DIY Very Big Bang

[Ricard]

I am not a professional electrician and am posting this partly for your general amusement and partly to get some background advice.

My son who has recently moved into a rented flat in Nottingham having got his first job there, decided to put up some coat hooks. He seems to have taken insufficient notice of the fact that the consumer unit is above where he was drilling. Apparently there was a very big bang and the hole shown in the picture appeared without any further exploration on his part.

He phoned me for advice and sent me the pictures, mentioning that none of the fuses seemed to have blown and everything is still working. I explained that the reason no breakers had tripped was that these are the main cables coming into his consumer unit and therefore before his breakers. I am a bit surprised that the company fuse didn't blow, but I guess it must have been a very short bang.

My advice was call your landlord's agent, you need an electrician because there is no way you should attempt to do anything with this.

The consumer unit is near the ceiling on the opposite side of the wall to the meter cupboard.

My questions are first will there be any way to fix this other than digging out the cables and replacing them from the meter to the consumer unit.

Secondly to ward against the agent inflating the cost, what sort of ball park cost should it be.

Finally, is it appropriate for the main cables to be buried in the wall without any protection (from idiots).

 

[ruston]

I know , not to pretty though.
PS. It just goes to show though that safe zones are not publicised enough.
That could have had a nasty outcome.

 

[telectrix]

can't see the problem with the isolator. the actual isolator body is about 2". or even fit a KMF. they are designed for in at bottom, out at top.

 

[ruston]

Depends on what the landlord would be happy with.
If I was paying the bill , I would be happy.

 

[Spoon]

Depends on what the landlord would be happy with.
If I was paying the bill , I would be happy.

The landlord might not want some ugly trunking going up his wall. The cable was initially in the wall and he may want it that way again.
@Ricard Has the landlord been told yet? If so then what has he said?

 

[Dustydazzler]

The landlord might not want some ugly trunking going up his wall. The cable was initially in the wall and he may want it that way again.
@Ricard Has the landlord been told yet? If so then what has he said?

The cable was buried when burying cables like this was loosely acceptable

Putting it back exactly like this even if this was acceptable 10 years back would now not meet regulations

The cables need to either be on a 30ma rcd now or installed in earth metal containment

Trunking all be it a bit ugly will probably be best solution

 

[paullyons]

All depends on if the landlord would be happy with that?

If the landlord has any sense this should be his preferred option as it would prevent it happening again

 

[Spoon]

The cable was buried when burying cables like this was loosely acceptable

Putting it back exactly like this even if this was acceptable 10 years back would now not meet regulations

The cables need to either be on a 30ma rcd now or installed in earth metal containment

Trunking all be it a bit ugly will probably be best solution

I think you misunderstand me mate. What I was implying is that the landlord may want the cable back in the wall, so it's not visible. Of course this would have to be done to the regs. I thought that that was obvious and didn't need stating..... It seems it did.

 

[Spoon]

All speculation at the end of the day.
Still waiting to see what the landlord has actually said about the situation.

 

[Spoon]

If the landlord has any sense this should be his preferred option as it would prevent it happening again

True, but then you could say that about all cables in walls.
A certain amount of common sense had to be used when drilling into walls and big electric boxes are on said wall 12 inches away...

 

[paullyons]

True, but then you could say that about all cables in walls.
A certain amount of common sense had to be used when drilling into walls and big electric boxes are on said wall 12 inches away...

100% what he did was crazy but we live in a world that presumes no one has any common sense

 

[GBDamo]

Not sure how feasible but how about coming up the exterior in SWA glanded into suitably rated IP65 JB then straigt through into the back of the CU with tails.

Bit of poly filla on the old blast crater and Bob's your aunties brother.

 

[Dustydazzler]

what are you doing for power in the flat since the diy disaster ?

 

[James]

I think we all know the answer to that.
But it will never be told

 

[DefyG]

Old thread but!

He seems to have taken insufficient notice of the fact that the consumer unit is above where he was drilling.

Never advisable to drill directly under, over (or even horizontally) from a consumer unit/accessory as they are supposed to be 'safe zones' for installation of cables irrespective of mechanical protection or capping.

 

[Spoon]

Never advisable to drill directly under, over (or even horizontally) from a consumer unit/accessory as they are supposed to be 'safe zones' for installation of cables irrespective of mechanical protection or capping.

Ask the general public what a 'Safe Zone' is and 95% will not know.