Where do these cowboys come from?

Bob Geldoff1234 · Aug 14, 2018

I was called out to a fault today where the newly fitted consumer units RCD was tripping when the cooker was switched on.The cooker had been checked by an appliance engineer and deemed to be fully working with no faults.
So I turned up to be presented with a nice new shiny MK metal clad dual RCD board.Upon removing the lid I was presented with this

[ElectriciansForums.net] Where do these cowboys come from?

Also notice the top of the board as below....

Upon asking about the board change the customer said that they had bought the board and a nice young guy had fitted it for £100!
The board was not labeled what so ever with grommets missing etc.
No paperwork had been supplied and no testing done.

The fault on the cooker was found to be the neutral put in the opposite bar to the one it should have been in.This was quickly rectified but i started to write a list of what was wrong(I am sure there are even more than this)

1.Mains tails not double covered 25mm.
2.Main earth was only 6mm feeding the unit.
3.No grommets or bushes in any holes.
4.Huge hole where tails entered unit (easily stick a finger in there) and no bushed glands for tails.
5.Green/yellow sleeving missing off a lot of earth wires.
6.No mains gas or water bonding.
7.Unit not marked up and no warning labels anywhere.
8.No test certs or Part P supplied.
9.Consumer unit only fixed with 2 screws at the top and none at the bottom so the board was flapping.
10.Old rubber cable still connected(showing a very low neutral to earth fault.
11.A twin and earth with just its earth and neutral connected but not the live with very low tests showing.
12.Mains tails sticking out of main switch with copper showing.

13.Four 2.5mm cables in one breaker.
14.40 amp breaker feeding cooker circuit.(I would have put it on a 32amp)
15.Muliple lighting cables in one breaker.
I am sure there are many more faults that I haven't been bothered to find so feel free to chip in.

The customer said "Should I call him back to put it right?"
I said you should only call him back to give him a slap

and would not want this guy touching any electric ever again.
I have given the customer a quote to redo the consumer unit again with bonding,testing,certification etc but by the way he was talking about getting the young lad back then I doubt I will be doing anymore work.

Toneyz · Aug 14, 2018

It's a metal consumer unit at least it will contain the fire.

Rosco · Aug 14, 2018

Until it comes out the chimney hole in the top

Pete999 · Aug 14, 2018

anthonybragg said:
It's a metal consumer unit at least it will contain the fire.

Not with that bluudy gert hole it wont

Pete999 · Aug 14, 2018

Bob Geldoff1234 said:
I was called out to a fault today where the newly fitted consumer units RCD was tripping when the cooker was switched on.The cooker had been checked by an appliance engineer and deemed to be fully working with no faults.
So I turned up to be presented with a nice new shiny MK metal clad dual RCD board.Upon removing the lid I was presented with thisView attachment 43750

Also notice the top of the board as below....

View attachment 43751

Upon asking about the board change the customer said that they had bought the board and a nice young guy had fitted it for £100!
The board was not labeled what so ever with grommets missing etc.
No paperwork had been supplied and no testing done.

The fault on the cooker was found to be the neutral put in the opposite bar to the one it should have been in.This was quickly rectified but i started to write a list of what was wrong(I am sure there are even more than this)

1.Mains tails not double covered 25mm.
2.Main earth was only 6mm feeding the unit.
3.No grommets or bushes in any holes.
4.Huge hole where tails entered unit (easily stick a finger in there) and no bushed glands for tails.
5.Green/yellow sleeving missing off a lot of earth wires.
6.No mains gas or water bonding.
7.Unit not marked up and no warning labels anywhere.
8.No test certs or Part P supplied.
9.Consumer unit only fixed with 2 screws at the top and none at the bottom so the board was flapping.
10.Old rubber cable still connected(showing a very low neutral to earth fault.
11.A twin and earth with just its earth and neutral connected but not the live with very low tests showing.
12.Mains tails sticking out of main switch with copper showing.View attachment 43753

13.Four 2.5mm cables in one breaker.
14.40 amp breaker feeding cooker circuit.(I would have put it on a 32amp)
15.Muliple lighting cables in one breaker.
I am sure there are many more faults that I haven't been bothered to find so feel free to chip in.

The customer said "Should I call him back to put it right?"
I said you should only call him back to give him a slap and would not want this guy touching any electric ever again.
I have given the customer a quote to redo the consumer unit again with bonding,testing,certification etc but by the way he was talking about getting the young lad back then I doubt I will be doing anymore work.

Domestic Installer, or Cowboy, was he? cus he certainly ain't an Electrician.

elsparko · Aug 14, 2018

buy cheap buy twice, obviously this "young guy" hasnt got much experience with the regs, who doesnt upgrade the tails when upgrading a board?!

sorting out crossed neutrals is an easy job, most of the time its visual, although looking in that board id guess visual was out of the question.

no excuse for the shoddy "dressing" of cables, plenty of length on them

elsparko · Aug 14, 2018

i like the new hager boards, with the square knockouts with the adaptor for supply tails

i seem to be coming across alot of smoke alarms that dont have permanent lives, just grabbed the switched live from the light fitting " be alright innit" by the time the battery has run dry the fitter is long gone

Gavin John Hyde · Aug 14, 2018

That is down right dangerous... thing is if you reported the stupid kid doing this work to building control etc, you could in theory get the homeowner fined upto £5k.. never heard of the homeowner being fined though but that idiot responsible needs stopping in case he ends up hurting somebody.

Midwest · Aug 14, 2018

I think that needs reporting to some authority, not sure who, Trading Standards perhaps, but the installer needs stopping.

Dave OCD · Aug 14, 2018

Totally atrocious ! You can't help but wonder about the intelligence or indeed common sense of the client though - you don't need to be an electrician to see that's an awful job done. Sadly there's an obsession amongst many of getting everything done as cheap as possible.

rapparee · Aug 14, 2018

123 · Aug 14, 2018

Absolutely terrible job, I mean who in their right mind would fit an MK Consumer Unit?

Octopus · Aug 14, 2018

Makes you wonder if the customer went for the cheapest price ...

Dave OCD · Aug 14, 2018

elsparko said:
buy cheap buy twice, obviously this "young guy" hasnt got much experience with the regs, who doesnt upgrade the tails when upgrading a board?!

sorting out crossed neutrals is an easy job, most of the time its visual, although looking in that board id guess visual was out of the question.

no excuse for the shoddy "dressing" of cables, plenty of length on them

I often don't, if the existing 16mm tails are of sufficient length and in good order and the DNO fuse is 60 or even 80 amps I don't see the need. How many domestic installs actually need 25mm tails - especially when the incoming supply is 16mm ?! And 25mm can be a right pain to work with when space is tight....

Dave OCD · Aug 14, 2018

123 said:
Absolutely terrible job, I mean who in their right mind would fit an MK Consumer Unit?

I recently repositioned one that had been recently [badly] installed by a NIC.... electrical genius. I must say that the steel and particularly the front cover seemed surprisingly thin and flimsy. The much maligned BG boards are far superior IMHO.