old colour cable- is it OK if sleeved brown/blue?

[1Justin]

Hi.

My new (my first!) customer has had his builder in. Builder has been moving cables about and unfortunately re-installing some old colour cable in several places.

Builder wants me to do some further work and take on the electrics, and I'll end up owning the whole installation.

In the nicest way, I made a firm point that he can't use any more old coloured cable and I need to see what he's doing properly from now on. Meanwhile, some of his new install is in old colour cable and he's built it in. He's sensible enough to have routed it properly to reference method, in zones etc, and I can test and prove it's all safe.

An earlier poster said in this forum "As long as its identified correctly at every access/terminal point it's perfectly ok to use". Do I find that point specifically in the regs? It seems common sense to me. I'm not about to tell him to rip cables out, but to start behaving as he should and let me oversee the rest.

This job might end up being a NICEIC sign-off so I don't want to get in a fix because of that.

Justin

 

[Dave 85]

Look after builders. If you ever want to earn any money, they are your freinds. Personally I would choose not to volunteer the fact that the builder has been lashing in old T&E to an assessor, just let him assess your work and make sure circuits you're working on are up to scratch. With regards to rewiring a house in red and black: If I was the owner of said house I'd be a bit ****ed, any potential buyer could be led to believe that you're lying to them about the fact it has been re-wired.

 

[chrissiebaker]

I've had a similar experience myself, am sparking for a builder on the recommend of the property owner (who I met at a network event). I was 'interviewed' by the builder - I stated that all of my work and anything I signed off I had to be happy with because it was my rep and future on the line. He was actuaaly really happy with my comments, (as was the owner).

The owner (no spark training) - but not stupid - has partially re-wired reusing Black&Red cables - I telephoned Napit Tech about the issue. Their advise was just be clear on the cert what I did (and what I didn't do!). Then check continuity of the old cables and reject anything that fails. Luckily (or unlukily for the owners) most of the cables have been routed next (a couple of mm away) and in cases touching/wrapped round hot water pipes and the cables are not long enough to move. So before touching a thing I spent a couple of hours doing a condition report and just condemened most of the old cables!

Explained to both builder and owner the issue re. location and regs (they want everything to regs - don't want to fail a building inspection!) and agreed to it all being ripped out and replaced. So my advise is we pay lots of money for our registration, if collectively we want to elimate the 'cowboys' out of our industry when need to make clear to fellow trademens that we are happy to work with then to keep costs within budgets - but we are unwilling to comprise 'our' integrity and quality.

Now I am sure some people will object to my comments - I am a newby in the industry (just 7 months) - I am however gaining business by my reputation for the quality of my work and honesty (and price has become a 'none' issue).

Female Spark