1st floor nightmare

[335-pilot]

Hi, just returned from a job, which was a simple relocate a few sockets and fit 3X2way lighting. But the house had been converted from a bungalow to a 2 storey house and the owner had done all of the wiring himself, with no training or experience to carry out the work.
As you can imagine it was a nightmare. No ring final circuits at the property, although labeled as such at the new CU. Wires connected all over the place hurried in plaster, horizontal linking to tickets in a daisy chain etc etc.
What surprised me though was when I informed the owner/installer of the problems he answered "well it's been signed off" who the f¥€£ by I enquired, blind Pugh? "nah it was a guy on his first job".
I didn't see any paperwork and completed a new ring in the room I was working on, fitted new lighting circuits and informed the owner it really needs sorting but it's more than a days job.
Is there anything else I should do? Other than run away. I know regs state it must be laft in a safer state etc which it is but it's such a mess it requires a full rewire IMHO.

 

[pjcomp]

There's a lot out there like that. Run away is a good choice, or if you get called again treat each job as a one-off, make the best of it, and ramp up your charges to take account of the aggro.You can't force the owner to have a rewire, just point out the inbuilt problem he's got.

PJ

 

[Octopus]

Hi, just returned from a job, which was a simple relocate a few sockets and fit 3X2way lighting. But the house had been converted from a bungalow to a 2 storey house and the owner had done all of the wiring himself, with no training or experience to carry out the work.
As you can imagine it was a nightmare. No ring final circuits at the property, although labeled as such at the new CU. Wires connected all over the place hurried in plaster, horizontal linking to tickets in a daisy chain etc etc.
What surprised me though was when I informed the owner/installer of the problems he answered "well it's been signed off" who the f¥€£ by I enquired, blind Pugh? "nah it was a guy on his first job".
I didn't see any paperwork and completed a new ring in the room I was working on, fitted new lighting circuits and informed the owner it really needs sorting but it's more than a days job.
Is there anything else I should do? Other than run away. I know regs state it must be laft in a safer state etc which it is but it's such a mess it requires a full rewire IMHO.

How did you inform the customer? Did you add such comments on the EIC you presented?

Sounds like a nightmare, work to your diligent standards and be prepared to walk away.

 

[SW1970]

Add I bet the cert was a green NICEIC one.

 

[baileysufc]

i bet the owners reply was well its been working for years so must be ok? :mad2:

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Did you check the earthing and bonding here before carrying out any work yourself and do an R2 on it .....and if so what sort of nick was it in....was it compliant with the current edition of BS7671...?.........

 

[335-pilot]

I did check the earthing and bonding which was OK in fact a bit over the top with 16mm cable for everything... Sadly I didnt do any testing as I didnt have the time or the gear with me but i'm guessing it would have been fine.
I never did get a look at any paperwork either. He was a little reluctant when I stressed my dismay at the state of the place.
I agree though that the best way forward is do everything as an individual job and charge accordingly.

 

[MarkieSparkie]

At the very least mate, I would note on the EIC that you recommend a full PIR/EICR be carried out post-haste, because you suspect the rest of installation to be in poor condition.

 

[ringer]

... Sadly I didnt do any testing as I didnt have the time or the gear with me...

So you didn't do any testing of your own work, or issue a MWC then?

 

[FatBob]

How did you test the earthing and bonding?

 

[JamesBrownLive]

So you didn't do any testing of your own work, or issue a MWC then?

A new ring would need an EIC wouldn't it? But I'm guessing the customer didn't get one of those either :rolleyes4:

 

[Silly Sausage]

I didnt have the gear with me .............

I've seen this before on here!

It's like a chain smoker going out without any smokes. :speechless:

 

[Engineer54]

I keep reading here on these threads, where sparks are saying that they didn't have their test equipment with them!!! So what's that all about then, since when can an electrician leave home without his testing kit on board??

We are unfortunately in an industry where most of what's happening in an installation is not visible to be seen, and the ONLY way you will ever know what's happening, is verification or otherwise by means of testing!!

So please, is this now normal practice, to leave home without your testing kit, or multi function testers?? I ask, because when i used to work with my uncle, (a self employed jobbing electrician ex LEB) he had an old ex LEB leather hold-all tool bag. That bag was home for his wind-up megger, his AVO, 2 to 3 types of amp clamps, and his voltage tester, and a few other bits and bobs of test kit. That bag went with him Everywhere, and not a day passed when he didn't have use for one or more of the items in that bag!!

 

[Octopus]

I did check the earthing and bonding which was OK in fact a bit over the top with 16mm cable for everything... Sadly I didnt do any testing as I didnt have the time or the gear with me but i'm guessing it would have been fine.
I never did get a look at any paperwork either. He was a little reluctant when I stressed my dismay at the state of the place.
I agree though that the best way forward is do everything as an individual job and charge accordingly.

I'm a bit puzzled - you finished a ring, installed a new lighting circuit, didn't have your test kit and didn't test anything. Am I missing something?

Scarey.

 

[Goody]

I did check the earthing and bonding which was OK in fact a bit over the top with 16mm cable for everything... Sadly I didnt do any testing as I didnt have the time or the gear with me but i'm guessing it would have been fine.

With electrical installtions you don't assume anything, however experienced you are. You don't install and energise the circuits prior to testing; end off!

Yes, very sad indeed!