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. continue

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. continue

We have voted on the winner of the 2009 Cowboy Of The Year Award. As always we find that reviewing the photos of poor workmanship, unsafe situations and everything in between only reminds us that there are those out who don’t give a damn about hurting people. The hurt is sometimes only financial but in many cases the poor workmanship is very much a booby trap that can harm, maim or kill without notice.

We choose the Cowboy Of The Year Award based on a few factors. The first is always safety, the second is the camouflage factor or the level to which the bodge is hidden away and the third factor is the cost of the damage caused or the cost to repair the bodge. So for example this year we had a close contest between the winner and a poor plumbing & central heating job that cost thousands to put right. The runner up however was not as much unsafe as inconvenient and costly to repair. This years winning bodge was UNSAFE, well hidden and costly to put right!

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Location: Droylsden, Manchester, Lancs

Date: Nov 2009

Description: This kitchen was being made over by the homeowner and his son, a qualified joiner. They started the kitchen with good intentions but ran into issues straight away with the gas. A punctured gas pipe was sorted by National Grid but they sought extra help after that. We came in and after a look decided on the course of action. Gut the kitchen and start again! continue

DANGER OF THE WEEK AWARD

Bad Electricians

The original remit here was to move some sockets around a kitchen that was being renovated by the homeowner. It was soon apparent that moving things around wasn’t the answer. The changes to the circuits would require a new circuit of it’s own and also require RCD protection. When we arrived to remove the existing wiring from the kitchen we were surprised when the cables ran down the wall to what was once the base of a fireplace. The cables then ran along the top of the base. They had been screeded with a few millimeters of concrete, had no mechanical protection and had a heavy cooker sat on top of them! It got worse to! continue

Location: Chadderton, Oldham, Lancs

Date: Oct 2009

Description: Our client wanted to replace an old combi boiler which had died a long and painful death. The old boiler was located under a stairway and not a good location for ongoing maintenance. The home owners wanted it relocated further down the wall towards the kitchen. The boiler was also set at a height that would be easy to hide in a cupboard when the kitchen gets remodeled next year. continue

Location: Canal Street, City Centre,  Manchester, Lancs

Date: Sept 2009

Description: We visited this flat when the previous tenants (original article here) flooded the property by installing their own dishwasher improperly. Unfortunately the landlord did not take up the floor at the time as suggested. The moisture stayed in the floor trapped between the foam underlay and the 3/4 inch wood flooring causing mold issues between the floors and a really bad smell. continue