Pain the backside job

[Sparky with a beard]

Evening all,

I went to a job this tonight to replace a socket that had supposedly blown the main fuse on the house. The energy supplier had been out to change fuse but refused to reconnect the house until this socket with an alleged earth fault had been replaced. The socket was wired correctly but it was cracked so I replaced it I also found other faults that I rectified. Then I tested the circuit but when it came to IR I was only getting 0.4Mohms, the house was built in the 70s and I’d say the electrics aren’t much younger if at all. I refused to sign off the electrics as safe and recommended a full rewire, leaving them with no power at all. I feel awful but in my opinion it wasn’t safe, what would you have done?
Cheers,
Phil.

 

[Midwest]

Could you not of just isolated that circuit, and arrange to go back at a suitable time and locate the fault? Recommending a rewire is one thing from a personnel viewpoint, but for a fault on one circuit?

 

[casperLennon]

You can’t just leave people with no power. Like Midwest said just isolate the problem circuit

 

[Squid]

As above, isolate the circuit as further testing required, if the worst came to the worst it may be only that circuit or segment that needed to be rewired as it could be mice that have nibbled at the cables.

 

[Dustydazzler]

1970s really isn’t that old (if the place was 1950s and full of rubber then yes it will need rewiring) but in this case just pull the fuse on the trouble circuit and offer to come back for further investigation

 

[peterhyper]

I agree with others that you just have to isolate the unsafe socket/circuit.

Did you do an EICR, or how else otherwise could you recommend a full rewire on the property?

 

[Charlie_]

In fairness, in many instances I have recommended rewires over the years without doing a PI..
Waste of money that can go towards the cost of the rewire

 

[The Ghost]

Think I would be in touch with them today and try to get a better resolution for them so that they have some power. Hopefully no children in the house? I have done the same however the main fuse had blown twice and the old wylex CUs' had rotted away exposing the innards and were hanging off the wall with low <1Mohm readings. Issued a danger notice which you did???

 

[Octopus]

I refused to sign off the electrics as safe and recommended a full rewire, leaving them with no power at all..

You have absolutely NO RIGHTS to do this ................ so hopefully you are back on site reconnecting them now.

as for the 0.4 mohms ................... sounds like something(s) are still connected.

Very poor approach ..........

 

[ruston]

Think I would be in touch with them today and try to get a better resolution for them so that they have some power. Hopefully no children in the house? I have done the same however the main fuse had blown twice and the old wylex CUs' had rotted away exposing the innards and were hanging off the wall with low <1Mohm readings. Issued a danger notice which you did???

So would I , what is to stop them turning it back on themselves?
Was it still off when you got there ?

 

[ruston]

You have absolutely NO RIGHTS to do this ................ so hopefully you are back on site reconnecting them now.

as for the 0.4 mohms ................... sounds like something(s) are still connected.

Very poor approach ..........

In fairness the board refused to connect it back up.

 

[Welchyboy1]

0.4 M ohms......bet its either an rcd spur somewhere or appliance bringing the reading down

As long as its not heavily loaded, Pvc cabling from the 70's is absolutely fine and will probably be so for another 30 plus years yet

Recommend a rewire by all means if thats your feeling about the install, but leaving them with no power at all for a low IR on one circuit without investigating further....??

If they got another sparks in for a second opinion and he finds the cause is an appliance you've not unplugged etc your going to look bad

 

[Octopus]

In fairness the board refused to connect it back up.

The home would have had other circuits .......... sure leave the faulty circuit disconnected ............ but everything? No

The only time I have made a customer have no electricity was an inspection after a fire ........ nearly all the cables were exposed, and the copper cores were exposed................. hardly safe to live in. The fire brigade and local services found them temporary alternative accommodation

 

[SJD]

I find it a little odd that a supposed fault on a socket circuit would take out the main fuse … unless there is some other issue like a nail instead of fuse wire for the socket circuit, or the whole installation drawing so much current that the main fuse is overloaded.

 

[ruston]

@Murdoch , yes I agree with what you are saying, and getting some power back on would be a priority . But if he had turned it back on not knowing if he had cleared that fault is a bit of a sticky wicket .