Quality work by a electrical trainee.....

[-Matt]

I thought you guys may be interested in these pics from a "spark" who did one of these 4 week courses and went straight to self employed!

This was for a house Re-wire, I actually quoted for this job originally but the house owner chose this contractor instead, but then contacted me afterwards to take a look as they were concerned by the work completed.

When I walked in and saw the work, I was truly shocked, it was truly dangerous!
I contacted the Niceic for the homeowner who have now completely Re-wired the house with another contractor under the platinum guarantee.
Original "Spark" is no longer registered, so its good to see the Niceic do take action!

This was apparently a finished job which she has been paid in full for

Anyway have fun with these :

C/U was moved, so quite rightly a switch fuse was installed, not so sure on the insulation methods mind:

Urm...., oh and thats data going behind the C/U there...

Wet pants is always wrapping his pipes around my cables, I know I will wrap my spaghetti around his pipes..

Meter tails and more chased horizontally through wall, not in a safe zone..

Now what is that bare wire for, lets poke it back out of the box...

Expanding foam doesn't seem to be working at fixing the boxes..., oh and that damn bare wire again! and no grommet!

Well the expanding foam wasn't working, lets just leave them hanging...

Its all too much work chopping the boxes into the wall..

Wago boxes are over-rated...

This surely has to be up there with the worst?

 

[SparkyChick]

Response to @SparkyChick:
Some would say that accessories should be fixed only to the fabric of the building.
From your picture, it looks like the accessories are attached to the more solid side of the cupboard, not the flimsy back panel.
As such and taking into consideration that it’s a fitted kitchen (which makes the cupboards virtually part of the fabric of the building), I don’t have a problem with them.
However, others (including assessors) may have.

Surprised you couldn’t fit all the conductors in just one length of trunking?

Don’t like cables fixed under floorboards and above ceilings, as it’s a pain when it comes round to rewiring them.

Thanks hon

I know what you mean about fixing stuff to flimsy panels and I agree. That unit was pretty sturdy and was well fixed, but I understand what you're saying.

In the trunking, 2 x 10mm to/from the CCU (requested for future proofing), 2x2.5mm for the ring and then 2x2.5mm 1 each out of the FCU. It was tight in the straight bits but handling the bends at the T, was almost impossible.

I agree on the cables fixed under boards, that's the only place they were fixed, by virtue of the fact the box requires it.

Thanks for taking the time, it's much appreciated.

 

[TJ Anderson]

SparkyChick, that is really nice quality work. You are also clearly very knowledgeable, much more than many graded sparks IMO, and it seems mad that you won't get a JIB grade with the quals you hold. It's a shame they don't still do the NVQ3 with the knowledge assessment, you would walk it.

I find the constant belittling of short course people rather tiring too as it puts a divide in the forum. I'm a fully qualified sparks and I work in a large firm so there are also many fully qualified idiots lol.

The crux of it is, you never stop learning, so whatever someone's start in the industry is, push to be the very best you can......and in all cases....... better than your colleagues.....which is not hard where I work haha.

 

[SparkyChick]

SparkyChick, that is really nice quality work. You are also clearly very knowledgeable, much more than many graded sparks IMO, and it seems mad that you won't get a JIB grade with the quals you hold. It's a shame they don't still do the NVQ3 with the knowledge assesment, you would walk it.

I find the constant belittling of short course people rather tiring too as it puts a divide in the forum. I'm a fully qualified sparks and I work in a large firm so there are also many fully qualified idiots lol.

The crux of it is, you never stop learning, so whatever someone's start in the industry is, push to be the very best you can......and in all cases....... better than your colleagues.....which is not hard where I work haha.

Thanks TJ

I'm actually on the road to a JIB grade

I've taken the level 3 tech cert exams and passed them all (my motor control knowledge let me down somewhat on the science exam because I've just not done much of it), got one written project to do which contains quite a bit about motor control so I'm learning quite a bit for that.

Working on my NVQ3 portfolio and have my AM2 booked for December

All courtesy of funding by the Welsh Government.

 

[TJ Anderson]

Top Stuff SparkyChick, you'll be Technician Grade in no time!

 

[Deuce]

It's totally about the person, not the course. The only problem with the courses is that they're sold as an instant entry into a well paid job. However disastrous that might turn out to be.

I am completely unqualified. Not just electrically, but in general - I left school at 14. I've never felt limited in what I can do by anything other than a safe knowledge of my own limitations. For example, I have a thread on the go on here right now about whether to isolate or earth a rather unusual piece of kit... There are sparks on here that I know enjoy to mull over such problems in far more depth than I have knowledge to match.

In other areas I sometimes ask for help out of simple recognition that I'm not a spark! Today on site, I bought in a couple of 12hp pumps, motors wired in star. They spun in reverse when I hooked them up to the generator fed supply, despite my knowing the configuration was correct and already tested in my workshop. Somewhere in the miles of cable and/or portable distribution box there were phases wired incorrectly. I asked one of the site sparks if they could check the back through with a phase sequence indicator, or at least check the generator to rule that out. He shrugged and said just swap the phases on the motor... Of course I know that I can do that!!! But as a fairly mature spark he should have known it's correct to maintain correct phase to (in theory) make balancing calculable. He also shouldn't invite me to rewire a 3ph motor and put it back into use! To be fair we both work in an industry where in reality solutions matter more than method. And he probably guessed I could sort it in minutes. I sometimes wonder if my knowledge would be as good if I were trained... Having to work it out alone has made knowledge feel very valuable indeed. And my discipline largely comes from knowing I have to be pretty perfect as I'm so easily criticised if I make a mistake, or even a silly comment, when I can't claim to have even part p to my name.

I'm not good at my job because I've done it for many years. I'm good at my job because I choose to do things that I'm good at naturally. So I conclude that the real problem is the selling of the courses, making it seem as if anyone that fancies a pay rise can have one in just a few weeks. In reality you either are right for a line of work or you are not.

 

[TJ Anderson]

Today on site, I bought in a couple of 12hp pumps, motors wired in star. They spun in reverse when I hooked them up to the generator fed supply, despite my knowing the configuration was correct and already tested in my workshop.

3 windings and a star point. With the phase rotation you had, configuration was incorrect for the rotor direction you wanted. A motor spinning the other way to what you want is still technically correct electrically......just not the way you wanted it . What he did Switching any 2 phases was the right thing to do.

 

[TJ Anderson]

But as a fairly mature spark he should have known it's correct to maintain correct phase to (in theory) make balancing calculable

A 3 phase motor is still a perfectly balanced load no matter what the direction, hence no neutral required.

 

[TJ Anderson]

So I conclude that the real problem is the selling of the courses, making it seem as if anyone that fancies a pay rise can have one in just a few weeks. In reality you either are right for a line of work or you are not.

Don't write yourself off to forever be unqualified, if you have the knowledge then get the quals anyway

 

[MFS Electrical]

How do you know it was someone who had done one of the Domestic Installer courses Matt?

This next bit isn't aimed at all towards you Matt, just in general....

I realise the above install is appalling but it would be nice if there was a bit of a balance between showing good work and bad work. I wonder why people like having a go at others so much, it's like the Jeremy Kyle of electrics sometimes!

Because honestly good work isn’t so entertaining

 

[SparkyChick]

I've never felt limited in what I can do by anything other than a safe knowledge of my own limitations.

That is what's controls me... I know and understand my limitations and am careful not to push too far outside them in one step.

 

[Deuce]

3 windings and a star point. With the phase rotation you had, configuration was incorrect for the rotor direction you wanted. A motor spinning the other way to what you want is still technically correct electrically......just not the way you wanted it . What he did Switching any 2 phases was the right thing to do.

Nope. I later checked another pump of mine on the same generator spinning correctly. The other two in reverse. All three spun correctly on the same feed at my workshop. There was a cable swapping the phases somewhere.

And really, the point was that I invited him over as I wasn't a spark, and he left me to modify the wiring of a 3ph pump!

 

[Deuce]

A 3 phase motor is still a perfectly balanced load no matter what the direction, hence no neutral required.

Yes but you're need to ensure phase conformity across the entire installation to have any hope of balancing overall. On this job there is no hope or control, so it's not really an issue anyway.

 

[TJ Anderson]

Yes but you're need to ensure phase conformity across the entire installation to have any hope of balancing overall. On this job there is no hope or control, so it's not really an issue anyway.

Not sure what you mean there?

The 3Ph motor is a balanced load, it cannot affect the phase balance of the install at all.

 

[Deuce]

Don't write yourself off to forever be unqualified, if you have the knowledge then get the quals anyway

I dont need to be. I always have a spark to hand in the field and nothing leaves my workshop without a consultation at the start of a design and a test at the end.

I'm also mindful of the fact that qualification would be pointless for me, as I don't do the work on a day to day basis, i would never be able to keep up with regulation the way you guys do. I'm perfectly happy to pay for the time of a good, bang up to date spark. I just checked on our accounts software what i spent on professional services last year - it turns out you all owe me a beer..

 

[Deuce]

Not sure what you mean there?

The 3Ph motor is a balanced load, it cannot affect the phase balance of the install at all.

I know. But the different rotation between motors fed from a single source shows that that along at least one cable/distro the phases were swapped. In theory phase continuity should be maintained from the power source, so that all equipment (not just my pumps) can be out on the phase that will equal the best balance overall. The fact one load is by nature perfectly balanced makes no difference to all the 1ph stuff they will connect to each line.