New Electrical Install Question

Asosoon · Nov 20, 2016

Hello,

I have an electrician installing a new light and ring circuit for a loft conversation. He has joined the cables using block connectors which are in turn covered with electrical tape. Some of the earth cables are exposed. Could someone please tel me if this meets UK regulations.

Kind regards

Asosoon.

P.S. I'm not an electrician.

Asosoon · Nov 20, 2016

Westward10, this is where my ignorance in the subject defeats me. What should they be using?

davesparks · Nov 20, 2016

I think you'd have been better off getting an electrician to do the electrical work instead of the half brained monkey who did that.

I hope your house insurance is up to date, cos she gonna burn

westward10 · Nov 20, 2016

My advice, stop them from doing anymore work and get qualified electrician in, that is scandalous.

davesparks · Nov 20, 2016

Asosoon said:
Westward10, this is where my ignorance in the subject defeats me. What should they be using?

In that application they should have used a maintainenece free connection, but the better option would be to wire it in such a way that there are no hidden joints of any type.
Also they should not have shifted the insulation out of place because it can lead to pockets of cold air being trapped there and causing condensation and damp problems.

westward10 · Nov 20, 2016

Asosoon said:
Westward10, this is where my ignorance in the subject defeats me. What should they be

The person doing that work may call themselves an electrician but that is one thing they are not.

telectrix · Nov 20, 2016

oh.idon'tknow. i like them :

[ElectriciansForums.net] New Electrical Install Question

GMES · Nov 20, 2016

That is absolutely disgraceful work and is not the work of a competent Electrician, as westward just said stop them from going any further and get a decent guy in while it's at the 1st fix stage.

telectrix · Nov 20, 2016

but if lights are b&q and manufacturers instructions say choc blocks and tape?????????

HandySparks · Nov 20, 2016

The guy is clearly not an electrician.

Asosoon · Nov 20, 2016

I feared it was the case. Thank you for your advice. I will try and find a competent electrician.

Pete999 · Nov 20, 2016

Totally agree with Westward10, the people that did that work need prosecuting scandalous work, he sure as hell ain't no Electrician, or if he says he is he needs to give up PDQ.
Stop the work and get a decent Professional in, may be able to salvage some of the cable, I hope you haven't paid this guy any money.

GMES · Nov 20, 2016

telectrix said:
but if lights are b&q and manufacturers instructions say choc blocks and tape?????????

HandySparks said:
The guy is clearly not an electrician.

We've all said the same for years but Tel is like family now.

GMES · Nov 20, 2016

Asosoon said:
I feared it was the case. Thank you for your advice. I will try and find a competent electrician.

What part of London are you based, I am sure one of the members could help you out.

Leesparkykent · Nov 20, 2016

Asosoon · Nov 20, 2016

I'm in Mitcham.

telectrix · Nov 20, 2016

as above. that is totally beyond the pale. bodged and dangerous. you need a qualified.competent spark on site immediately to explain what's wrong. stop any further work by these cowboys immediately.

GMES · Nov 20, 2016

Ok any members interested in helping out, please Pm Asosoon and come to some arrangement. Sooner rather than later by the look of that wiring.

tomspark93 · Nov 20, 2016

That is shocking workmanship (if you can even call it that)

Pete999 · Nov 20, 2016

I would be willing to have a look, but time and distance have taken theit toll, sorry

westward10 · Nov 20, 2016

I think there is a few of us who like to be near Mitcham tomorrow to help, sadly I am not.

GMES · Nov 20, 2016

I have placed a link to this thread in the jobs section so hopefully the op will get someone she can trust to do the job correctly.

Asosoon · Nov 20, 2016

Cheers guys.

I'm glad I followed my gut instinct and decided to ask for advice. I really appreciate all your comments.

The Ghost · Nov 20, 2016

I would still be interested to know if he is member of competent person scheme?

1Justin · Nov 20, 2016

Awful workmanship, It’s that sort of thing which, with some certainty, will cause an unfortunate future electrician to need to tear the ceiling down to find faults. Every one of those joints and junctions is wrong in more ways than one.

And I’d take them up not only on the electrics, but in the manner that those insulation blocks aren’t vapour sealed or even foamed in. Particularly so since this will be a bathroom. Humid room side air behind the plasterboard will find its way to the cold side of the blocks via those open slots, and can condense out there. This also means that if the cold side is ventilated (or with modern construction as it should be, a vapour permeable sealed membrane above above), cold air can circulate to the warm side, removing the benefits of much of that insulation. (Small builders , much like your “electrician”, sadly aren’t members of “competent persons” schemes). You could partially fix this with foil backed plasterboard, but since there will be holes in it for downlights, that rather defeats the object.

Gaps should be foam filled, and the whole lot taped over to restore the vapour barrier. Of course this leads to a problem with the electrics, since there seems to be no service void in the system, and nowhere to put cables. - That comes back down to the lack of intelligence in the design made by the builder in the first place.

Midwest · Nov 20, 2016

Okay lets not all have nightmares, its all fixable. OP just get your local friendly building inspector in to have a gander. In the meantime, can someone throw another log under the hot tub, its getting a bit lukewarm.