Unbelivable!

[High Tower]

So, popped into a large national estate agents that i work for, to add a couple of sockets for them, simple job, nice and easy with a early finish.

The board was changed and a PIR done in 2010, the companys policy is no codes are acceptable, has to be a clean pass. that in mind have a look at what i came across, the original contractor was a big firm based in Nottingham. no wonder they are always cheper than us!


Cheap crappy CU with 3 blanks missing


Ip Rating compromised


Trunking really has seen better days


6mm2 gas bond on a 100A supply and abandoned switch gear still live


Perfect connections to the time clock!


Is there anything that people wont use a 951 clamp for?

 

[Plonker 3]

Thats only on Wednesdays, usually we wear a nice frock with some fetching stockings.

 

[dan86]

that's terrible! for a company policy that is a clean pass, no codes, they wanna be changing contractors pronto.

and I ACtual lol'd at C1, C1, C1, C1, C ya later!

 

[Midwest]

Your post has prompted me to think how you could maintain the IPX4 rating for the top of the CU, when installing the cables through the top of an insulated CU. Whilst a piece of trunking achieves this, doesn't look very nice or professional. Found an old thread on the subject, which the OP has had no answer to his/her post. Surely the manufacturers have some responsibility here? I know you can install the cables via the back, or mount the CU on aboard, but you can't always do this. What else do you do?

 

[Plonker 3]

Bring the cables through the side.

 

[Engineer54]

Our NIC inspector would hang,draw and quarter us for any one of those defects....how these guys stay in is beyond me.

So much for your NICEIC Approved Contractor theory about superior EICR's!! Looks like that ones out the window then going by this little lot!! ...lol!!

I guess it's all down to the individual assessors, but i still doubt if anything happens when this sort of thing is found!!

 

[Guitarist]

Your post has prompted me to think how you could maintain the IPX4 rating for the top of the CU, when installing the cables through the top of an insulated CU. Whilst a piece of trunking achieves this, doesn't look very nice or professional. Found an old thread on the subject, which the OP has had no answer to his/her post. Surely the manufacturers have some responsibility here? I know you can install the cables via the back, or mount the CU on aboard, but you can't always do this. What else do you do?

Usually very easy to mount a CU on 4 spacers (15mm long plastic conduit pieces are good), then tuck the cables down the back, if using a board isn't practical.

 

[Midwest]

But do you not see what I'm saying. If you purchace a weather proof socket (IP66 or similar), the manufacturer provides a means of termination for the supply cable, to maintain the IP code. A CU is a fairly important peice of kit, and if Hager are doing it why aren't the others. I can feel a letter to my MP coming along!

 

[Engineer54]

But do you not see what I'm saying. If you purchace a weather proof socket (IP66 or similar), the manufacturer provides a means of termination for the supply cable, to maintain the IP code. A CU is a fairly important peice of kit, and if Hager are doing it why aren't the others. I can feel a letter to my MP coming along!

That'll be a waste of ink and paper sure enough!! It'll be straight into file #13!! lol!!

 

[Tim]

Your post has prompted me to think how you could maintain the IPX4 rating for the top of the CU, when installing the cables through the top of an insulated CU. Whilst a piece of trunking achieves this, doesn't look very nice or professional. Found an old thread on the subject, which the OP has had no answer to his/her post. Surely the manufacturers have some responsibility here? I know you can install the cables via the back, or mount the CU on aboard, but you can't always do this. What else do you do?

I asked my napit guy during one of my assesments what he though was the best way under those circumstances, he said fire proof mastic.

 

[Engineer54]

Your all thinking along the lines of using the pressed knockouts. Why, if you need to maintain IP values, not use stuffing glands, they are available for flat cables as well as the normal round cable. OK you need to drill your entries into the CU, but how hard is that?? ...It's not as if you'll need to do this on every CU you install, only those that for one reason or another, requires an IP rating to be maintained!!

 

[rompling]

Proper rough job all round ,have seen loads of commercial jobs like this but at least the board was marked most of my ones were blank !!

 

[ruston]

It's something.... but then, nobody gets taught to think any more either.

Two techs I "met" only this week, working for the business for a few months.... standard reply "It's broken"... me: "So what did you do about that?" .... them (both) : "told you"....... I didn't see the point of getting to the bit that reminds them their job descriptions are to FIX THE F*****G THING! .......properly.

It's a crying shame that most of what's in your photos is simply because some guy couldn't be bothered to "think on" about what he was leaving behind....

And not uncommon.

 

[telectrix]

if the cables are to enter the CU through the top surface, it's 99% they are surface mount, so what's wrong with enclosing the cables in trunking down to the CU?

 

[Elmer BeFuddled]

I also hang on to a selection of cu knockouts to glue over easy accessible holes. Not pretty, but then, neither is what I'm looking at and its safer.

 

[ian.settle1]

Thats only on Wednesdays, usually we wear a nice frock with some fetching stockings.

Stetson, guns and boots at weekends