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JK-Electrical

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My apprentice found this post on a Facebook group:

Last week we were called to a house to swap a couple of pendants for customers' own lights. Easy peasy, or so we thought. After changing the hall light (aboout 1.5 metres from the CCU in the cloakroom, none of the ground floor lights would work. Checked and found that the neutral in the cable from the CCU to the hall light had somehow disconnected somewhere along its length. Cut it back as far as possible and still no joy. The (chipboard) floor above the light is the tiled bathroom floor and above the CCU is the airing cupboard with the hot water tank, and masses of pipes, so no access from above to replace the cable. The only option was to cut holes in the ceilings, but the customer said that he was having the tank and pipework removed in a couple of weeks which would allow us access, so as a temporary measure (to get them some downstairs lighting) I connected the neutrals in the hall light to the CPCs (16th editon board, so no RCD). Left them working and now just had a text to say that the ground floor lights have stopped working and nothing has tripped. back there tomorrow to see what has happened now. Possibly the live is now disconnected? Never known anything like this before.
 

Indeed so, Wilko. More mind-boggling still is that the guy who made this post is an NICEIC Approved Contractor and Domestic Installer. He's also a Which trusted trader. I find it absolutely astonishing that someone who purports themselves to be an approved electrician would even begin to contemplate connecting a neutral conductor to CPC conductors let alone go ahead and actually do it. Shame on you, you prize idiot. You are a disgrace to our trade.

Faced with the same scenario, I would have told the customer that the circuit needs to be rewired, and that if they prefer to wait two weeks rather than have the job done now, then they will have to plug in a lamp, use a torch, buy some candles, or grope around in the dark.
 
How about posting up the post from facebook.
 
Probably going to sound a prize idiot myself but does this mean the N and E will now be carrying the same potential which of course would've tripped if it was RCD protected but now its a dangerous circuit.
 
How about posting up the post from facebook.

I would be more than happy to do so as long as I'm not breaking any forum rules. The guy's name and the name of his business are on display. Advice please.

If it's okay to proceed, I'll ask my apprentice to grab a screenshot as I don't have a Facebook account.
 

I would be more than happy to do so as long as I'm not breaking any forum rules. The guy's name and the name of his business are on display. Advice please.

If it's okay to proceed, I'll ask my apprentice to grab a screenshot as I don't have a Facebook account.

That would be down to the MODs to advice.
 
surely the common sense solution would have been some plug in lamps or lights on the downstairs sockets!? It amazes me how some people stay in business or avoid a prison cell for dangerous work as some of the people out there are proper dangerous cowboys.

While I would expect such work from clueless cowboys, I would not, however, expect an NICEIC approved contractor to connect the neutral conductor of a lighting circuit in with circuit protective conductors. What on earth was he thinking? Would the NICEIC investigate the matter should it come to their attention and consider revoking the contractor's membership?
 
Given the guy has no shame in posting this onto facebook...I wonder what sort of work he has done that he doesn't want to let people know about:fearscream:

....... or the NICEIC when it's time for his assesment!
 
Unfortunatley, anybody can be an NICEIC Approved contractor, unfortunately it means nothing.

Bet hes not an Approved Electrican though :)
 
@JK-Electrical NICEIC Approved Contractor's status doesn't mean it's clean of cowboys, there are plenty of them I can assure you. Local to me I've seen a recent rewire - no bonding, 100mA up front RCD the only RCD and 40A MCB for Ring Final Circuit installed by a NICEIC AC. Oh, and some diagonal tracking on the same job.

Another local to me seems to have no clue to what safe zones are as cables drop down a foot then go horizontal and back up to next socket on kitchen installs.

You'd have much more joy getting them to take action against someone not registered (paying their fees) that use their logo than you would against bad, terrible, downright dangerous workmanship from someone that pays their fees. The wall of shame only has them naming and shaming non fee paying logo users, nothing for horrendous workmanship by members they have kicked out.
 
@JK-Electrical NICEIC Approved Contractor's status doesn't mean it's clean of cowboys, there are plenty of them I can assure you. Local to me I've seen a recent rewire - no bonding, 100mA up front RCD the only RCD and 40A MCB for Ring Final Circuit installed by a NICEIC AC. Oh, and some diagonal tracking on the same job.

Another local to me seems to have no clue to what safe zones are as cables drop down a foot then go horizontal and back up to next socket on kitchen installs.

You'd have much more joy getting them to take action against someone not registered (paying their fees) that use their logo than you would against bad, terrible, downright dangerous workmanship from someone that pays their fees. The wall of shame only has them naming and shaming non fee paying logo users, nothing for horrendous workmanship by members they have kicked out.

Thanks for the clarification, 123. I'm with SELECT, and one of the membership requirements is that you are, or would be eligible to apply for, approved electrician grade. I had assumed that the membership criteria for joining NICEIC was the same, but having now looked, I see that it isn't.

So rather than discipline member companies who carry-out sub-standard, non-compliant work, NICEIC merely sweep this under the rug and ignore it? Incredible. If so, then what moral right do these people have to act as overseers of the electrical contracting industry? Indeed, who appointed them in the first place? I'm glad I chose SELECT instead of these money-grabbing charlatans.
 
We have a few NIC ACs work for us on day rate on various projects where we can't justify recruiting someone full time.

How some of these people get through their annual visit is beyond me, even down to the basics of filling a cert out is beyond them.
 

Reply to A Post Found On Facebook in the Electrical Forum area at ElectriciansForums.net

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