FCU is only for the light.

 

[SS-2015]

So it sounds like the shed is spurred from the house? Unless he's extended ring down to shed?
How far is shed from House?

 

[markyrp]

So it sounds like the shed is spurred from the house? Unless he's extended ring down to shed?
How far is shed from House?

Yes. the shed is spurred off the house ring main. SWA is spurred off a house socket and into the shed which is only about 1.5m away from the house. The SWA is wired into a double socket within the shed. This double socket is connected to a further 2 double sockets wired as a ring cct. A switched FCU with a 13A fuse is then spurred of the first double socket for the light.

The electrician has stated that the lighting cct in the house doesn't require an RCD because he hasn't touched the wiring back to the CU. I can't get my head around this explanation. He has moved the position of a light switch and added additional wiring for light fittings and fixtures. Cable isn't buried more than 50mm below the surface either. I am not sure what the extension is classed as because it is an addition to an existing kitchen/diner. The area is now an L shape open plan and I'm not sure if the whole area is classed as part of the kitchen.

I'm not sure what testing he did but I am puzzled as to how he did his IR testing. I have integrated appliances fitted in my kitchen, none of which were disconnected, nothing was unplugged, no light bulbs removed etc. As previously mentioned, when he made the cct's live for the first time I heard a 'poof' and either an mcb or the rcd tripped. He immediately reset and there hasn't been any further incident but this initial trip and 'poof' sound has left me with a bad feeling.

 

[malcolmsanford]

Marky the spurred circuit for the shed does not comply. If the SWA was a 6 core!!!........... then he may have extended the ring out there. But I'm guessing it has spurred off the ring in a 3 core and into the socket. That is how it should have remained. By him then creating a ring off of the spur and then fitting a FCU off of the first socket for the light, smacks of incompetence really.

He should have fitted the FCU on the SWA and then taken your 3 sockets off of the load side of the FCU. Then really he should have fitted another FCU from the 3 sockets and fused down for the light

As for the non RCD for the light extension of the circuit. As soon as he burries that cable and does no conform to a mechanical way to protect that cable, that cable needs RCD protection. Regardless of it being an existing circuit.

 

[SS-2015]

The tripping would have almost definitely been a fault somewhere, although this would seem un-nerving and almost certainly proves he didn't test it correctly before energising, don't be to hung up on this as what ever was causing the trip can't be there now if he has re-energised system and it hasn't tripped again.

Although there is nothing majorly wrong with spuring a small shed from the ring it isn't best practice and I would certainly want it switched at least (double pole) even if he hasn't fused it down to 13a.

The way he has wired the light in the shed off of a FCU is a standard way of doing it, I would normally fuse that down to 3 or 5 amps - Not 13.

He is right about all the work he's done being extension/modification but in doing this his work must comply with current regs.
i.e Cable zones, RCD where necessary.

Back to the 'poof' sound again - was this on the ring or the lights? if lights is there any chance that it may have just been a bulb blowing?

 

[markyrp]

I'm not sure what tripped when he energised the cct. Could have been an mcb or an rcd. He didn't say but if it was a lighting mcb I don't think it was down to a bulb blowing. I don't have any bulbs out.

I personally don't think that some of the work is compliant. I don't want him to just fit an RCD because I have asked him to. I want to be confident that all of his work is up to scratch. I don't have that confidence at the moment. I am still wondering how he did his IR testing. No appliances were disconnected from the downstairs ring cct and no bulbs or anything were removed from the downstairs lighting cct.

 

[DPG]

Maybe he IR tested L-N to earth at 240V? Daz