C/U change with housing Association

[ste_miller21]

right here we go. i changed my c/u at home for a assessment with elecsa (week today). The housing association wasnt happy about me changing the board but since i'd already ripped the old one off the wall before i told them they agreed that as long as it was cert'd with in 30day period it was fine. before i ripped the old C/U out i did a fill inspection and all reading came back fine.......now the problem.....when i came to test the installation today on the sockets (ring) i was gettin a reading (open loops) of 0.32 and 0.34 L1 and Ln......then on the CPC i can getting open loop (no reading).

so...i borrowed a long lead from a friend and connected it to cpc and have found out that there is a brake in the CPC between two sockets (one in the bedroom and the other at the bottom of the stairs) which means a full chase from the socket up the wall to ceiling then through the ceiling under the floor to the socket. which i dont mind doing since i could use it for the assessment as minor works. but when i phoned the housing association they wouldnt give me permission to do the work i wasnt already part P registered...they then contacted there sparky to see when he could come out and sort the problem out, he said he'll be out in a week to sort it (the day of my assessment) and that it is fine to use the sockets in the house they are safe! HOW CAN THEY BE IF THE CPC ISNT PROTECTING PROPERLY? and what kind of electrician can say something is safe and fine to use without looking let alone testing? i wouldnt put my name to anything if i didnt know. and a week is a bit too long. im thinking of just doing the work myself and then if i get in with Elecsa then go into the housing office with the cert and kick off with them. ( some of the sockets have been replaced in the house and cables needed extending the electrician they ave used in the past has just put both lives in 40A connector blocks then run a 6mm cable out the other end of the block. its a joke. To top it off the woman that lives next door over heard me talking about the electrics and informed me that she has 3 double sockets in her house that done work and that its been reported 4times over 2months. WHAT THE HELLS GOING ON!!!! do they think electrics a toy or to be played with or ignored??? if an electric circuit has been designed for a use and demand and it is not working properly then yes is can be dangerous and unsafe and should be looked into ASAP not left.


please correct me if im wrong im not trying to get any ones back up but to me its unsafe and the landloard is not complying with his duties. do you think i'm reading too much into this? am i wrong? should i just do the work?

 

[spark 68]

WRT #15,

I meant just to help you with the broken CPC, obviously not to sign the CU change.

 

[ste_miller21]

do you think its acceptable to leave a known fault for 7days though? thanks for your help as well

 

[Richard]

Have you done any other testing apart from Continuity then??

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Hi

Where are you based?

Spartykus

 

[ringer]

In your original tests, did you test cpc continuity on the rfc from end to end, or just to the earth bar? Or did you not actually check this particular item? Have a think about how, in T&E cable, the cpc could break but not the L or N, midway along a cable. Unless cable was damaged by piercing, I do not see how you could break the cpc midway along a run. It therefore must be one of the terminations. Are you absolutely certain the two sockets you mentioned are next to each other on the ring?

 

[ste_miller21]

ive checked terminations on the ring. ive even taken all face plates off and tested every leg to leg. ive just put a temp link between the two sockets that are open earth. then cross connected R1R2 and R2R1 and gettin a good reading of 0.39 to 0.44 ohms at every socket with the temp link. please bear in mind that the whole house is shoddy wired cables extended with connector blocks.

on one socket its a stranded earth cable but by the time its reached the socket D/S its been changed to a solid copper conductor. there is no visual connection so it must be berried in the wall. i think the best thing to do is just replace that leg of the ring.

 

[trev]

before i ripped the old C/U out i did a fill inspection and all reading came back fine

Had you carried out a full inspection and test before the CU change surely this fault should have been evident then?
I think you may count yourself extremely lucky if your housing association don't send you a bill for this electricians time and materials.
Reading through your OP and your subsequent responses makes me question your qualifications and ability to carry out this work as even an apprentice would know the abbreviation RFC. However it needs to be put right so, how many RFCs are there in the property? I would expect 1 upstairs 1 down and 1 kitchen that's the way social housing providers USUALLY want them wired. Although I know anything could be possible.
That's your starting point

 

[trev]

If I were you I'd stop putting temporary links in anywhere mate. Once we can prove it's needed yes it can go in but in your position I'd leave it for now. Let's prove it one step at a time.
By the way, what test equipent do you have?

 

[ste_miller21]

my qualifications are C&G 2330 level 2 level 3 and 17th edition regs. when i said temp link, it was just a temp link to prove that that was where the brake was. the test equipment i have is a metrel easitest.

the house im in has 2 rings one in the kitchen and 1 for the rest of the house.

 

[trev]

Is there conduit in the walls?

 

[ste_miller21]

no its just plastered brick. its all ok now i know where the brake is so ill just replace that leg. the only reason i dont know the short hand is because ive only ever worked for two electricians who have never used the abbreviated terminology. if they mean the ring they could say ring. thanks for your help though

 

[Knobhead]

I find it annoying at times when people use acronyms and expect everyone to know them.

For interest Ring Final Circuit comes 57[SUP]th[/SUP] in the international list of acronyms for RFC. Rugby Football Club is first.
Then of course RFC is also internationally recognised as Radial Final Circuit, which comes in at 65[SUP]th[/SUP] in the listing. So it really is a bad one to use.

 

[alarm man]

do they think electrics a toy or to be played with

id imagine the housing association spark is saying just that...

 

[growler]

id just get the housing association to find you a new house mate. Or burn the house down.

 

[ste_miller21]

ha ha ive already asked to move. they dont want to move me cos no1 else would take the house im in. the heating doesnt work and the house has mould growing on ceilings due to needing a new roof....william sutton homes (no affinity sutton) only care about there new built houses. repairs of old houses dont get done.

ill have to go see the local boy scouts and get them to teach me how to rub two sticks together......or the loacal ASBO will do.