How worried should I be?

[bigbaddave]

Thanks everyone for your ongoing views - it's extremely helpful to me as a consumer (who thinks it looks unacceptable!) to get the opinions of people who know so much more.

I'd love to 'name and shame', and will have no reservation in doing so if it proves appropriate, but I only wrote to bring this to their attention today when I found it, so I'll give them a couple of days next week to get their act together and see what their response is like.

I can say though, that they are a REAL and MCS registered getup (I've checked), and I received a NAPIT Electrical Certificate for this work by their electrician?!

"As already mentioned by Tel, looking at that standard of workmanship I'd be checking the entire installation and preparing a full snag list."

I've looked at everything else and it looks fine, but then I wouldn't know the finer details of what could be wrong.

If you dont get any joy then speak to Naspit, They will help you in this matter above is they dont sort after you have contacted them. As for the Solar stuff. Id be tempted to get in checked by an independent installer.

- - - Updated - - -

Dam.. Trev is obviously quicker with his fingers than me..

 

[DanB]

I would have thought I should be able to find the electrician who signed the NAPIT certificate through the "Find a NAPIT Member" search on the NAPIT site? I don't just seem him there, although it states a NAPIT membership number on the certificate. Maybe that's for the firm rather than the individual?

 

[trev]

It'll be the company mate

 

[bigbaddave]

Im with NICEIC and my forms ask for company name and number, Im the only spark with my postcode so when searching im the only one listed with that postcode.

However the details he has put on the form should allow you to find him on the site. Unless of course he is no longer regesterd with them

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Wow.

just to add thats just unbeleveable.

as said

1. The tails are not double insulated, the outer layer is missing, any spark would realise that this is not just poor, its dangerous and completely unacceptable;the only thing protecting you at that point is a huge fat fuse.

2. Added to that the single layer of insulation is damaged anyway.

3. Not supposed to mess with the suppliers meter. He's not even covered his tracks.

4.his attempt to rectify is an insult.



he is either drunk, having a breakdown, or just incompetent.

i would go ballistic

 

[ayjay]

to add spartycus- i think the tails are taken from an armoured cable as the look a bit triangular also they look as if they might be aluminium?
i might be wrong

 

[DanB]

Now you mention it, I'm sure that before this all happened, all four tails were grey.

As far as I can see, the metal showing inside the tail is copper coloured. You'll understand that I'm not going to poke around too much

 

[trev]

Aye, that would be a bad idea Dan

 

[bigbaddave]

Now you mention it, I'm sure that before this all happened, all four tails were grey.

As far as I can see, the metal showing inside the tail is copper coloured. You'll understand that I'm not going to poke around too much

It may tickle a little

 

[GLENNSPARK]

I've had a company in to install a PV array recently. The sparky was probably the least tidy tradesman I've ever come across - leaving a trail of clippings, insulation and spare connectors.

After they had left, I went to the meter box to attempt to install an energy consumption meter (with an induction sensor). As you can see, I discovered that the insulation around the cables has been torn (by some kind of tool with teeth apparently) and the copper has been exposed on both neutral and live. I also notice that the front of the meter housing has not been fitted back correctly.

View attachment 16754

I'm obviously not going to try to get a sensor on that, and as far as I'm concerned, it leaves the wires open to shorting or moisture damage. How concerned should I be? Am I correct in thinking this is not acceptable?

so not risk of shock to the unsuspecting then?

 

[SPARTYKUS]

It could induce a " boom shak-a-lak"

 

[GLENNSPARK]

It could induce a " boom skak-a-lak"

or a booming boiler...

 

[Marvo]

I've looked at everything else and it looks fine, but then I wouldn't know the finer details of what could be wrong.

I realise you may be loathed to spend more money after laying out 6.5K for the installation but consider getting a report done by an independent contractor. I'd make it plain you just want an opinion and facts only, not a 20 page document on why you should have use them in the first place and pay them an hour on site and another for a brief report. In the long run I would say it would be money well spent for peace of mind. There's lots of very diligent solar installers on this forum I'm sure one of them who's local to you would be happy to give you a fair price.

*Edit*, I've moved this to the PV/Solar forum for you where it's better suited.

 

[KAS1]

Ring the company and tell them you can smell burning coming from your CU area and a crackling sound, that'll make them send someone round ASAP better still tell them you dropped something near the tails and whilst trying to retrieve the said object you got a belt from that exposed copper. Put the frighteners on them as best you can my friend, then hopefully if the owner of the company comes round, if he's a skilled man he'll get rid of that employee as fast as he can. Don't forget to have a witness with you when they come back, just to be on the safe side as he may even deny he or his men left it in that condition, that wouldn't be the first time I can tell you.

 

[FB.]

It's a 4kwp system, and cost £6500. I was going to post in the PV forum at some point too, as the performance has been extremely poor so far in comparison to other similar systems on PVoutput.

I wouldn't be so concerned about that as quite a few of the systems on PVOutput seem to live in a fantasy land caused by not-too-accurate equipment which measures and uploads the data.
I soon intend to stop contributing to PVOutput for that reason. The Sheffield Solar Farm want readings from the generation meter and not from any add-on monitoring devices which can be very inaccurate.