non compliant job

[edexlab]

Went to look at a job where we're quoting for a pv system the other day
I like to think I'm thorough in checking the condition of existing cu board, bonding and testing the ZE /PFC and any Rcd , and a look about just to get a rough idea of any possible issues .
Now I know lots of people I have worked with, and competitors would never do this
anyway did the above but no RCD's so I mention this to the customer and he starts laughing and then explains that he can't have Rcds fitted ,I say well this cu looks quite new ,it should have them, and why can't they be installed?,
Apparently the cu was about a year old, the installer locally well known and Niceic approved did the work, then had problems with the RCDs tripping
Solution spend 6 days testing ,pulling things apart until the customer says I'm not paying for any more time , leaves cu with no 30 mA RCD protection on any circuit as he could'nt determine which circuit it was on ,but he thought it might be around the living room area ?? then says sorry I can't give you an EIC because of the fault within the house and its safer then before anyway and goes off to his next job ,
now I can sympathise with this problem as it's happened to me a few times but I've
always sorted it out and I leave it knowing I can sleep at night

So I ring him up and politely discuss this with him and He says he could'nt do anymore
than what he did
Now I feel I should give the boys at the Niceic a ring and see if they'll actually do something about it , and would be interested in others views on this type of situation

 

[bugsy]

The NIC-EIC would be very intereted in his explenation , to start with I/R and should have been checked before he started the job secondly having spent 6 days on what I assume is a domestic CU one has to question his competance

 

[Paul.M]

When you say six days to find a fault, is that with a floor board saw and a screw driver? He must have been looking for it visually!

As bugsy says he should have tested it first to what faults are there already. Not giving an EIC?

Let's face it, there is something in that house with potential danger that 99.9% of electricians would not walk away from, why did he?

 

[Deleted member 26818]

It would be intresting to see just what if anything the NICEIC would do if you reported it.
Most likely say that they can't do anything, unless the customer himself makes the report.

 

[Deleted member 9648]

The NIC would not sanction this from a registered contractor....If you want to do something about it issue an electrical danger notice and advise the client to contact the NIC armed with that.

 

[Octopus]

The "other" contrator should have gone down the RCBO route to narrow down the issue and then fault find the offending "circuits".

Maybe you should recommend fitting RBCO's to the socket circuits as an absolute minimum.

 

[edexlab]

I recommended at least narrowing down and identifying the problem, if necessary rewiring that part of circuit which would not take anyone 6 days
I think I will ring NICEIC but as for issuing a danger notice unless its an obviously visibly dangerous condition , I don't think you could class it as such ,it may be the case that the circuits are ok and the tripping is due to a connected item of equipment and this contractor
is not competent enough to find it .But due to the customers blind faith in this company "they've been around a lot longer than you mate" was the reply I got, i told him not to assume anyone was right or wrong but for his own peace of mind contact another firm or the NICEIC

 

[LOYDE]

6 days for rewire my typical cu change
day 1.identy non complance and create list, Begin task of putting right

day 2. Putting right shocking problems (1mm for power outlets hmmmmmmm not ideal!!!!)

day 3. Begin to wondor why home owners are allowed access to electrical acssessories without a competant person suppervising them.

Day 4. Having now pretty much rewired the entrie house whilsit the home owner looks distastefully at the remains of her tastfull interior decorating which she spent the last 4 years completing BEFORE wondering why the lights go out evey time she boils a kettle!
Day 5. Test n Inspect looking good happy days
Day 6. Spend entire day tryning to make cheep BnQ lightfittings comply with regulations