Consumer unit fire - advice please

diditrain · Aug 29, 2013

I have recently been to a very close fire in a consumer unit. The live tail was loose in the main switch, molten particles had blown through the base of the consumer unit, cables welded together, service fuse had ruptured.

Marvo · Aug 29, 2013

I'm still interested why you would be considered liable two years down the line from your last visit and 5 years after the installation. Surely if the wire was loose when you left the CU the damage would have occurred shortly afterward. The fact it took 2 years to overheat to the point of fire means that something changed between the time you were there and the time of the fire.
I'm not liking the sound of the situation at all. I can see things are going to get complicated, don't get me wrong I feel for you as a person because you're obviously a conscientious tradesman and genuinely concerned about your work quality and your customers but unfortunately this will work against you in this kind of scenario and could make you a soft target.

My advice is to get legal assistance and fight this independently of your insurance company. If your insurance company pays out the damage then don't be surprised if you also get pursued personally for the excess on the payment plus maybe even personal damages such as discomfort and distress by the homeowner. Can't you scheme provider or union provide you with legal assistance. Maybe one of your insurance policies entitles you to legal fees. It would be worth investigating because I fear you're going to get hung out to dry on this one.

ayjay · Aug 29, 2013

groundhog ,you worry far too much mate chill out its no big deal
quite a few db,s melt its par for the course
it normally stinks of rotten fish

LeckyBill · Aug 29, 2013

ayjay said:
groundhog ,you worry far too much mate chill out its no big deal
quite a few db,s melt its par for the course
it normally stinks of rotten fish

g8 maybe for you m8

Groundhog · Aug 29, 2013

Marvo - the forensic study has indicated the neutral bar was not screwed home fully and due to the tightness of the fit and the light load onthe unit any problems can sometimes take 2 years to come to light. According to the insurance company we as electricians are liable for upto 6 years following any electrical work which is why PLI is so important. My insurance company have been excellent and they are arguing over how much they will pay.
Ayjay - I wasnt a worrier until this happened!
anyway guys that's it for now. Thanks again.

FAA Greenie · Aug 29, 2013

That stinks of scapegoat turd to me.

As said previously, someone has been tinkering since the event.

Perhaps if you had not provided a cert, not provided an address or any BC notification or even bothered to enrol in a scheme this would never have happened.......

In other words, the cowboys out there would never have copped for this one, regardless of how strong, or in this case, feeble the evidence was...

ayjay · Aug 29, 2013

what the heck is the code for"g8 maybe for m8"
-------------------
i dare say its some kind of text talk some kind of slang
"naw wot i mean innitt
i na all it is abatt lectriccs dan i
i,ss de man aint it me zs and me xi is in me toolbox innit ect

Sharpend · Aug 30, 2013

Groundhog, whilst I would suggest as others have said to fight it all the way, I know from an alternate experience that the mental strain can be draining and any other additional stresses seem to make it all far too much too handle, but I look back now and believe that had I of found the strength from somewhere I may well not be in the position that I am today. Unfortunately it is now too late for me so I will have to live with the consequences of my inaction at the time.
However it does make you wonder why the insurance backed scheme is for six years? If forensics managed too determine cause did they come across any finger prints in the process? Long shot but you never know, as it is the insurance company will agree a settlement that will not be of any comfort to you or the homeowner but at least the insurance company will sleep well.

My advice is too take a step back and have an INDEPENDANT review done. A new fresh overview may throw something else into the cooking pot.

Engineer54 · Aug 30, 2013

the forensic study has indicated the neutral bar was not screwed home fully and due to the tightness of the fit and the light load onthe unit any problems can sometimes take 2 years to come to light.

Sorry but that so called forensic study is somewhat floored!! How does a high resistance connection that's drawing enough current to cause the ignition of fire to surrounding combustible material, go unnoticed for 2 years??

If nothing else the heat emitted would have badly distorted the CU's plastic casing, let alone be the source of a vile and acrid smell, for a good amount of those alleged 2 years that this fault had been smouldering away!!

Guest111 · Aug 30, 2013

Engineer54 said:
Sorry but that so called forensic study is somewhat floored!! How does a high resistance connection that's drawing enough current to cause the ignition of fire to surrounding combustible material, go unnoticed for 2 years??

If nothing else the heat emitted would have badly distorted the CU's plastic casing, let alone be the source of a vile and acrid smell, for a good amount of those alleged 2 years that this fault had been smouldering away!!

Yes I agree,a few years ago a woman rang me as she'd had a strange smell in her home for about a fortnight,it was described as something like tcp she'd looked all over and couldn't find a cause and was going down the plumbing or electrics route.I offered to pop round straight away and found the tails were a bit loose with some charring of the plastic around the main isolator,the house had been rewired a couple of years earlier,but they had recently had a meter change so maybe thats what had loosened the tails.Maybe it would be an idea to find some way of clipping the tails as they exit the cu to prevent this happening.

Engineer54 · Aug 30, 2013

Not only that, but the owners must have noticed a rise in their usual electricity bill, as all that heat is being supplied by a current draw, that is being registered the leccy meter!! Might be an idea for your insurers to ask for copies of the quarterly elec bills over the last 3 years...

telectrix · Aug 30, 2013

it's a well known fact that tails can become a bit loose over time, due to expansion and contraction of the conductors and the terminals into which they are terminated. this is the main reason why screw terminal JBs have been banned if not accessible for maintenance. also, a meter change may have disturbed the tails. other factors like increased load due to a silly hi powered shower having been fitted might also have contributed to the problem. this was installed only about 18 months ( not by me ). fire brigade and DSNO had attended 11.00pm night before.

[ElectriciansForums.net] Consumer unit fire - advice please

Kate · Aug 30, 2013

telectrix said:
it's a well known fact that tails can become a bit loose over time, due to expansion and contraction of the conductors and the terminals into which they are terminated. this is the main reason why screw terminal JBs have been banned if not accessible for maintenance. also, a meter change may have disturbed the tails. other factors like increased load due to a silly hi powered shower having been fitted might also have contributed to the problem. this was installed only about 18 months ( not by me ). fire brigade and DSNO had attended 11.00pm night before.

View attachment 20458

Lol. Electricians forum page up in background...was that planned??

Guest111 · Aug 30, 2013

Kate said:
Lol. Electricians forum page up in background...was that planned??

no Kate thats always there Tel doesn't have a tv

crow11 · Aug 30, 2013

like others have said, funny how customer hasn't been able to smell anything, i got called out the other week customer says there is a funny smell from near the cu, that was a loose N, just a thought the work you did originally you would of provided a dist board schedule have an independent check done or tell insurance to check to see if any other points have been added a long shot i know but you never know

Consumer unit fire - advice please

diditrain

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Marvo

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ayjay

LeckyBill

Groundhog

FAA Greenie

ayjay

Sharpend

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Engineer54

Guest111

Engineer54

telectrix

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Kate

Guest111

crow11

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