has my landlord got dodgy electrical wires in our home

[becky4]

hiya all im gunna waffle on for abit then ask you what you all think....

okay so we have a new microwave and washing machine (couple of months old) both get plugged in in the kitchen in the only plug socket in there, sometimes there fine but most of the time when they are on they trip all the plug sockets out and then we can used them for about a week or so then it's okay.

today when my partner got home from work the whole house had tripped including the lights the only thing left on in the house when i went out today was the fridge freezer?

we have had our landlord come out and have a look he changed the plug socket front on the one in the kitchen (i noticed the earth wire inside the socket had no rubber cover on it is this normal? for a plug socket he said it was)

i feel like theres not much we can do as we can't prove anythinks happening cuz every time he comes round it works fine is there anythink i can do to prove or check the sockets are dodgy?

thanks guys.

 

[Kamikaze]

Check the circuit fuse or mcb rating and post back.

 

[becky4]

sorry i dont know anythink about electrics what does this mean?

 

[Octopus]

A full PIR would be the route to go down, but it'll cost and at the end you still may not know the cause, so beware.

If your rented accomodation is tripping and it sounds like got a single RCD protecting the whole set up its going to be a pain in the proverbial.

How helpful is your landlord and does he like spending money?

Re the socket earth cable (or cpc) as we call it, yes they should always be sleeved, but if the accomodation is old they wouldn't have necessarily done it that way when it was wired!

Hope this helps!

 

[telectrix]

sounds more like RCD trip to me.

 

[Octopus]

sorry i dont know anythink about electrics what does this mean?

Can you take a photo of the fuse board and surrounding area and post it here?

 

[jeremy]

Where are you? There might be a generous member who when passing might give you some advice. All conductors should be sleeved at least once by the way

 

[becky4]

A full PIR would be the route to go down, but it'll cost and at the end you still may not know the cause, so beware.

If your rented accomodation is tripping and it sounds like got a single RCD protecting the whole set up its going to be a pain in the proverbial.

How helpful is your landlord and does he like spending money?

Re the socket earth cable (or cpc) as we call it, yes they should always be sleeved, but if the accomodation is old they wouldn't have necessarily done it that way when it was wired!

Hope this helps!

thanks my moms boyfriend has got a thing you plug in to the socket and it tells you whats wrong with it or if it's working do you think thiscould get too the route of the problem or more likely the circit?

and does he heck he's a cheap ******* i wouldnt be suprised if it was one of his mates that checked the electrics and signed it off as okay.

 

[becky4]

Can you take a photo of the fuse board and surrounding area and post it here?

i can yeah ill have to do it tommorrow though.

 

[becky4]

Where are you?

birmingham

 

[Kamikaze]

sounds more like RCD trip to me.

I agree, just wanted to rule out a double socket on a 16A fuse.

 

[bugsy]

I'd ask to see a copy of the landlords cert or PIR . if he can produce one and thats a big if phone the issuing contractor tell your problems and that your considering calling in another contractor - wait for the response

 

[becky4]

I'd ask to see a copy of the landlords cert or PIR . if he can produce one and thats a big if phone the issuing contractor tell your problems and that your considering calling in another contractor - wait for the response

he has gave us a copy "erm i think its a three yearly one i didnt even know you could get them i thought it had to be checked every year. but he's got one so again not much can be said.

 

[telectrix]

the socket tester you say your mum's boyfriend has got will tell you if the socket is wired up correctly, up to a point.... it's not a device you can rely on 100%, just a rough guide. to be honest, you need to either get your landlord to bring a qualified sparks in, or get one yourself to test the installation for you. whether or not you can recover the cost from the landlord is another matter. your landlord has a duty of care to provide you with a safe home, gas, electric , etc.

 

[becky4]

Yep i agree i think i will get that plug thing and test any way and tell the landlord if he dont get the electrics looked at he isnt getting his rent this month. thanks

 

[jeremy]

Try plugging in only one appliance at a time to see if it's related to that. I'd try the washing machine first. At least the protective devices are operating. Annoying but safe(ish)

 

[sparky3366]

Yep i agree i think i will get that plug thing and test any way and tell the landlord if he dont get the electrics looked at he isnt getting his rent this month. thanks

I would be very careful about witholding rent, repairs and rent are 2 seperate issues...

 

[derek preece]

Lifted from landlordzone.co.uk



Apart from the Landlord's Common Law duty of care, the Landlord & Tenant Act 1985 (and several other statutory regulations see below) requires that the electrical equipment is safe at the start of every tenancy and maintained in a safe condition throughout the tenancy.
Electrical hazards are also covered by the Housing Health and safety Rating System under the Housing Act 2004.
In the case of commercial property and houses in multiple occupation there is a statutory duty under the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005 for the responsible person (the property manager) to carry out annual Fire Safety Risk Assessments, which include electrical safety risks.
If you let property you must ensure that the electrical system and all appliances supplied are safe - failure to comply with the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 and the The Consumer Protection Act 1987 is a criminal offence and may result in:

• A fine of £5,000 per item not complying
• Six month's imprisonment
• Possible manslaughter charges in the even of deaths
• The Tenant may also sue you for civil damages
• Your property insurance may be invalidated

These regulations are enforced by the Health & Safety Executive.


There is some more info on Guidance for landlords : Electrical Safety Council


It might help you if you can quote the respective laws to your landlord to remind them of their responsibilities

 

[bugsy]

I think ( you what thought thought ) he has to issue a certificate for each new tennancy

 

[millwall ken]

sorry i dont know anythink about electrics what does this mean?

Becky, this means consult an Electrician. Why don't you post on this thread where you live? because the chances are one of us will live/work within spitting distance of you. Thereby you can be reassured that you will get someone decent - and if they are not, then you are at liberty to inform the rest of us!
You've got nothing to loose have you? Any spark will offer you a free quote. Worth a try don't you think?

 

[grantr37]

a faulty freezer could trip the whole lot out, how old is the freezer, sounds like it might be doing it when it clicks on sometimes....

 

[sparky3366]

was the rcd tripping before you got the new appliances?als a pir should be done on every change of occupancy...

 

[becky4]

i have withheld rent from him before due too the fact that we waited 2months for him to fit a new boiler because the old one was broken he soon pulls his finger out of his arse when he knows he wont be getting rent.

yeah i think i will try postin on a board where i live i have used this site for gas before i got some pretty good reviews and your all soo nice and helpful thanks to you all.

 

[bugsy]

Becky do as millwall ken suggests post your approx location and someone will come and sort your landlord ( and the fault ) out though not necasserily in that order

 

[becky4]

a faulty freezer could trip the whole lot out, how old is the freezer, sounds like it might be doing it when it clicks on sometimes....

fridge freezers only 6months old we bought all new stuff when we moved in 6months ago.

 

[becky4]

was the rcd tripping before you got the new appliances?als a pir should be done on every change of occupancy...

It was yeah but not as much as it is now i thought maybe because it's an 800w micro maybe the circit can't handle it specially if it crap wirering

 

[becky4]

Becky do as millwall ken suggests post your approx location and someone will come and sort your landlord ( and the fault ) out though not necasserily in that order

haha thanks yep im just looking now thank

 

[sparky3366]

If there was no sleeving on the cpc in the socket, you can probably assume that there will be other suuff as well with the potential to cause problems. You shouldve had an inspection when you moved in 6 months ago...law of the land.

Edited...sorry should be common law not law of the land...oops

 

[Marvo]

Try plugging in only one appliance at a time to see if it's related to that. I'd try the washing machine first. At least the protective devices are operating. Annoying but safe(ish)

I agree, if it's an RCD (circuit breaker with a small test button on it) that's tripping then it's a very good chance the it's one of your appliances that's causing it. You can try figure out which appliance by deduction, make a note of what's plugged in each time it trips and rule them out one by one if you can.

A couple of things you need to know, firstly even if an appliance is switched off at the socket or the switch on the appliance, it can still cause tripping of an RCD. You must fully unplug an appliance to know it isn't the one causing the trouble.

Secondly an RCD is looking at the total earth leakage from all the appliances plugged in. It could be that two or three appliances with a smallish fault might add up to a big enough fault to cause tripping when they're all plugged in. This can make it a difficult fault to track down without the proper test equipment.

Good luck. If all else fails you'll have to get an electrician in who's handy with an insulation tester.

 

[jeremy]

An RCD will only trip due to a fault (earth) not overcurrent. Please get it checked by someone reputable. With our test equipment it's usually quite easy to test wiring to see if it's safe

 

[bugsy]

Any money it's a dodgy cert,

 

[becky4]

is there any one i can have a moan too about him not getting electrics checked when we moved in?
i think i will try the plugg in thing tommorrow, then plug one appliance in one at a time make sure it's not any of our stuff.
then get on and have a moan at him too sort the problem out if it is his electrics.

 

[becky4]

is there any one i can have a moan too about him not getting electrics checked when we moved in?
i think i will try the plugg in thing tommorrow, then plug one appliance in one at a time make sure it's not any of our stuff.
then get on and have a moan at him too sort the problem out if it is his electrics.

just pulled out the copy of the electric report he was due too have them check on the 26/01/2011 so i will get on to him tommorow thanks guys agen for your help.

 

[bugsy]

Becky do yourself a favour and get someonr to have a look , the plug in in thing won't tell you a lot , plus the fact you don't know what your looking for,
There are a lot of good contractors on this forum that will help you out (dare I say ) with no fee

 

[alarm man]

Any money it's a dodgy cert,

more a dodgy thread imo..

 

[sjm]

If there was no sleeving on the cpc in the socket, you can probably assume that there will be other suuff as well with the potential to cause problems. You shouldve had an inspection when you moved in 6 months ago...law of the land.

I know we would like it to be "law of the land" but I think I'm right in saying that there is no LEGAL requirement to have a PIR at all. As for landlord safety certificate don't get me started.

 

[millwall ken]

I know we would like it to be "law of the land" but I think I'm right in saying that there is no LEGAL requirement to have a PIR at all. As for landlord safety certificate don't get me started.

Quite right, but isn't it our responsibility to encourage the public to do such things?

 

[sjm]

It certainly is Ken, but I thought the OP should be aware of this fact before going ballistic at her landlord. Reading some of the posts here could give her totally the wrong idea and leave her looking quite silly imo.

 

[millwall ken]

It certainly is Ken, but I thought the OP should be aware of this fact before going ballistic at her landlord. Reading some of the posts here could give her totally the wrong idea and leave her looking quite silly imo.

Quite right too.
PS: What the hell does IMO mean?

 

[becky4]

i wouldnt go ballistic at him just request that he has the electrics checked because of it tripping and he was due a check in jan, and as ive got children i want too know we are safe and if that means going mad at him for him to do somethink about it then i will.

 

[sjm]

In my opinion. IMHO = in my humble opinion.
Hope that helps.

 

[millwall ken]

In my opinion. IMHO = in my humble opinion.
Hope that helps.

Thanks fella.

 

[bugsy]

Go on Beck's give him hell , It could quite possibly be an appliance but your due an inspection anyway

 

[becky4]

i shall thank you

 

[High Tower]

Becky, I'm based in Birmingham, if you can't get the landlord to sort it pm me and I'll give it a once over for you, can't be having suspect wiring with kids around.

 

[sjm]

Sorry Becky I didn't mean to upset you, just thought you should be aware that there is no requirement for him to have the electrics tested. However he does have a duty of care and should not be negligent when an electrical problem is pointed out to him. The fact that the RCD is tripping, although annoying, does mean that the system is protecting you from serious harm. An intermittent fault can have a number of causes and may not always be due to the fixed wiring system of the property.

 

[becky4]

Becky, I'm based in Birmingham, if you can't get the landlord to sort it pm me and I'll give it a once over for you, can't be having suspect wiring with kids around.

ahh thank you, i will give you a shout if i need too where are you

 

[High Tower]

Not far from the airport

 

[becky4]

Sorry Becky I didn't mean to upset you, just thought you should be aware that there is no requirement for him to have the electrics tested. However he does have a duty of care and should not be negligent when an electrical problem is pointed out to him. The fact that the RCD is tripping, although annoying, does mean that the system is protecting you from serious harm. An intermittent fault can have a number of causes and may not always be due to the fixed wiring system of the property.

no it's fine but if you met my landlord you would understand my concern he's a pretty much do it your self guy then pay for some one thats qualified too do it. i can understand in some things but not gas and electric.

 

[becky4]

Not far from the airport

okie doke aslongs its not out of your way or anything