DANGER OF THE WEEK AWARD

Bad ‘Electricians’

Regulations broken: BS7671:2008 Reg 526.6, 530.4.1; 421.7, 526.5; 416.2.1; 514.1.2; 514.14.1

How many safety issues can you count here? Whatever the count is there are more issues here than we photographed. What you can see here is the (connector strips or chocolate block) that is uncovered and LIVE! This area under the homeowners stairs is where the children store their toys and bike helmets! But wait! There’s more.

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The home owners wanted to remove the old tongue and groove wall that was covering in the area under the stairs. The problem was that over the years, about fifty years, old power cables and subsequent new power cables had been clipped direct to that same wall and the timber frame holding up the wall. Our job was to trace each wire and then re-route them to the back wall where they could be hidden behind a dry lined wall we will be putting up next week.

What we found was a series of wiring issues ranging from underrated connector strips, uncovered (as pictured) connector strips, a few nails that had been driven into floorboards and through the cables beneath them, and two live cables with nothing but a wrap of white tape keeping the children safe.

All in a days work for us. We traced each cable and clipped them off upstairs and then drilled out proper routes for the cables to run away from the flooring nails. We also extended a few other cables we located so that the cables ran in one piece from the source at the consumer unit to the destination. Much better than having several lengths of cables being spliced together with a dozen connector blocks. And finally we clipped back those two live cables we found hanging out of the ceiling under the stairs and fixed a secure covered connector.

And the last items we found while sorting out the cables in the consumer unit was an unhooked neutral connector to the house ring main! We sorted that out too. Has anyone noticed that this property has two main fuses before the meter? That’s because one of the fuses is feeding the neighbours property through a conduit in the wall. We checked that property too and sure enough the feed comes through the wall runs into another main fuse and then to the his meter.

Next week we’ll build a proper cover over the consumer unit and dry line the back wall ready for skimming.

Related posts:

1. Little Shop Of Horrors
2. Concrete Coated Cooker Cables
3. Well Soaked Electrical Connections

DANGER OF THE WEEK AWARD

Bad DIY ‘Electricians’

Regulations broken: BS7671:2008 Reg 411.3.1.2

While chatting with the owner of a local plumbing shop earler this week we were sked if we could sort out a small issue. One of the circuit breakers trips every time they turned on the wall mounted heater. We ha a quick look to see what we could see. YIPES!! We wish we hadn’t looked.

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So down to the cellar we go. The pictures above show the story better than we could ever try to describe it. You will find exposed live and neutral conductors almost everywhere. You’ll also see many uncovered connector blocks dangling from the ceiling. Watch what you back into! As it turns out only one of the consumer units (fuse board) is hooked up and it’s the bottom six way distribution board that is running the entire store upstairs.

Between the  showroom lighting, warehouse lighting, all heating, computers and various other stuff plugged in there is little wonder that breakers are tripping. To further complicate matters we also discovered (surprise, surprise) that the store owner wired everything up by himself. I pointed out a few MAJOR issues as seen in the final two pictures above.

The kitchen extractor display has been wired directly to the 32amp ring circuit with the live, neutral and earth cable pushed through the sharp metal vent slats near the top of the display. At the time this photo was taken we already knew that the earths weren’t hooked up correctly in the cellar. In fact the main bonding runs to the two disused units!

So after finding lots of spurs feeding spurs feeding more spurs amongst the other highlighted issues we’ve recommended starting from scratch with a new larger split consumer unit thus allowing us to break the store up into manageable chunks. Also with all of these live displays being handled and touched by clients all day long it is critical to get it all right the first time.

If you fry someone to death in your home, office or shop and it turns out it’s your fault you’re on the hook. It should be mentioned as well that any insurance policies you have to cover such accidental injuries won’t be worth the paper it’s printed on. You’ll lose your business, your savings and perhaps a lot more than that. All of the wiring shown above is probably only a half day to sort out properly. Not as bad as one might think. Certainly cheaper than a solicitor or an undertaker I’d say.

Related posts:

1. Salford Landlord Licence Scheme Works
2. ISOLATE before you INVESTIGATE
3. The Light That Never Was

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After getting no response from the installers she called Worcester for some advice and they told her (based on what she told them) that the condensate pipe was not hooked up correctly. She then called the installers again to try and get satisfaction and to date has received nothing.

So she contacted us for some advice. Without seeing the job for ourselves it is difficult to take in the surroundings, locations of suitable waste outlets for the condensate and the like. We can however give some guidance as highlighted in the building regulations and the Worcester boiler installation manual. We also noted that the current condensation waste runs into a cast iron rainwater down spout.

In order to get a higher efficiency boiler compared to older cast iron boilers designers extract as much of the heat energy as reasonably possible from the exhaust before it leaves the boiler via the flue to the outside. The downside of this heat extraction has been the creation of a large amount of condensation which is in fact just waste water. Acidic waste water. This condensation waste water drains back through the flue and internal pipe work inside the boiler and in most cases is collected in a bottle trap. The trap ensures that flue gases don’t escape into the house as well as allowing the water to collect until there is enough to eject.

The waste water is released out through the condensate trap an into the waste pipe work supplied and installed by your installer. Most boilers will connect directly to a 22.5mm overflow pipe work directly and this is one of the main reasons we believe installers use the narrow pipe and don’t increase the size. It’s too easy not to. Another issue we find and have to repair on a regular basis is that some installers make up their own ways to connect up the pipe work instead of following the prescribed methods. We’ve even seen overflow pipes shoved between roof slates!

The building regulations are sometimes difficult to comply with but there is always a way to do it correctly. This article [ CLICK HERE ] shows five diagrams showing the methods that are prescribed by most manufacturers and the building regulations. Another method not mentioned in the article is the use of a condensate pump. The pump is used in areas were there are no nearby waste pipes to connect to or where the waste pipe work is located higher than the boiler such as a basement or cellar. Here are a couple of examples of where we have used pumps. Boiler located in cellar Boiler located in middle of house with no waste pipe work nearby

As for how to run condensate pipe work our first choice would be keeping the pipe work inside the property to eliminate the possibility of freezing. The pipe work should have a continual fall from the boiler to the waste using gravity or you could use a condensation pump. The second choice would be to run the pipe work outside and into an existing foul water waste pipe or gully. The third choice would be a connection to a soakaway. The soakaway however should only be used if no other choice can be found.

So what is the answer to this particular situation? We see a couple of issues right away. The waste pipe exits the building underneath the boiler and runs towards the cast iron rainwater down spout. We can see two connectors on the down spout so can only assume that the first connector wasn’t low enough thereby causing the water to backup and sit in the horizontal pipe where it would surely freeze. I find it interesting that the the second connection is only a bit lower and that an elbow was used to plug into it. Also note that the original connector is still attached! As the pipe work also exits into a cast iron pipe the acid from the condensation water will corrode the metal away. To finish off, the choice to connect to a grey water (rain water) down spout is not a good choice. That down spout may not drain into the foul water waste and so the acidic water could eventually get into the water table. We don’t fancy drinking that! It may be in the case of this house that a better solution would have been run the condensate pipe into the bathroom waste with regular pipe work or with the use of a condensate pipe.

Clearly there are issues to be sorted at the moment as the condensate pipe work is not hooked to anything and appears to be hanging free and dripping onto the roof.

Related posts:

1. Boilers Won’t Freeze…If Installed Correctly

DANGER OF THE WEEK AWARD

Bad DIY ‘Electricians’

Regulations broken: BS7671:2008 Reg 411.3.1.2

We showed up to a plumbing call on Friday afternoon to install the hookups for a new washing machine. We knew that we would have to create a cold water feed and a new waste hookup. While getting ready to cut into the water pipe work we spied the earth cable shown below!

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Sitting under the cabinet in poor light I did a double take as the earth bond to the water pipe didn’t look correct. A closer inspection showed that the cable had indeed been cut. It didn’t break loose or work itself loose…it was cut.

As the gas pipe work in this property is not earthed either the cut cable left the house with all metal pipe work  in a position where they could go live in the event of an electrical fault.

We’ve seen too many of these main earth bond cables in the past where someone cuts the cable to do some work but then never re-connects the cable back to the earth clamp when finished. The cowboy indicator that the cable will never be hooked up again is the fact that it’s cut! Anyone who intended to re-connect a cable would just disconnect the cable with a screwdriver and not cut it. The cable is after all only connected to the earth clamp by way of a slot head screw.

The correct tool for the correct job. Don’t use a side cutter to remove an earth cable. Use a screwdriver and re-connect it when you’re finished. It could just save someone’s life or in this case your 81 year old grandmother’s life.

Related posts:

1. Cut Earth Cables By Kitchen Fitters
2. Bathroom Electrics With A European Flavour

DANGER OF THE WEEK AWARD

Bad DIY ‘Gas Engineers’

Regulations broken:

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 : PART B Gas Fittings – General Provisions(Qualification and supervision, Materials and workmanship, General safety precautions, Protection against damage, Existing gas fittings) / PART E: Gas Appliances – Flues/ Regulation H1 – Paragraph 1.14

While working on a re-wire last week we spied this pooly installed boiler across the alley from where we were working. Our first impression was that it was installed with much haste and with little background knowledge. After speaking with the tenant all was confirmed.

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The previous boiler had packed up and after months with no heat or hot water the tenant finally pushed hard enough that something happened. Somebody showed up, ripped out the old system, banged up the new one in a  few hours and legged it!

The tenant doesn’t know any better and of course doesn’t really care. Why? Well they had no heat and no hot water before the replacement and now have both. Gas safety certificates had never been issued to the tenant who didn’t even know what a safety certificate was!

This install shows clearly how NOT to install a flue and certainly how NOT to finish the brickwork. The open brickwork can allow for flue gases to be pulled back into the property if the conditions are correct. Also, the smashed, cracked and open brickwork also allows water and snow to enter the building. This moisture gets inside the building and can cause dampness issues.

The condensate pipe is draining straight onto the roof. The acidic nature of the condensate waste will help eat away the roofing material. Interesting that the installer actually used the correct sized waste pipe though.

Related posts:

1. Frozen Boilers; Coming Soon To A Town Near You
2. Boilers Won’t Freeze…If Installed Correctly
3. Gas Fire Spillage = Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

DANGER OF THE WEEK AWARD

Bad DIY ‘Electricians’

Regulations broken: BS7671-2008; Regulation 543.3.2; 514

We were asked to undertake an electrical Periodic Inspection Report (PIR) last year for a client who was moving out of their property in Salford and then renting it. We completed the PIR and sent along the report which also includes our easy read version of urgent items that need putting right quickly. We heard back that the property had been rented but we could not gain access to make the repairs. So…a year on we receive another call…this time more panicky. Salford council gave the landlord a year to get the PIR and repair any inadequacies. The PIR was obtained but they never called us back to sort out the inadequacies.

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Please remember that a PIR is just that. It’s an inspection that highlights issues involving the electrical system versus the regulations and that’s it. It is not an automatic passing grade for your property and in the case of Salford Council it won’t just go away. If the inspection highlights safety issues that require sorting out then those issues will need to be sorted out.

In the case of this property the issues were caused, we think, by the previous owner of the property. They chose to install metal light switches throughout the property. Unfortunately they chose to earth some switch plates and not others. In some cases the earth cable was not heavy enough and not of the correct material. And finally the biggest indicator of cowboy workmanship, the over use of yellow tape which seemingly makes everything okay.

We sorted the earthing out in about a half hour and replaced the bits of yellow wrapped wire with 1.0mm solid copper wire covered with the properly coloured and gauge of earth sleeving. We also added the missing sleeves that identify the neutral cable as live.

Related posts:

1. Salford Landlord Licence Scheme Works
2. ISOLATE before you INVESTIGATE
3. Abracadabra…Earth Bond Be No More

DANGER OF THE WEEK AWARD

Wave after Wave after Wave of Bad ‘Electricians’

Regulations broken:

One of our clients rang us a couple of weeks ago to do a few minor electrical jobs in a new house he had purchased to rent out. The property is located in Salford, Manchester and a license is required before the new owner can rent the property. In order to get that license one of the items Salford Council requires is a Periodic Inspection Report or PIR. We went over to undertake that inspection and were surprised at just how many faults we found.

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The owner who wasn’t aware that he had issues brought in a decorator before us to paint, lay new carpet throughout and replace the kitchen work surfaces. They also used their ‘electricin’ to install a wall mounted electric heater to the kitchen. It would seem that although they didn’t have a clue as to what they were doing electrically they at least knew better than to try and connect the electric hob to the cooker circuit once they had the work surface replaced . In fact they didn’t know better! They just couldn’t squeeze another copper conductor into the cooker spur as there was no more room. The reason there was no room for the 6mm copper conductor was that there was already two 2.5mm cables and a 1.5mm flexi cable in the way. One of the 2.5mm radial was feeding a double socket further down the wall and the other 2.5 radial was feeding a single spur that was in turn feeding another single spur beside it. They were both located under the basin cabinet. The 1.5mm flexi cable was feeding a kitchen extractor and was not fused down to the required 3amp but was running directly of the 32amp breaker that was feeding the spur. Dangerous!! The cooker spur also had a single socket built into it.

So fortunately for everybody involved we were called in to carry out the PIR as well as look at the hob and cooker issue. When we went in to see what was going on we found all the faults as mentioned above along with more than sixty other issues mostly requiring urgent attention. On the other side of the kitchen the three double sockets were not in fact on a ring circuit as we expected. All three sockets were spured off each other and were in turn being fed from a radial circuit which we traced back to the circuit that the decorator’s mate (the cowboy electrician) had hooked up to and found that it too was a radial which in turn ran back to the rear lounge and that was fed from the front lounge and then the hallway before returning back to the consumer unit where is was fed by a 32amp breaker. That same 32amp breaker also fed another cable which fed the upstairs sockets in yet another radial circuit. YIPES! Ten double circuits on the downstairs radial and four doubles upstairs in a radial arrangement on a 32amp breaker.

The problems got worse from there as we worked through the entire property and the consumer units themselves. In the end there was no way this house was going to pass any type of inspection, unless carried out by a decorator perhaps, so we worked out the cost to repair and make safe.

We’ve been on site here for two days and started by adding the missing main protective bonding conductor from the water installation pipe, removed both old consumer units which were cracked and broken and started from scratch. Once we added the new consumer units we worked through each circuit first visually inspecting each connection (i.e. light switches, single and double sockets, light fixtures, switched spurs) and then after making remedial repairs to make sure that everything conforms to today’s standards we tested all circuits (dead testing) to confirm they were safe before connecting them up and live testing. We also removed all traces of the radial circuit from the kitchen and added an RCD protected ring to feed the newly placed doubles throughout the room and the fan assisted cooker. The hob was connected to the original spur after it was cleaned up and tested.  The old under protected radials feeding upstairs and downstairs were tested, separated by floor and each was fed by an RCD protected breaker of 20amp to ensure safe operation.

This property has no gas service and all heating is provided via electric storage heaters on an Economy 7 service. The owner also wanted to add one more heater to the system but there were no spare ways available. The immersion heater located in the loft was also running on the low tariff at night and had a boost for daytime. We sorted out the boost circuit when we were working on the other consumer unit. The overnight immersion heater however was fused directly to a 40amp breaker with no isolator! We have since added the required isolator and dropped the fuse to a more reasonable 20amp rating. We have also had to make remedial repairs to most of the storage heater spurs. Some of the surface mount boxes had the flexi cables routed through the top of the box and the flexi cables had not been installed correctly.

I hear people putting down the councils all the time regarding these licenses and inspections and I’ve even had a moan too but without this inspection the property was unsafe and no one would have know better. Is this the kind of property  you want one of your relatives to live in? Perhaps your daughter who is renting while in University? I think not!  So you can say what you want about Salford Council requiring licenses in order to let out your property but in this case it has saved a potential disaster. It would seem that the ‘decorator electrican’ or ‘decortrician’ did not check the circuits before during or after the heater was installed. If he had the test equipment and knew how to use it he would have seen something wrong as soon as he tried to confirm continuity on the suspected ring main. Alarm bells would have rung in his head and he would have investigated like we did. There were many signs of shoddy work before the decortrician showed up too. Perhaps the joiner even had a go!

The house is now electrically safe with the proper accessories in the appropriate area. It cost the home owner more than he originally planned but as he said ‘there will be no issues here for years to come and he and I will both sleep better at night.’  It’s true! It’s true!

Related posts:

1. Kitchen Kooker Spur Spurned
2. Salford Landlord Licence Scheme Works – Part 2
3. Gas Hob Switch Plate Heater Horror – Part 2

1. If you haven’t yet unpacked the new appliance move it nearby to the opening where it is to be installed to help you avoid damage to the floor surface.
2. Remove the packaging and clear it out of the way and then untangle the power cable and discharge/waste pipe which are usually coiled up to the rear of the unit.
3. Locate the new filler hose (check to make sure that the rubber washer is in place) which is usually located inside the unit and connect it to the male inlet connector located on the back of the appliance. NOTE: Most washers unless specifically ordered come with only one hose that will connect it to the cold water supply. If your old unit had a cold and hot water connection I would advise capping off the old hot water pipe if it is not to be used. The reason is that most  isolators are prone to leaks after many years. If they leak with the appliance in place it could cause water damage for a long period before it gets noticed. You can purchase a cap with a rubber washer to screw onto the end of the isolator.
4. With the appliance pushed up close to the opening leaving enough room for you to slide into and make the connections.
5. You will need to connect the waste outlet to the same location that the old waste pipe was connected to. Usually connected under the kitchen basin or nearby. If the old appliance waste pipe was connected to a hose connector which had a hose clamp installed onto it make sure the clamp is transferred to the end of the new hose and is tightened.
6. Connect the fill pipe (do not cross thread and check to MAKE SURE that the rubber washer is in place or suffer damage like this) to the cold water isolator and make sure that both ends are tightened. If you have purchased a twin feed appliance you will also need to attach the hot water feed pipe too. Also make sure not to over tighten the connections at either end as the nuts are almost always made of nylon these days and will split and leak if overtightened. Connections should be snug.
7. Before testing your connections make sure that you have a washing up bowl or other way to catch a bit of water if you have a leak or have to disconnect one of the hoses. Also make sue you have some absorbent rags to help if you have a leak. I use old bath towels as rags on a day-to-day basis. They are really absorbent!
8. Once the connections are made it is advisable to turn the cold water supply on SLOWLY and check for leaks. If required do the same thing for the hot water supply. If you have no leaks then move on to the next step. If you have a leak then stop, check your connections and that you have the rubber washers installed and check that connectors are tight and not cross threaded. Once the leak is sorted move on to the next step.
9. You may now connect the waste pipe and the electrical connection and get ready to test the unit before pushing it into the opening.
10. With a final check to make sure all packaging has been removed from inside the unit, all connections made and the water turned on it’s now time to turn the appliance on and test one more time for leaks.
11. Start a wash cycle so that the unit fills up with water. Once the unit is filled with water it’s time to stop the cycle and then set it to drain. You’ll have to read the instructions for each model to find out how to do this.
12. I usually run a couple of fill and empty cycles before I’m satisfied that there are no leakage issues. It’s now time to push the unit into the opening.
13. You must ensure that as you push the unit into the opening that none of the connection hoses or power cable are pinched in between the appliance and the surrounding carcass. You could remove the plinth from below the cabinets to aid you in reaching the hoses and cables and keeping them out of harms way. Don’t skip this step!
14. Slowly work the appliance back inside the empty space until the front of the unit is lined up with the existing cupboard doors. Depending on the type of appliance will depend on what you have to do next.
15. FREE STANDING: If your appliance is free standing then all that is required is to is to put your level on the top and screw the legs up or down to level the appliance. You should also put a level on the front of the unit to make sure that the unit is sitting level from front to back as well as side to side. This unit is ready to use.
16. FULLY INTEGRATED: This type of unit has a full sized door fitted to it so it is completely hidden behind the door panel. The controls are mounted on the top edge of the door and when closed the unit looks like any other cupboard door. These units come with a template to help you find the attachment points and locate the spots to put the screws into place. I always advise a dry run before you start drilling or screwing bits to the panel. Mark everything with a marker and then hold the door in place by hand to judge whether your measurements are correct. If correct carry on and mount your door panel. Check that the door lines up with the doors on either side and that the gap between the doors is the same on both side and parallel from top to bottom. You may have to make minor adjustments with the leveling legs.
17. PARTIALLY INTEGRATED: This unit has a door that mounts onto the front appliance cover but the control panel is still on display. The door panel is mounted using a series of brackets so that the door is attached without any screws showing.  These units come with a template to help you find the attachment points and locate the spots to put the screws into place. I always advise a dry run before you start drilling or screwing bits to the panel. Mark everything with a marker and then hold the door in place by hand to judge whether your measurements are correct. If correct carry on and mount your door panel. Check that the door lines up with the doors on either side and that the gap between the doors is the same on both side and parallel from top to bottom. You may have to make minor adjustments with the leveling legs.
18. If your unit is of the integrated type of unit there is one more step to undertake. The appliance must be securley mounted to the underside of the countertop or worksurface and in most cases there is a spot on the inside of the the dishwasher to mount a side screw through to the carcuses on either side. The installation manual will be the deciding factor as to where the screws go. Please check the manual for your model.

That’s it! You should have a fully or partially integrated dishwasher or a freestanding dishwasher installed, leak free and ready for years of service.

Related posts:

1. Fully Integrated Dishwasher Install
2. Don’t Use Duck Tape To Repair Leaks

DANGER OF THE WEEK AWARD

Bad Relatives Who Think They’re Gas Fitters

Regulations broken: The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 : PART B Gas Fittings – General Provisions(Qualification and supervision, Materials and workmanship, General safety precautions, Protection against damage, Existing gas fittings)/PART D Installation Pipework (Safe use of pipes, Enclosed pipes, Testing and purging of pipes)/PART E Gas Appliances (Gas appliances – safety precautions, Testing of appliances)

We received a call this week and asked for a price to replace a gas fire with a ‘like-for-like’ unit. Our response is always the same. We must always view the existing current gas fire and the unit intended to take it’s place before making further comment. When we viewed the existing fire the next day our immediate response was to disconnect it due to safety issues. The gas fire was spilling. In lay terms that means that the products of combustion are ’spilling’ into the room. To further aggravate the issue the fire surround was covered with some sort of stick on vinyl product which had over the years also melted!

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So as seen from the pictures above the black stains that are emanating from the top of this fire are sure signs of spillage. Further to that issue we were also informed that the fire had recently been serviced and the ‘man’ who serviced it told her she should only use the fire for short periods of time. WHAT!?!? As I asked more questions I was  informed that the fire had originally been installed by a relative who was not a gas fitter. I slid the fire forward to look into the catchment space behind the fire and found that it was full of soot and had not been cleaned out in a long while. Also, and only another gas fitter would probably notice this; there were no signs that a flue flow test had been carried out recently. In other words there is usually signs of spent smoke pellets or that the soot has been disturbed if someone had actually been servicing the fire properly.

So on to the gas pipe which rises out of the crazy paving style hearth. It is a chrome gas tube and in most instances would not be an issue. In this case however the question that begs to be asked is where is the other end of the tube hooked up? As you can’t solder chrome pipe the assumption being made right now is that it has been fed into an old gas restrictor which is dangling under the floorboards or that it has been compression fitted to the old gas pipe work. Either way it is likely wrong, unsafe making it prone to leakage. There is also no isolation valve or any other way to turn this fire off in case of emergency or gas leak.

So we have a long list of safety issues to sort out. To start with the fire has been made unusable until we can remove it and install the new one. Of course we won’t install the new one until such time as all of the other issues we’ve found have been dealt with.

The building regulations are not a list of items put in place to complicate peoples lives and make life miserable. The rules are put in place to keep the general public safe. Please remember that the general public also includes your children, your mother your sisters and brothers. No one wants to see someone killed due to faulty equipment or faulty installation.  As I have pointed out to many unqualified gas fitters who install gas appliances over the years. How do you check to see if the appliance is working correctly? With no test equipment and no training you better hope the appliance was not manufactured on a Monday or Friday! I’ve had brand new appliances that have to be sent back or have parts replaced due to safety issues.

The gas fire shown here is being used by an infirmed elderly lady. She has no other source of heat except this fire in the rear lounge and another gas fire in the front lounge. Both fires are well over twenty five years and full of soot, hair and dust. She’s been told that they are safe and believes the person who told her this. We’ve told her the truth. This fire is not safe! It is disconnected.

Related posts:

1. More Poorly Installed Boilers
2. Ex-Husband Home Made Fire Basket and Flue
3. Radiant Fire To Coal Insert Fire

DANGER OF THE WEEK AWARD

Bad Electrical

Regulations broken: BS 7671:2008 – Regulation 134.1.1 + Regulation 522.6.1 + Regulation 522.6.6 + Regulation 412.2.4.1 + Regulation 526.9 + Regulation 526.5

So what does the poor erection of electrical cables have to do with a hammer, a nail and a big bang? Lots if the cable has been erected in such a way that it endangers life, limb and property. So I’ll again try and hammer home the idea of installing cables within permitted and safe routes.

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The pictures above say it all. The tenant in this property decided that they wanted to run an extension lead to a new fridge. The tried to tack it to the wall in an area that should have been safe. They managed to get the first nail into the wall but when they tapped in the second nail; BANG! The nail made contact with a then hidden live wire.

After we isolated the electricity we started to dig around the scorched area to locate the source of the problem. We quickly came upon two PVC sheathed cables (2.5mm twin and earth) laying on their sides (flat edge not to the wall but facing the floor), stacked one on top of each other and only 1mm behind the plaster. The cables appeared to run to the double socket that can be seen to the left side of the tile work. When we removed the socket to check we also found that the PVC sheathing from the T&E cable were stripped back beyond the metal back box.

See the correct and safe location to run cables here.

So the question is why put so much effort doing it wrong when it could have been done correctly. For the same cost of material the original work could have been done correctly and satisfied all building regulations. If the original installer had run the ring main cables straight up from the metal double back box to the ceiling and then ran his cable across the top of the wall within 150mm of the ceiling he would have satisfied Reg 552.6.6. Had the installer run the two cables flat edge to the wall and side by side and clipped them properly he would have satisfied Reg 134.1.1 and Regulation 522.6.1. Had the installer made sure that a rubber grommet was installed in the metal back box for the PVC cable sheath to pass through and made sure that the PVC sheath was fully inside the box  before the cable cores were exposed then everything would have been safe.

So as always we see that the job could have been done correctly and the only thing physically missing from this job was one or two rubber grommets at a cost of approximately .02 pence each. The problem was lack of understanding. That lack of understanding kills and maims people everyday.

By just following the Cable Route chart above most of the above safety issues would have been eliminated.

Related posts:

1. Bad Electrical…The Good Ol’ Days
2. Lawless and Grommet
3. Danger of the Week Award – Cowboy Electricians