pvc trunking caulk cowboys?

[hamish mcchlery]

Iv just seen a whole flat rewired with surface mounted pvc trunking at coveing and skirting height. they have used no elbow or t joints, no small-to-large connecting pieces, no collars at surface boxes, and no end caps. all joints have been smeared with standard decorators caulk. the end holes, mainly 16x40 trunking, have simply been stuffed with caulk. big gaps everywhere, up to 6mm at some connections. IS THIS IN COMPLIANCE WITH IEE? the wiring itself seems fine.

I am a joiner to trade but work closely with excellent electricians all the time, in commercial and residential properties, and i am sure they would never leave a finish of that kind. I can get 2 fingers inside the trunking at some points, without trying to force them. IS THIS RIGHT?

cheers Gents.

 

[Paul.M]

It falls under IP2x. You should not be able to get a finger in an enclosure. I believe this also stands for trunking. Mechanical protection has not been completely satisfied and needs to be corrected, get the sparky back to finish the job imo.

 

[Silly Sausage]

We need pictures to go in the 'Hall of Shame' thread...please!

 

[somersetsparks]

well although the in stallation sounds like a steaming pile, if it is wired in t+e then I would n ot imagine gaps in trunking are a regs issue, however gaps into enclosures would be.
Shame people like this are allowed to do such crappy work.

 

[hamish mcchlery]

Hmmm, you could be right. what about 'ingress of a foreign object'? I thought gaps had to be less than 1mm. Also is it really kosher to omit endcaps and use a dodd of decoraters caulk instead? Is painters mate insulation and fire rated, cos the trunking material (the pvc) defenitely has to be (brit standards, iv checked that much)?

 

[somersetsparks]

Assuming that Twin and earth has been used (Flat cable, normal for domestic) Then it can be installed without any protection at all, e.g. clipped direct to the wall, so trunking is only reallty a secondary protectiopn, that said I would always use endcaps and spouts for boxes purely to make it neater.
Holes into enclosures are an ip2x issue, if a 'bs finger' can fit in. I think the test is a piece of wire bent at 90 degrees on the end and poked around to see if it can tough live parts or something along those lines.

From an electrical safety point of view without seeing it I would say it would be hard to find serious fault, bhowever if I was the customer I would have them back just to make it look professional.
These sort of people being given 'domestic installer status is a scam. Where I work (albeit not domestic) we would be shot for doing something that didnt look professional.

 

[Octopus]

"These sort of people being given 'domestic installer status is a scam. Where I work (albeit not domestic) we would be shot for doing something that didnt look professional."

How do you know it was done by a "domestic installer"? This could easily have been done by a DIY bodger or someone from another country, or a plumber.

Sweeping generalisations are not helpful to the trade. Shame the original OP doesn't know more.

Maybe its one of those doing rewires for £1200

 

[topquark]

If it's done in PVC/PVC then a bit of a bodge, if it's been done in singles like that then it's a fail IMHO.

 

[somersetsparks]

I Do apologise, you're right, could of been anyone, but whoever it is should come back and fix it.

How do you know it was done by a "domestic installer"? This could easily have been done by a DIY bodger or someone from another country, or a plumber.

Sweeping generalisations are not helpful to the trade. Shame the original OP doesn't know more.

Maybe its one of those doing rewires for £1200

 

[hamish mcchlery]

not only could a BS Finger get in, two of my own beefy flesh and blood ones can, see photo

 

[pennywise]

Rough but I've seen worse lol. Stelmax is good for filling gaps, it's like liquid plastic and bonds PVC, it goes off rock solid and stays white not like chaulk which becomes grubby. I hate seeing trunking in houses however neat!

http://stelmax.co.uk/1961sealant.php

 

[hamish mcchlery]

sorry 4 delay, new to this forum thing,. checkout these photos. iv got about 30 other photos of the other faults. mentalists. consensus is appearing that they may possibly just be meeting the min requirements. theyv come back and caulked everything in site, filled the end gaps (where end caps should be) with a dose of caulk. Do you know if decorators caulk is fire or insulation rated?

 

[Paul.M]

Hamish, are the cables inside the trucking normal grey twin and earth or single coloured wires? Is any of the trunking going through a wall or ceiling to another room or flat?

 

[Silly Sausage]

Thanks for the pics Hamish...that's appalling!

 

[High Tower]

Hi hamish, I'm afraid I agree with the guys too, as long as it's grey sheathed PVC/PVC cables, and the trunking does not breach the fire barrier then there is not a lot wrong with it according to regs, it's just a lot on the rough side, PVC trunking is not a containment System designed for mechanical protection or to be ip rated, it's just a method of fixing and containing cables in place, so as far as the trunking goes it doesn't matter if you can get your arm in!

I'm afraid this is the difference between tradesmen and cowboys