Help needed to review quality of distributer box installation

[Isaac k]

Hi everyone,

I just had my distributer box upgraded to an RCD box, and I was wondering if anyone could advise me on the quality of the work done here. I know that changing these boxes is a nightmare to do, and truth be told our wiring was a mess before, but for the price we payed I don't believe there should be electrical tape and exposed wires coming out of the box. Also you can see the housing for the old night electricity box which they have decided to leave and they also chose not to cover the channel with all the exposed wires. I'm just curious to see what this forum's take is on this work, and if it was worth the £700 I payed for it.

Thanks!

(This is my first post, so if I am in the wrong category I apologise)

 

[markc123]

1) Do not pay a penny, that’s a disgrace.

2) If the Cowboy gets argumentative report him to trading standards for doing work well out of his capabilities. Also, link him to this thread on this forum and inpaticular the paragraph below

STOP! You absolute <insert word> You’re completely out of your depth and are doing work that has the potential to cause harm to persons or properties. Go to college, start again.

 

[Toneyz]

Tell him to either get his butt back and sort it or get someone else to sort it and pay him for the materials only

That's if the materials can be reused.

 

[MFS Electrical]

That's if the materials can be reused.

Well with the state of what’s there you never know what butchery has been carried out inside

 

[Deuce]

Crikey - that's so bad I'm angry.

No one who's ever spent a few minutes looking at their own CU would think that was the right way do it. I can't see how it's possible the person that did this is qualified, or in fact even trained at all.

I think someone else said you should get another spark to review the work, and then negotiate with the first guy. I'd be firmer though, as he has provided you absolutely nothing of value at all. It's just dangerous and a mess you now have to find someone else to clear up. If he supplied the CU itself then tell him you'll leave it outside for him to collect once a professional has fitted a new one.

I was about to ask if you could take the cover off and provide a photo of the artistry no doubt hidden away in there... But frankly, I don't want to encourage you to go near it until it's sorted.

In fact really don't take it off. I opened one up once to investigate a failed MCB and then realised that one of the screws holding the cover on had cut through a messily routed circuit live. Those are the sort of hidden dangers that cowboys create without even understanding the danger. I also discovered that the MCB hadn't been remotely tightened on to the busbar, which had led to it arcing, then overheating the busbar to the point it had melted the back of the MCB completely. So whoever put it in had essentially created a fire risk and hidden it behind a booby-trapped cover!!

 

[MFS Electrical]

Crikey - that's so bad I'm angry.

No one who's ever spent a few minutes looking at their own CU would think that was the right way do it. I can't see how it's possible the person that did this is qualified, or in fact even trained at all.

I think someone else said you should get another spark to review the work, and then negotiate with the first guy. I'd be firmer though, as he has provided you absolutely nothing of value at all. It's just dangerous and a mess you now have to find someone else to clear up. If he supplied the CU itself then tell him you'll leave it outside for him to collect once a professional has fitted a new one.

I was about to ask if you could take the cover off and provide a photo of the artistry no doubt hidden away in there... But frankly, I don't want to encourage you to go near it until it's sorted.

In fact really don't take it off. I opened one up once to investigate a failed MCB and then realised that one of the screws holding the cover on had cut through a messily routed circuit live. Those are the sort of hidden dangers that cowboys create without even understanding the danger. I also discovered that the MCB hadn't been remotely tightened on to the busbar, which had led to it arcing, then overheating the busbar to the point it had melted the back of the MCB completely. So whoever put it in had essentially created a fire risk and hidden it behind a booby-trapped cover!!

Did the homeowner/tenant have good life insurance sounds more like an assassination attempt than a CU install

 

[Deuce]

Did the homeowner/tenant have good life insurance sounds more like an assassination attempt than a CU install

It was my mother in laws! I think it was the chap that did their extension about 15 years ago that put it in, or some chancer he slipped a few notes to..

It's not even the first time though. I found a screw through the live in the backbox of a socket in a new build I had moved into. Just people leaving way to much excess cable inside boxes and then scrunching it all in as they close it up, thus setting their trap...

 

[richy3333]

Bag of rubbish!
Did he do the top CU also as it looks like a plastic? box?

Is it a flat or house and is that a separating wall? It might have need a building Warrant.

 

[Baddegg]

Hi, thanks for replying!
No, I have not paid yet as I was fairly confident that this was not good work. The electrition that did the work was self employed and did not issue any sort of paperwork. Any advice on where to go from here?
Thanks for replying!

I doubt he was an electrician....

 

[Baddegg]

For one don't pay him, is there any way you can check out his registration, did he use a Van or did he use a private car, if a van was used did it have any decals on it saying if he was a member of any Scheme? if he isn't registered I guess your only option would be to go to Trading Standards and take advice from them, good jo you haven't paid up, if you speak to him, ask for an Electrical Installation Certificate EIC (as sparkychick mentioned) as technically the job isn't finished until a cert is issued, good luck, and sorry, welcome to the forum.

Horse?.....

 

[Toneyz]

This is the problem with Electrical Trainee/boil in the bag electricians they do all the academic side ok and have a limited practical experiance from the booths think they are a electrician get a job and are out of their depth through lack of (practical) experiance.

 

[SparkyChick]

This is the problem with Electrical Trainee/boil in the bag electricians they do all the academic side ok and have a limited practical experiance from the booths think they are a electrician get a job and are out of their depth through lack of (practical) experiance.

Not all of us

I racked up lots of practical experience of all sorts of building and electrical work before I climbed out of my office cubicle. But, from my personal experience, you're largely on the money.

 

[Toneyz]

This is the problem with Electrical Trainee/boil in the bag electricians they do all the academic side ok and have a limited practical experiance from the booths think they are a electrician get a job and are out of their depth through lack of (practical) experiance.

Pete, there have been many posts over the last few days from you that the spelling has been worse than mine.

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

Unless I am mistaken scheme membership isnt required in scotland but it is till notifiable is it not?

As for the price, he is a con artist, Would be a maximum of £400 at Bath prices.

As others have said do not pay him, let him try to take you to court for it, no judge would award him the money if they see that pile of S**T. At very least you would get somebody else to put it right and take the costs of that off what he is demanding.

Needs reporting to trading standards. hopefully north of the border they do something.

 

[Deuce]

As for the price, he is a con artist, Would be a maximum of £400 at Bath prices.

It's worse than that. The OP could have just watched some youtube videos/read a book and with a small amount of care achieved a better result!! I'm not suggesting people do that... But it's hard to imagine there is anything more dangerous in the trade than a person who literally doesn't care, and has no standards whatsoever. To the point they can't even be bothered to try and hide the shitty mess they left behind.

I still really wanna see the mess inside the unit though....

 

[Octopus]

I wonder if any of our Glasgow based members could spare the time to go and do a little onsite onsite inspections on this?

If it was on my patch I would certainly make time!