Trying my best not to drop another spark in it

[martin mcguinness]

Hiya lads
I was asked to have a look at wiring in a recently installed kitchen as some of the appliances tripping the rcd when on. The kitchen was supplied and fitted by one of the national companies with a bird in its title /logo (shouldn't name and shame overpriced rip off crap). The customer had also bought all the appliances ex display 7 of and 5 of them are faulty but the manufacturers engineers have stated that they are ok nothing wrong with them but ordering parts for them????. I pat tested them and found 4 x n to e faults and 1 l to e fault. Then the wiring of the kitchen. this is where I don't want to drop the guy that done it in the £$&%.
3 x domino hobs all over 2kw each, 1 x single oven 3.6kw, 1 x int micro Combi oven 3.1kw 1 x warming drawer 2.1 kw all on the ring circuit.
The sockets the oven, micro and warming drawer all behind the appliances and plasterboard cut to allow box, faceplate and plug to be sunk in to allow appliances to go right back.
the 3.6kw oven on a 1mm flex and a 13a plug and socket.
the sockets for the domino hobs all under the plinth ( plenty of room in units )
A 6mm t&e at hobs not used. go figure
also he had worked on the heating controls, and altered lighting no rcd protection on circuits.
I have given a price for running new circuits to correctly spread the load and have isolation in accessible places, correctly connect using correct size ant type of switches, isolators etc and renew consumer unit with rcbo's but I think it is unfair for the customer to have to pay again to get done correctly but as I said don't want to drop the guy in it ( he's a commercial spark but not a very good domestic one obviously).
I don't thinks its good practice to criticise an other tradesman to a customer as if we looked hard enough we could pick fault with anything but its hard to shut up and I think he should be paying to have this fixed as he is not capable of doing the rectifications
any opinions and don't hold back
cheers

 

[GBDamo]

DITTO ! has any one approacned the previous sparky in a civilised way and asked him to rectify the faults ?
If not, then it is NOT fair to attack his character.
If the customer decides he does NOT want the previous electriacian involved ? thats a differant matter, and is NOT the previous electricians fault, as he has not had a chance to fix it !

I like how that response feels and its certainly correct legally.

However some of that stuff is so bad I'd struggle to look the fella in the eye let alone allow him another pop at doing it right.

 

[Pete999]

I like how that response feels and its certainly correct legally.

However some of that stuff is so bad I'd struggle to look the fella in the eye let alone allow him another pop at doing it right.

As long as you are doing right Mate, suck it up and move on.

 

[martin mcguinness]

I will email the customer a quote and let them decide

 

[PEG]

I could do with that white-goods expert's number....got loads of tasks,where his once-over,could be a valuable extra...

 

[Markyd]

Ex demo appliances...sounds to me like the client was after a cheap job in the first place......and she got it

 

[Grant1987]

Ex demo appliances...sounds to me like the client was after a cheap job in the first place......and she got it

Best thing to do is give you’re honest professional judgment on the installation before touching it once you commit to the job the responsibility lies with you I’ve come across loads of jobs like this and told customer what is wrong and how to be rectified and finally the cost to do so it’s awful I know for the customer to have to pay out again but I’d rather go home and sleep without a guilty conscious knowing I done the right thing

 

[Midwest]

Re the kitchen install, from the description given, I wouldn't be giving the original sparky consent to cross my house threshold again, let alone be given the opportunity to do the job properly as he should of done in the first place.

I would be advising the customer to have an EICR done on the electrical work. Then, dependant on the contract with the Bird people, seeking redress from them. If the client employed the tradespersons directly, then dependant on the report, consider taking the matter to a small claims court. After all, now the kitchen has been installed, its going to take more time & money to rectify.

Re the appliances, the Consumer Rights Act entitles a customer to a repair,replacement or a refund. Looks like the client has chosen repair.

 

[Taylortwocities]

I will email the customer a quote and let them decide

I seriously suggest that you don’t do that. I know that once you’ve started on looking at something you feel that you have some sort of responsibility to see it through. But, you didn’t cause any of this.
This is going to turn in to a bun fight. It will be a PITA, take ages and cause you sleepless nights.
I hope you have other work that you could do. Walk away.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

I know the appliances are ex-demo but four N-E faults in 7 (presumably different) items? Out of interest, what are they? What were the readings? Is it perhaps a case of sheathed heating elements that have stood around unused and got moisture in, needing a good bake out to bring them up? Maybe that's what the appliance man meant, the items were not faulty in manufacture but for a quick fix he could change the elements?

 

[Toneyz]

This sounds like a kitchen in a large house? It was foolish to install all those appliances onto one ring and certainly not on one rcd as with by their design have leakage to earth.