Found this in my 4 year old house...

[bailes1992]

I've just moved into a new house, It's a 4 year home built by a major developer. The previous couple who lived here were non-diy savvy and from speaking to them on numerous occasions the only work done on the house was decorating and flooring which they got people in to do.

Now, the house has Crabtree accessories which I personally think are unsightly and have yellowed over the last few years even through nobody has smoked in the house. So, I'm currently going around changing them out for Hager items and making a few minor alterations.

I have an external single garage. It is fed by a 6mm² T&E to a double back box in my dining room. In the back box there is a set of connectors where it joints onto a 6mm² 3 core SWA which goes into the garage. I can't see any ducts and the cable appears to be directly in the ground. While I was swapping out accessories I decided to change the blank plate on this back box and found this...
http://i.Upload the image directly to the thread.com/7LZeKwG.jpg?3
http://i.Upload the image directly to the thread.com/hY5PUL8.jpg?2


So no earthed armouring, no earthed back box and no earth tape on the black conductor of the SWA. Now I must admit I've seen a lot worse, but I'm quite annoyed that you buy a new-ish house with a copy of the EIC and come across something like this.

Now, regardless of the fact this doesn't meet BS7671 522.8.10, I thought this was downright lazy and of course I couldn't leave it as it was.

https://i.Upload the image directly to the thread.com/CtEbUX8.jpg

No my tidiest job but I managed to gland the cable off in the wall which left me with very grazed knuckles. I've used a serrated washer on the back of the SWA gland to ensure good continuity between the gland and the back box and I've obviously earthed the back box.

Now there's the issue of the hole I cut in the wall. The house is dot and dabbed so it's a simple case of cutting in a new piece of plasterboard, gluing it in with dry lining adhesive and a light skim of filler. The issue is my Wife who has said if it was such an issue, surely I should get the contractor back to fix or at least pay to fix the mess and she wants me at the bare minimum to contact the NHBC.

Now, would you just fix this yourself and leave it where it was or would you get others involved to pay for the costs of repair?

The only other interesting thing is there is a 30mA RCD in the garage despite the garage being fed from an RCD protected section of the CU in the house.

 

[suffolkspark]

I think id have just earthed the armouring at the garage end and not hashed up my wall

 

[bailes1992]

I think id have just earthed the armouring at the garage end and not hashed up my wall

I agree with you to a point but I've always been of the opinion that it's best practice to earth the SWA at the start and not the end. Ideally the SWA should be earthed at both ends which I will eventually do. My garage is being turned into a mini workshop so I will be installing a new single phase CU and installing a run of 50x50 galv trunking around the perimeter with galv conduit drops.

 

[Aurai]

I suspect it would be you versus a mighty wall of indifference. However, should you write to NHBC, I would love to know their response! This is the tip of a rather large iceberg. Thanks

 

[Dillb]

Who would NHBX be concerned about a hole you made? If you had contacted them raising your concerns then yes it would be their responsibility to make it all good, but you have made the hole.

 

[Wilko]

Unfortunately this is not a rare sight. It is a bit quicker to do it incorrectly so some folk (being polite) do it. Perhaps think about Wago style connectors to get all the earths together without being in series

 

[snowhead]

Don't waste your time contacting anyone.
They won't be interested.

Had there have been an injury they might have been.

 

[Squid]

Don't waste your time contacting anyone.
They won't be interested.

Had there have been an injury they might have been.

Get a blow torch burn around the hole, phone the developer up and say it "exploded" and blew a hole in the wall and killed the cat.

 

[FatAlan]

Presumably the contractor doing the installation did the EIC? You could flag it with which ever scheme they’re with and see if there are any SM review spots you can highlight it on. Otherwise don’t waste your time and sit back knowing that you’ve sorted it

 

[UNG]

Not worth contacting the NHBC they won't be interested unless you pay them to investigate it if they uphold your complaint your costs should be refunded by the builder.
Chance of success is minimal, looked into making a complaint some years back and research suggested the money would be better spent on the repair than the complaint after all the NHBC is owned by the buiders

 

[The Ghost]

I am afraid it is caveat emptor when purchasing a house. Any defect not picked up during a survey (you did have a survey?) may be actionable depending on what level of survey you had. However I doubt this would be covered by a survey as most take the cheapest option survey. So whatever defects you have inherited are yours to deal with.

 

[Taylortwocities]

I think id have just earthed the armouring at the garage end and not hashed up my wall

That was exactly my first thought on looking at the pic, before I saw your post!

 

[telectrix]

get the tin out.

 

[Octopus]

Its the sad reflection of what happens when unskilled people "throw" homes together .................

 

[telectrix]

i'm just waiting for lego to up their game and make their blocks 18" x 9". good insulation value and no need for bodgit the builder. all homes could then be self-build. "click and go".