Fircroft Chronicles - Electrics Inspection and Blood Pressure

[a twig]

Everyone will just take the example of my friend, who having completely rewired the house himself (sparky but not Part P), when sale came and he reached the question in the info pack asking "Have there been any wiring alterations during your ownership?" just ticked "No".

[a twig]

I just popped round to my parents before lockdown as they had been having some electrical issues. Found L & N the wrong way round, and a fuse had been replaced by a cut down nail. Also heating controls done in such a way that hot water was only on when central heating was on...

All the above done by a Part P registered sparky and with all the certs, EICs...

[Zebra]

when sale came and he reached the question in the info pack asking "Have there been any wiring alterations during your ownership?" just ticked "No".

I imagine he could have been caught out by a survey which then doesn't look good to the buyers.....
As for a registered sparky creating faults as bad as that - the reverse polarity and the nail, not so much the heating controls, which most electricians wouldn't know how to do anyway - I find that staggering, even though of course it's perfectly feasible.....I wonder if it was a bad employee rather than the registered "competent person" themselves.

[MatthewC]

And now, don't quote me, but I think a new regulation has come in about all rental properties having to be tested every year? No wonder electricians are busy.

Sorry for quoting you!

That annual inspection surely has been the case for gas inspections of rental properties for over 20 years? A plumber I knew actually taught in a college so people could be "Gas Safe" or whatever it is now, but he himself was not authorized to do that inspection unless he paid a subscription of over £2,000!

A rental property (not my own) I looked after was lucky not to be burned down when the tenant left a candle alight on the hearth of the fireplace, and the pencil-thin column of hot air set the mantelpiece above alight (presumably after a long time).

[a twig]

when sale came and he reached the question in the info pack asking "Have there been any wiring alterations during your ownership?" just ticked "No".

I imagine he could have been caught out by a survey which then doesn't look good to the buyers.....
As for a registered sparky creating faults as bad as that - the reverse polarity and the nail, not so much the heating controls, which most electricians wouldn't know how to do anyway - I find that staggering, even though of course it's perfectly feasible.....I wonder if it was a bad employee rather than the registered "competent person" themselves.

Survey was done, when queried he just said the work pre-dated his ownership. Turns out red and black cable etc still widely available in the internet...

Person at my parents was a one man band, complete cowboy it turns out...

[Flyfisher]

Speaking of electrical cowboys, here's a mains plug I found when we moved in. It was connected to a 4-way plug block that had obviously been overloaded to the extent that the fuse had blown and had to be 'fixed' by wrapping it in metal foil, resulting in the high current overheating the plug and the 3-way adapter.
And while you're marvelling at that, take note of the reversed live & neutral wires.
Finally, the observant among you will notice the just-visible cut-off earth wire.
Still, at least the cable clamp seems to have been used correctly.

Plug.JPG (98.05 KiB) Viewed 215 times

[Zebra]

A rental property (not my own) I looked after was lucky not to be burned down when the tenant left a candle alight on the hearth of the fireplace

Yes, what use was all the RCDs, surge protection, annual inspection reports and certification schemes then? Clearly that particular candle installer was not fully qualified and registered to do so, and the installation had not been signed off by a registered member of a competent person scheme.

Flyfisher, that is a superb example of a multilayered f*ck-up.

[Cubist]

Many thanks to all those who posted a reply. The helpful were helpful and the horror stories were terrifying.

Fircroft is an oak timber frame cottage with reed thatch roof first built around 1550 and ground-up restored around 30 years ago. Insurers have demanded a EICR since we took possession and, considering the horrific Re-Build costs, and the get out of jail free cards insurers deal themselves, we have always tried to comply.

All the corrective work now done and I learned a little along the way. Not least that a plastic CU can spontaneously combust. Metal ones can do the same it just take a little longer, but not much, before the house catches fire. Oh, and Separation between circuits means that you don't lose all the services if one circuit pops.

To those that were not specifically asked when taking out the policy or decided not to bother with a EICR... please, please, check the fine print; you may find that your cover is void if you cannot produce one as 'proof that the house has been 'effectively maintained'.

I would like to say that my blood pressure is back to normal but...I'm still arguing with my insurer about the meaning of the term 'Satisfactory'.