Not too happy with this work...

[Kitty0307]

We're first time house renovators and recently had an electrician in to replace the main board and rewire the kitchen.

I'm really not too happy with the results. There are cables coming out of the wall below the sockets and running back into the floor, multiple holes around sockets and where old sockets were and worst of all an absolutely huge hole in our hallway above the new main board.

On speaking to the electrician he's advised he doesn't do plastering- but I had assumed he would at least make good after doing the rewire- whether that was included in the additional quote or would be at additional cost.

As a complete newbie to having a rewire and any kind of electrical work done, am I overreacting? It doesn't look as professional as I would have expected....And the cables coming out of the wall and then into the floor dont seem right either.

I'd like to have a chat with him about it but not really sure what to say and how things should look. Not like this, I'm sure!

Anybody?

 

[davesparks]

If you’re energising circuits you should certify.

If you're energising circuits you should inspect, test and verify them, certification isn't necessary until completion of the job.

 

[Kitty0307]

If you’re energising circuits you should certify.
Price doesn’t appear that unreasonable to me but hard to judge on limited info.

Speak to the contractor, we don’t bite! The gap above the CU might be being left as there’s more wiring to do in other rooms.

Thanks - that's a good point! Will have a chat with him after new year and see what we can sort out.

 

[Kitty0307]

in your situation, i'd be inclined to get an independent sparks to assess it and price for making it right.esp.the cables over skirting boards. then you have ammunition for the original sparks. as in fix it or deduct the cost from your bill. some forum members in bandit country. maybe 1 is near you. as for the making good, i'm afraid that maybe down to you to pay plasterer and decorator. whatever you do, don't pay him the full amount till it's been sorted.to be fair, maybe pay 50%.

Thanks, that's what I will do!

 

[HappyHippyDad]

1. The hole (or rather mess) in the ceiling above the new consumer unit looks like it has just been hacked out without any thought towards trying to keep it tidy. However, perhaps you had discussed having this wall replastered which gave him license to make a mess.

2. The cables coming over the skirting board are terrible. If this was his work (and it was not agreed that he could bring them over the skirting) then that really is awful.

3. The consumer unit is flush with the wall. If the cables are entering the top of the consumer unit then they need to have grommets like this https://www.screwfix.com/p/british-general-fire-retardant-semi-blind-grommets-13-piece-set/9638p where they enter the consumer unit or something similar. If they enter from behind the consumer unit then ignore this.

4. The holes in the plaster, including the old holes where the sockets used to be would usually be up to a plasterer to fill, in other words your responsibility. However, this should have been mentioned in his quote to give you some warning.

5. The work needs notifying to the building authorities. If he has taken on the work (and no building inspector has visited) then we must assume that he is 'Part P registered' and able to sign off his own work. You should be receiving an email (or letter) from his governing body at some point saying that the work has been notified.

6. You should also be receiving an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC). This is a certificate that he will be producing himself. It will be 5 pages long (6 including the explanatory page at the end).

7. If you have agreed to have more work done (i.e rewire) then you would not be receiving the above paperwork (points 5 and 6) until the work has been completed.

 

[Silly Sausage]

The cables coming out of the floor and disappearing into the wall is not all that uncommon behind kitchen units as it can avoid further destruction of the walls and floor.

Really?!?!
I'm not surprised that the domestic side of the business is, not wanting to get banned, not where it should be.

 

[davesparks]

Really?!?!
I'm not surprised that the domestic side of the business is, not wanting to get banned, not where it should be.

Yes, although neatly clipped would be better, the whole point of having a service gap below and behind kitchen units is to be able to install services there.

 

[Silly Sausage]

Hmmm, maybe, but there are plenty of units that fit flush.
It just looks incredibly amateurish and lazy to me, and you can't go drilling holes in the middle of people's floors. What happens if they want to re-work/purpose the kitchen space?

 

[westward10]

The cable above the skirting is my main issue- there are multiple sockets like that. My other issue is the compete lack of care on the wall installing the RCBO - the wall was perfect beforehand and now it's got a huge hole- it's the first thing visible in our hallway.

If I am reading this correctly this is not just a kitchen issue.

 

[Rpa07]

The guy is fitting Hager as standard, he’s showing some class!
Kitty, There obviously needs to be communication between you and the electrician and get his take on these snagging issues and don’t let the discourse be fuelled by this thread.
Talk and arrange a solution.
Holes can be filled and I certainly agree regarding the kitchen wiring an the service void. Better to see them so the kitchen fitter can’t spear them.

 

[davesparks]

Hmmm, maybe, but there are plenty of units that fit flush.
It just looks incredibly amateurish and lazy to me, and you can't go drilling holes in the middle of people's floors. What happens if they want to re-work/purpose the kitchen space?

No you can't go drilling holes in the middle of the floor, but these holes are next to the skirting which is generally nowhere near the middle of the floor.

If they want to rework the space they have the electrical installation altered to suit, which is part of the reason this is fairly common as kitchens are generally shorter lived than the rest of the installation.

 

[AJshep]

I usually discuss with the customers about making good in my quotes. I personally wouldnt want to put my name to that, It looks a bit slap dash but I suppose theres nothing technically wrong with whats shown.
If you were keeping the wallpaper above the fuseboard I would have probably tried to cut the wallpaper and flap it back on itself, I would have also popped a bit of capping in the wall or at least pulled the twists out of the cable before its buried. I also use a 16mm/20mm masonary drill bit to drill behind skirting boards but then again I think I would have charged a bit more.
Looks more like a domestic installer has carried out the work rather than electrician, but thats me being judgemental and miserable because I have man flu.

 

[PEG]

This post just goes to show,how the initially "accused" looks less and less guilty of anything,the more details are disclosed.

The "terrible holes" may well be for the agreed future "room at a time" access,and i have seen considerably worse cabling,behind cabinets....seen some yesterday on a large 70's palace,which is largely coming down - atrocious,but no issues in the last 40 years,apparently.

 

[streamer]

am I overreacting

Yes

 

[Markyd]

I usually discuss with the customers about making good in my quotes. I personally wouldnt want to put my name to that, It looks a bit slap dash but I suppose theres nothing technically wrong with whats shown.
If you were keeping the wallpaper above the fuseboard I would have probably tried to cut the wallpaper and flap it back on itself, I would have also popped a bit of capping in the wall or at least pulled the twists out of the cable before its buried. I also use a 16mm/20mm masonary drill bit to drill behind skirting boards but then again I think I would have charged a bit more.
Looks more like a domestic installer has carried out the work rather than electrician, but thats me being judgemental and miserable because I have man flu.

Excuse me........i am a Domestic installer and would not leave work looking like that.....and a couple of months ago spent 2 days rectifying what you call an ELECTRICIANS work who was time served and all that....ran 8 new double sockets using singles......not a grommet to be seen in metal boxes....connected 5 new metal light fittings without connecting c.p.c......and fitted a small chandelier in the bathroom i.p. rating whats that?........so his work was a total disgrace......when asked about a cert for additional sockets he didnt have a clue what the client was on about....maybe he should stick to working in grubby factories....So much for what you call an Electrician eh.......Shoddy work,works both ways

 

[Kitty0307]

I certainly don't feel I'm over reacting about the hole in the wall above the consumer unit. We did NOT plan to get this wall replastered and wanted to keep the original wallpaper. It looks a state and regardless of whether access will be needed there for future work, I think much more care could have been taken when fitting the new unit. I'm actually shocked that anybody would say I'm overreacting...
I didn't say he could drill holes in the floor...or run cable over the skirtings. It's still a shoddy job in my opinion. If we decide to go with somebody else for the remainder of the rewire will he still issue us with certification for the work he has done?

As far as leaving service gap behind kitchen units....our plan was to fit freestanding custom made wooden units and now it's looking like this won't be a option or we will have to have spaces cut into them for cables and pipes. We did discuss the types of units we were planning on fitting with the electrician (well, I did).

Just fed up of the whole thing- pretty much dealing wirh this myself as my partner just buries his head and moans about how much it will cost/tells me off if things go wrong.