Ring problem - customer dosnt want floorboards up?

[alanl]

I've never come across this before, so need a little advice.
I fitted a new circuit to a kitchen.
In doing that, noticed a few errors in the existing wiring. I fixed all of those, apart from one ring in the living room. 4 sockets on a ring, with one on a spur. Continuity shows a fault on L-L, giving a reading of 15 ohms. Insulation and all other tests are fine.
I changed all the sockets (as they were really old) hoping to find a loose connection somewhere, but unfortunately it looks like it is a loose connection in the junction box for the spur off the ring. This is probably under the floorboards, beneath either a piano or the TV. PITA, but it has to be done.
The problem is, the customer doesnt want me to get the boards up to investigate.
They think everything is fine, as it has worked for years in its present state.

What do I do?
Put a note on the EIC "customer will not allow fixing of ring fault"
Or insist that it is inspected and fixed?

Thanks
Alan.

 

[nickblake]

As Amp david has said easy cert its almost the same as the NIC one but without the NIC LOGO

 

[ian.settle1]

If there's only 4 sockets on the ring and they are in the living room,(Lightly loaded?)...I'd bung 'em on a 20a MCB and treat it as a radial......better than leaving a 32a ring with a break in L-L continuity....You'd obviously still need to note on the cert that a repair of the ring was not carried out with the clients consent.

I wouldn't say 15 ohms is a break in continuity just a high resisitance.

Have you had all the sockets off and checked which leg is causing the high resistance?

Have you had all the sockets off and checked all the terminations?

 

[ian.settle1]

Easier said than done in my experience. When they refuse to sign, but still don't agree for you to fix it.

On the other hand issuing a danger notification along with a letter will make them think about it a little more.

Go to the post office and send it recorded delivery, when they sign for it they can't say later that you never told them.

 

[alanl]

I wouldn't say 15 ohms is a break in continuity just a high resisitance.

Have you had all the sockets off and checked which leg is causing the high resistance?

Have you had all the sockets off and checked all the terminations?

Yes, all sockets have been changed, and resistance measured, it gets higher as I go round, so that's why I said it looks like the faulty part is a junction box under the floorboards, supplying a spur.
I suspect a corroded terminal, which is probably loose too. I have come across two already in this house.
Thanks for all the replies.
Alan.

 

[TPES]

Today I had (L) end to end ringing out with my continuity tester, but when I actually tried to get an end to end reading with my MFT I was getting an open circuit!??? >50.0

My assumption is a loose termination somewhere but then why am I getting my continuity ringing out end to end showing there is a ring... But giving be no reading??

 

[telectrix]

Today I had (L) end to end ringing out with my continuity tester, but when I actually tried to get an end to end reading with my MFT I was getting an open circuit!??? >50.0

My assumption is a loose termination somewhere but then why am I getting my continuity ringing out end to end showing there is a ring... But giving be no reading??

sure your meter was not telling you>50VOLTS,.e.g.energised circuit. if not, retest with multimeter and see if that shows >50ohms. some approved testers bell out at up to 50+ohms

 

[zeljuga]

Most likely bridge early on ring with loose connections .

 

[nickblake]

When i have faults like this i always do as i have mentioed in my earlier post , find it very fast for fault location

 

[Deleted member 9648]

I wouldn't say 15 ohms is a break in continuity just a high resisitance.

Have you had all the sockets off and checked which leg is causing the high resistance?

Have you had all the sockets off and checked all the terminations?

Kinda splitting hairs isnt it?...........15ohms might as well be a break for all the good it is

 

[alanl]

And an happy ending.
Agreed to do the floorboards when they werent there, so they wouldnt see any mess. Took a few minutes to clear the area, rolled back the carpet, and hey presto, the floorboards were loose, took them up, and the junction box was directly underneath,
It didnt look corrorded or loose, but I undid it anyway, put it all back, tested it - 0.11 ohms. Perfect, and very lucky.
Then, I'd said I'd look for any central heating leaks under the floor, as the pressure is going down every 2 or 3 days. Looking a metre to the right of the junction box was a wet patch on the hardcore/foundations. Rolled the carpet back a bit more, and the boards were also loose there, and my lucky day had arrived, the leak was coming from a drain point, which looked like it had only been done up finger tight last time it had been used. Tightened it, and not a drop out in the 2 hours I was there.
It couldnt have gone better!
Ta
Alan.

 

[SMB]

Great result Alan. Nice one.

Are you going to charge them plumbers rates?

 

[glasgowbiker42]

Or you could just point out to them that their house might just burst into flames!

 

[telectrix]

don't you just love it when a plan comes together!