Dodgy trade pictures for your amusement! - 1 Million Views!

[Darkwood]

Right ... Just been nudged to set this up by Paul.M and sounds a good idea following recent threads I've done in the Arms..

Rules....No Offensive material... edit if required before posting as this is the public arena.
Anything to do with the trade or in and around it ...H&S pic's welcome.



I've posted this a few times and this is at a mates house following a kitchen refirb several yrs ago. mg_smile:

 

[westward10]

Why?

Because it is not a component part of the assembly, like you must use cables from manufacturer "x" or conduit from manufacture "y" it is not a viable argument.

 

[timhoward]

We've had a seemingly sensible statement that even the link cables (e.g. main switch N to neutral bar) must be the manufacturer supplied items. I'm suggesting that while that may be the absolute letter of the rules regarding the entire assembly being type tested, it's a bit unreasonable as a blanket "I wouldn't touch it if something else were fitted" since a piece of wire is a piece of wire.

I agree that my "link cable" comment was probably over the top in practise; I was trying to illustrate the concepts to someone who was completely new to this reg. Maybe an unwise example in hindsight!

 

[Mikegh]

Yes, but that's not the question.
We've had a seemingly sensible statement that even the link cables (e.g. main switch N to neutral bar) must be the manufacturer supplied items. I'm suggesting that while that may be the absolute letter of the rules regarding the entire assembly being type tested, it's a bit unreasonable as a blanket "I wouldn't touch it if something else were fitted" since a piece of wire is a piece of wire.

So, as a thought exercise, what if the MIs required the use of the supplied fixings ?
At what point does common sense need to raise it's hand and shout "excuse me" ?

Are you looking for a clearcut answer

Disputes end up in court

Car maker not honouring warranty, customer sends them a solicitors letter

Customer takes a retailer to court

Barristers fight it out on the technicalities

 

[Mikegh]

Has the plugtop debate been tested in court

Voiding warranry if you remove moulded plugs

"Allegedly"

 

[nicebutdim]

Are you looking for a clearcut answer

Disputes end up in court

Car maker not honouring warranty, customer sends them a solicitors letter

Customer takes a retailer to court

Barristers fight it out on the technicalities

With car parts EU bloc exemption rules prohibit invalidation of manufacturer's warranty, provided any parts used meet or exceed the manufacturer's specification. Most parts bought through traditional supply chains will meet this requirement, but all bets would be off when buying unbranded components or importing directly from outside Europe.

In short; there is a precedent when it comes to vehicle parts and, for the most part, you'd have some protection if things went sideways (provided you use half decent components). I'm not sure I'd want to stand up in court and attempt to set such a precedent.

 

[Mikegh]

Ya thanks i was aware of that one on car parts

 

[ipf]

Not getting much amusement from these dodgy trade pictures, lately.

Old single insulated red stranded switch wire going down a conduit to switch. 2 or 3 ft of it in attic.
Used some brown sleeving to give it an outer sheath......nothing else possible.

 

[ipf]

Testing newly decorated house....not much chance of looking behind the switches without taking the walls apart! Been like this for years, probably. Looks scruffy, I know, but the deco is pretty well done....in general. Just a shame he never thought about the electrics before the decorator.... and sorted some new switches out.

 

[littlespark]

I think I posted this one before, but same problem. Why would you build the wall like this? And why not use a 3 gang switch??

 

[Simon47]

Testing newly decorated house....not much chance of looking behind the switches without taking the walls apart! Been like this for years, probably. Looks scruffy, I know, but the deco is pretty well done....in general. Just a shame he never thought about the electrics before the decorator.... and sorted some new switches out.

I'm one of those who can't stand switches/sockets even painted round - so plastered round has me yelling inside "just NOOOOOO". In our house, a previous owner has fitted laminate flooring (p.i.t.a.), new skirtings, and had the walls skimmed. When I took the radiator off to decorate (and fit a new, sensibly sized bigger one) I found that they simply skimmed a few inches behind the rad and then there's a rough step.
And in the kitchen in our rental flat, there's a light switch we can't take off because like your pictures, some ***wit tiled around it.
There are some elements of some trades that I really 'kin hate.

* One day I'll carefully rake out the grout around it, but then it'll need a spacer frame grouting in as the tiles won't be behind it to screw it down onto.

 

[Electrics]

When I took the radiator off to decorate (and fit a new, sensibly sized bigger one) I found that they simply skimmed a few inches behind the rad and then there's a rough step.

To be fair that is pretty standard procedure if it's a reskim - nobody is going to take rads off and disrupt an entire heating system just to plaster behind them when you can't see it without putting your head against the wall anyway.

 

[telectrix]

To be fair that is pretty standard procedure if it's a reskim - nobody is going to take rads off and disrupt an entire heating system just to plaster behind them when you can't see it without putting your head against the wall anyway.

disageee there. just tilt rad. off the wall with pipes still connected. gives 6 - 8 " clearance at the top. decorate then refix rad. we're not plumbers, and a good plasterer is worth his weight in gyproc.

 

[Electrics]

disageee there. just tilt rad. off the wall with pipes still connected. gives 6 - 8 " clearance at the top. decorate then refix rad. we're not plumbers, and a good plasterer is worth his weight in gyproc.

If the plumbers have fitted the radiator properly there shouldn't be 6-8" of play in a rad unless you disconnect the pipework. It's definitely standard practice to just skim in behind the rads as far as you can reach. If you're careful and good with a trowel you should be able to get most of it. Taking it off in order to perfectly skim bits that are literally never seen makes no sense at all.

 

[brianmoooore]

With a radiator that is conventionally plumbed, with a valve at either end at the bottom, it should be possible to lift it off its brackets, and rotate it 90 degrees onto wooden blocks of the correct height, so that it lies out into the room. All that's required is to loosen the connections slightly and tighten them when its lain over. Leakage should be zero or just a few drops.

 

[Electrics]

With a radiator that is conventionally plumbed, with a valve at either end at the bottom, it should be possible to lift it off its brackets, and rotate it 90 degrees onto wooden blocks of the correct height, so that it lies out into the room. All that's required is to loosen the connections slightly and tighten them when its lain over. Leakage should be zero or just a few drops.

Complete overkill for a bit of unseen skim imo. You don't pull out kitchens to skim all the way down the wall you just skim up to worktop height. Same goes for painting behind rads, nobody takes the rad off to paint they just go as far as they can with an angled brush or mini roller.

What if it's winter? You're leaving someone with no heating for at least a full day while the plaster dries before you can remount, just so you can literally skim in about 6 square inches of plaster that's never going to be seen until you take the rad off the wall.