Electric Cables on top of bedroom floor joists, touching central heating pipes. Safe?

[ummidris]

I've recently had a complete rewire. It's been a nightmare. Electrician called back once because cables not properly chased in and some wires left exposed. Now I am securring the floorboards he had taken up and cables are running in the same groove cut into the joists for the central heating pipes. I've asked a plumber who says this is not acceptable.

I could cut another notch in the joist to seperate the cables from pipes, but this would still mean the cables are sitting just under the bedroom floorboards. Is this acceptable? I have been told it will make my completion certificate invalid.

Should I get him back to rerun the cables through the joists (holes are allready there from previous wiring)? To be honest I have little faith in him, but I have little money too and can't afford another contractor.

Any advice?

 

[Guitarist]

Re: Electric Cables on top of bedroom floor joists, touching central heating pipes. S

Sounds like he just couldn't be bothered to thread the cables through the original holes and just thought that it would be far easier to lay them in existing pipe notches. I'm assuming he took the old cable out for the scrap value?
Do not do anything yourself. You have paid a professional to do the work and it is up to him to make sure it is left in a compliant condition which satisfies your original agreement.
It is important that all "talks" remain calm and civilised. Give him every opportunity to put the work right before you get too stressed

 

[PC Electrics]

Re: Electric Cables on top of bedroom floor joists, touching central heating pipes. S

Have you actualy paid in full for this work or have you still got some to pay?


You are sure the cables you can see are the new cables and not old cables that simply haven't been removed?

Assuming they are new, then that's just pants. Contravens a number of regulations.

 

[telectrix]

Re: Electric Cables on top of bedroom floor joists, touching central heating pipes. S

are you sure it was a spark who did this and not a retrained plumber? awww can't have been. the floorboards are still useable.

 

[PC Electrics]

Re: Electric Cables on top of bedroom floor joists, touching central heating pipes. S

Maybe you could tell us what area you live. Someone here may know who his ELECSA assessor is.

I know that in my early days, my ELECSA assessor questioned me at length on my knowledge of the building regs, especially part A. As well as acceptable zones etc etc. I showed him a rewire for my second asessment and he was quite thorough. So I would suspect that this is deliberately sloppy workmanship rather than a lack of knowledge.

 

[telectrix]

Re: Electric Cables on top of bedroom floor joists, touching central heating pipes. S

Maybe you could tell us what area you live. Someone here may know who his ELECSA assessor is.

I know that in my early days, my ELECSA assessor questioned me at length on my knowledge of the building regs, especially part A. As well as acceptable zones etc etc. I showed him a rewire for my second asessment and he was quite thorough. So I would suspect that this is deliberately sloppy workmanship rather than a lack of knowledge.

yeah, but that was then. nowadays with these scams, if you know brown from blue, you're in , as long as the £500 is paid.

 

[Des 56]

Re: Electric Cables on top of bedroom floor joists, touching central heating pipes. S

I have said it many times before,it not only applies to electrics,all trades are relevant

If you are paying out a lot of money for a job,how much hassle is it to go and have a look at that tradesmans previous work at a customers property before forking out for what is one of the largest property outlays


The customers have a lot to answer for as well as shoddy tradesmen who tarnish the trade (thats not to pronounce guilt on this tradesman,because the whole story is sometimes not so clear butchery at the first glance of a thread)

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Re: Electric Cables on top of bedroom floor joists, touching central heating pipes. S

its a non conformance....and theres a box for it n all on the schedule of inspections....mutual deteremental influences...

 

[Des 56]

Re: Electric Cables on top of bedroom floor joists, touching central heating pipes. S

One thought, are these cables the old cables that the electrician just did not take out? Worth thinking about before you have a rant at him. I would hate you to have egg on your face, the boards in question may have been left lose by the plumber years ago and the electrician may not have had those boards up at all!

Glenn
The question above has not yet been resolved

 

[MJM]

Re: Electric Cables on top of bedroom floor joists, touching central heating pipes. S

The electricians who installed my shower circuit, which was run in the wall cavity, charged me for a rewire when I didn't know any better and they only fitted a new consumer unit and changed single sockets for double ones with those cheap crappy ones that look flush mounted but really screw into the exisiting holes of a single socket, they are registered with NIC... can I report them??

 

[telectrix]

Re: Electric Cables on top of bedroom floor joists, touching central heating pipes. S

i'd be contacting trading standards if they've charged for a rewire and not done one.

 

[MJM]

Re: Electric Cables on top of bedroom floor joists, touching central heating pipes. S

Yeah it was about 5 years ago though and I've no proof they charged me for it so I'm a bit screwed now

Not sure what to do about this shower circuit.. If I got cavity wall insulation I can't have this cable running through it... if I was to chase the wall myself, install it in conduit etc. I take it this wouldn't class as a new circuit so wouldn't be nofitifiable?

 

[jase]

Re: Electric Cables on top of bedroom floor joists, touching central heating pipes. S

yeah, but that was then. nowadays with these scams, if you know brown from blue, you're in , as long as the £500 is paid.

how true, with 17 days to go until my approved contractor cert is expired and after having taking the money out my account about a month ago i have still yet to hear when my annual assesment is, hmmmmmm

 

[trev]

Re: Electric Cables on top of bedroom floor joists, touching central heating pipes. S

Yeah it was about 5 years ago though and I've no proof they charged me for it so I'm a bit screwed now

Not sure what to do about this shower circuit.. If I got cavity wall insulation I can't have this cable running through it... if I was to chase the wall myself, install it in conduit etc. I take it this wouldn't class as a new circuit so wouldn't be nofitifiable?

If you are lucky enough to have a certificate then you have them by the short hairs. By the sound of this I'm guessing you're not that lucky

 

[BMelectrics]

Re: Electric Cables on top of bedroom floor joists, touching central heating pipes. S

to add another point, could the cable running next to the pipe actually damage the pipe (copper) through electrolysis that occurs within the water??
Say it was a shower cable with significant current, the salts in the water become charged and deteriorate the copper pipes at said location. This is also why there should be separation between the cable and the copper pipes.

Just a thought

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Re: Electric Cables on top of bedroom floor joists, touching central heating pipes. S

to add another point, could the cable running next to the pipe actually damage the pipe (copper) through electrolysis that occurs within the water??
Say it was a shower cable with significant current, the salts in the water become charged and deteriorate the copper pipes at said location. This is also why there should be separation between the cable and the copper pipes.

Just a thought

more like the cable`s insulation will be damaged by being in contact with hot pipework...with obvious results....also, the cables CCC will be lower due to ambient tempreture....