How to check the integrity of insulation?

[Dave]

I recently bought a house and started to rewire it. A sparks mate came and helped with a few bits and I got him capping the chases.
He put a nail through a cable in one chase, then told me he may have done it in a couple of other places, he's not sure!
I had a plasterer going round behind me, so all the other chases are already plastered.
Is there a way of testing to see if he has put a nail through any other cables without ripping out all the plaster and physical looking?

My first thought was IR testing but obviously that only checks for shorts between conductors, it doesn't check if he's just knicked the pvc.
I'm mainly an industrial sparks, so I'm hoping there's a domestic sparks on here, that knows some method that I haven't heard of.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[kingeri]

Not really mate, the main test would be the IR test, if that comes out ok then you will never know if the cables have been nicked. It is quite common to find bits of PVC missing from T&E in domestics, usually where it has been pulled through holes in floorboards carelessly, or forced through holes that are too tight.

 

[westward10]

He sounds like a good sparks mate, oops I may have done it in a couple of other places.

 

[Dave]

Hi Kingeri, thanks for the reply. I had a bad feeling that would be the answer.
I've done an IR on all of them and only found one more with a nail in.
Worryingly, I tested the one he showed me (before I replaced the leg) and I got perfect reading, even though I could see he had knicked a bit off the brown core. It just wasn't knicked badly enough to touch the earth.

 

[Dave]

He sounds like a good sparks mate, oops I may have done it in a couple of other places.

Yeah, trust me, he won't be doing any more work on my house!

 

[hightower]

Was he a spark's mate, or a sparky mate?

 

[westward10]

Get it tested and hopefully sparky mate won't have done too much damage. Worse case scenario he has caused a short between conductors or severed one, maybe he has livened the capping by nicking the line conductor. Sometimes you can pull new cables down capping unless he has nailed it in place then you have problems.

 

[Pete999]

I recently bought a house and started to rewire it. A sparks mate came and helped with a few bits and I got him capping the chases.
He put a nail through a cable in one chase, then told me he may have done it in a couple of other places, he's not sure!
I had a plasterer going round behind me, so all the other chases are already plastered.
Is there a way of testing to see if he has put a nail through any other cables without ripping out all the plaster and physical looking?

My first thought was IR testing but obviously that only checks for shorts between conductors, it doesn't check if he's just knicked the pvc.
I'm mainly an industrial sparks, so I'm hoping there's a domestic sparks on here, that knows some method that I haven't heard of.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

He nailed a cable and then told you he may have done it several times, crikey.

 

[telectrix]

is this sparks' name clint? (as in eastwood). hope you've not given him a fistfull of dollars yet. he can rectify his bodges as long as he don't charge a few dollars more, otherwise it's going to be a .357 magnum and "do you feel lucky, punk?

 

[Pete999]

is this sparks' name clint? (as in eastwood). hope you've not given him a fistfull of dollars yet. he can rectify his bodges as long as he don't charge a few dollars more, otherwise it's going to be a .357 magnum and "do you feel lucky, punk?

Right on Clyde

 

[telectrix]

hi, "bonny" lad. how's you doing. ( @ pete )

 

[Octopus]

Why do people try and get out of understanding things by saying they work on industrial sites...... I would be amazed if this sort of accident is purely domestic!

This is basic stuff.....

 

[Pete999]

hi, "bonny" lad. how's you doing. ( @ pete )

Alright Mate for an Oldie, how are you? given up the Red Stuff, it's been a week no adverse effects yet.

 

[telectrix]

wean off it with some theakstons old peculier. just like mother's milk.

 

[7029 dave]

Jesus, talk about creating faults. lol

 

[Dave OCD]

Did this 'helper' have a white stick and Labrador by any chance ?

 

[Pete999]

Pilsner Urquel for now

 

[telectrix]

YUK. goat pi$$

 

[Pete999]

YUK. goat pi$$

Yeah after having one with my Curry I tend to agree with you

 

[sparksburnout]

Yeah, trust me, he won't be doing any more work on my house!

That's true it will probably burn down in a few weeks.......With mates like that I hope you ain't got any enemy's.