What would you do?

[grimysparks80]

Went to a call out tonight on my way home. Customer has had an oil boiler fitted but due to missing parts it cant be commisioned untill the weekend.

I am going back on saturday to wire the boiler but was asked to go tonight and connect the immersion heater. When I got there I found that the neutral connection had no thread on it so it couldnt be safely connected up. I didnt have anything on the van that i could use to rig up what I felt would be a safe connection.

The customer was understandably annoyed and demanded that I sort it immediately. Unfortunately it was 6pm so office closed and no managers answering their phones.

After demonstrating the problem to the customer she wanted me to securely wrap the cable around the terminal so that she could have it on for tonight, and then come back tomorrow to sort it properly.

I refused to do this but feel slightly guilty as if I had a similar problem in my own home i would probably be tempted to rig up something a bit "dodgy" untill morning.

 

[Hawk81]

I would not leave something that was not safe in anyone's house. In my own i might have rigged it up for the short time i needed it and kept a close eye on it.

 

[Mark_Burgess]

I think you did the right thing, don't feel guilty about it.

However if you had connected it up and a fire broke out....... you would feel guilty.

 

[Marvo]

I would never feel guilty about refusing to do something unsafe. I just ask myself the question if this went to court for whatever reason could I defend the work I did.

 

[philipb]

You did the right thing,safety first.cold water wont kill her
but a fire would.

 

[grimysparks80]

I know ive done the right thing. Just been a long day and the customer was extremely upset that i wouldnt do her a favour.
Nice to hear it from others tho. Cheers lads

 

[Marvo]

I would send her an email explaining the her safety is your highest priority and you're sorry she was upset about you declining to connect but blah blah blah....and attach the invoice for the visit whilst you're at it.

 

[mattmoo1974]

Let her have a 250v IR test as a tester of what could happen!

 

[grimysparks80]

I would send her an email explaining the her safety is your highest priority and you're sorry she was upset about you declining to connect but blah blah blah....and attach the invoice for the visit whilst you're at it.

Shes getting it done free on a grant and so knows that she can waste as much of my time as she likes.

 

[mattd888]

Its tough, but safety comes first!.....and not your fault.

 

[Marvo]

Shes getting it done free on a grant and so knows that she can waste as much of my time as she likes.

I'm not sure how that works, are you doing charity work or something similar?

 

[grimysparks80]

I'm not sure how that works, are you doing charity work or something similar?

Feels like it sometimes. This was a warmfront job. Customer gets a new heating system for free.

 

[JD6400]

Shes getting it done free on a grant and so knows that she can waste as much of my time as she likes.

Now that puts it in a new light , you should have done your moral duty and just stood her in a bucket of water and got her to hold the pretty brown wire .
Saved us all a packet !
Goes our country !!!!

 

[Marvo]

I think I'm getting the picture.

 

[LlandrilloSpark]

I opened up an electric shower last Sunday after a plumber had connected it, he didn't tighten the neutral enough.....outcome.....high resistance, heat, meltdown, because of a bodged connection, you did the right thing

 

[grimysparks80]

I opened up an electric shower last Sunday after a plumber had connected it, he didn't tighten the neutral enough.....outcome.....high resistance, heat, meltdown, because of a bodged connection, you did the right thing

Yeah. I went to a consumer unit a couple of years ago where the spark hadnt checked the factory connections. Loose neutral and melted consumer unit. Doesnt take them long to go.

 

[telectrix]

nothing to stop the silly moo boiling a kettle or 2. you did right by refusing to make the installation unsafe.

 

[JD6400]

Joking apart you did the right thing , it would have been your insurance not her's !!!

 

[grimysparks80]

nothing to stop the silly moo boiling a kettle or 2. you did right by refusing to make the installation unsafe.

I suggested this but i was being completely unreasonable as her 17 year old son plays football and needs a bath.

 

[telectrix]

can't you just see the headlines in the local rag... " woman dies in house fire caused by bodged electrical work".

 

[rhys1]

You done the right thing, if the customer got a belt, you be down the road, Well done for standing up to them, and do it late on Saturday shes going to moan anyway !!!!

 

[telectrix]

I suggested this but i was being completely unreasonable as her 17 year old son plays football and needs a bath.

he's a teenager, hose him down in the back yard.

 

[millwall ken]

I would not leave something that was not safe in anyone's house. In my own i might have rigged it up for the short time i needed it and kept a close eye on it.

Yes mate, because we're bloody sparkies and would know what to do if it hit the fan. But for Joe Public? No chance.

 

[CHRISMUR]

"Hello grimysparks80",

As All of the other Members have Stated You did EXACTLY the Right Thing.

We should NEVER `Breach` What we KNOW to be the `Regulations` [Unsafe Condition] - Apart from `Protecting` our Customers Lives and Property - WE would be the One`s that are Prosecuted IF anything Goes Wrong.

I have a friend who is an Electrician - He `Did the Customer a Favour` and Wired Up an Immersion Heater Using 2.5mm Twin & Earth - Because the Hot Water Cylinder was Installed by Heating Engineers before the Electrician had Done any Wiring for it - He `Trailed` the Cable Around the House At `High Level` with a Few Clips onto the Door Frames.


After He had Gone - Intending to Return 3 Days Later to Continue a `Partial Rewire` and Correctly Connect the Immersion Heater - A Child of about 6 Years Old Pulled Down the Cable using a Broom [ `Playing`] and then was `Caught` by His Mother about to CUT IT [Try to Cut] using a pair of Scissors ! !


The Mother Realised that Her Son was Close to probably `Killing Himself` - And Although the Child could have `Chosen` the Electric Kettle Lead - The TV Lead - Or ANY Other Electrical [Live] Lead in the House - IMAGINE what would have Happened to MY Friend - A `Fully Qualified` and Registered Electrician IF the Child had DIED because He `Cut Into`the `Temporary Cable` ! !

You might think that THIS is an `Unusual Situation` - BUT - Is It ?? - How many Times have We ALL Created a `Temporary Cable Connection` ?? - For Various Reasons - This `Temporary Cable Connection` for an Immersion Heater I have seen `More Times than I can Remember` !

"Well Done" in `Doing the Right Thing`.


Regards,


CHRISMUR

 

[telectrix]

you could have fixed it the builders method. connect the neutral wire to the earth terminal. that would work temporarily. you'd have to bypass the RCD with a couple of bits of 1.0mm though. (and in case anybody thought i was serious, my your god help you)