The other very irritating thing is - that the electrician that was on site at the time, made the decision to replace the cable without calling his office first for authorisation to do so.
Of course they now (later) want to sting me for the cost as he let slip.
If you didn't authorise the work don't pay. The electrician or their employer is supposed to consult you over any addtional work that has not been previously agreed.
Are there any rules or regs i can quote which would indicate that after identifying the cable was in the cavity, It would have been not reccommended or unsafe to re use. Perhaps cavity wall insulation??
Are there any rules or regs i can quote which would indicate that after identifying the cable was in the cavity, It would have been not reccommended or unsafe to re use. Perhaps cavity wall insulation??
Insulation will depend on whether the cable is safe to carry the current, so would need to know length of cable and load it is supplying and protective device rating.
I would be looking at requirements regarding mechanical stresses/strains
Regs 522.8.1, 522.8.4 and 522.8.5.
Well I think the question has been answered if not directly.
Don't! (reuse)
Reroute it. But it is not a decision your electrician should take without your approval.
As RF says, the cable was there and it got damaged and that's that.
It was common to put cables in cavities, and even today electricians (unwisely) do this if it makes their life easier.
The chances are whoever replaces/repairs the cable will do the same again.
Yes it's not right.
But loads of people out there do it.
I have to say hitting a cable in a cavity is hard to do. Usually it bounces out of the way. If using a core drill one would try to see if there was anything in the way after drilling through the first skin (if the hole is big enough).
Chances are, had the cable been buried in the plaster in a safe zone, you still may have drilled through it if it was not totally obvious that it was in a safe zone.
Accept the damage has been done. These things happen.
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