Disconecting shower to re-tile

[oldstudent]

What does the team think

I have recently seen a tiler disconect an electric shower (safely).To enable him to re-tile whole bathroom. The shower was obviously a recent addition.
He also did plumbing bit himself.
When everything was grouted up he reconnected shower.

Did he contravene building regs

His argument was, that getting an electrician in to disconnect then come back 2 days later to reconnect, and the same with a plumber would price him out of the job. And would be difficult to co-ordinate
It was a big bathroom, floor to ceiling with very large tiles.

Comments please

 

[Johno]

The way I understand it, he did nothing wrong.


Admit it, you are the tiler! lol

 

[martysparky]

Fine to do that and change the units like for like, safely or correctly is other questions though.

 

[Deleted member 9648]

It comes down to competance...if you...sorry he...is competant to do it fine,no qualifications are required.

 

[Darkwood]

lso take into account that if you oops i mean the tiler connects the shower back up and someone receives a shock, you will be liable and its up to you to prove it was safe when you connected it so where are your test results and paperwork ?????? Well just showing you the risks of taking this route, we spend years in college so we know when we leave a circuit that it is safe and has been electrically tested and documented to prove this.
How do you know the shower circuit is safe to use before it is removed and refitted??

 

[Marvo]

I would have reservations about a non-qualified person disconnecting and reconnecting any electrical device that's 'hard wired'. If it was designed or if it was safe to be disconnected by a non-qualified person it would be on a plug and socket arrangement.

The device being a shower or any other appliance in a bathroom for that matter is further cause for concern. A bathroom is a zone that is considered particularly high risk, if there's an existing problem that isn't remidied or a mistake during the reconnection process then you can easily kill someone as a result.

 

[Paul.M]

Even when changing like for like, doesn't he have to check that the correct mcb, rcd or rccbo is used and the correct size cable?

 

[IQ Electrical]

Let's say I installed that shower and produced an EIC and invoice.

6 months later a plumber/bathroom fitter/whatever removes and reconnects the shower incorrectly and someone receives an injury as a result.

The net result is that the only documented visit for work on that shower has MY NAME on it!

Would the homeowner/client admit to having a non competent person working on the shower, thereby implicating themselves for ordering the work?

Not likely!

 

[andekoch]

your defense is that on the day and time of the cert the shower was fine. if the resulting investigation shows that there is a fault on the shower wiring then the investigation needs to go down the route of who tampered with it after you left it in a safe, as documented, condition.

 

[IQ Electrical]

My point is that I would rather not be making a defence!

 

[armbands0]

Replacing a shower in a bathroom, even like for like, is a notifiable job.

As the shower has been removed and then reconnected that would count as a replacement and should be notified. Pedantic I know but that is how I see it.

 

[IQ Electrical]

Replacing a shower in a bathroom, even like for like, is a notifiable job.

As the shower has been removed and then reconnected that would count as a replacement and should be notified. Pedantic I know but that is how I see it.

Can you show me exactly where in Approved Document P this is written?

I'm quite sure replacement of a shower of the same rating is not notifiable!

Click on this Building control and building regulations and scroll down to number 13