Electric Installation Queries

[cwcw]

I want some work doing on my electrics but over the years of living here I've noticed a few issues with the set up and was hoping for views on how big the issues are in terms of safety and cost to resolve by an electrician. I can then get them to fix the issues alongside the extra work I want.

As background, the setup is how we inherited it when we moved in a few years ago. Upstairs was rewired by previous owner in 2006 - we have the cert. They also earthed the lighting circuits and had a new consumer unit as part of that. So here goes:

- The upstairs sockets are not on the RCD protection.

- There are 3 lighting circuits, none are RCD protected but 1 of them (kitchen) has an extractor fan and outside light wired on it.

- One room downstairs has its sockets on 2 circuits - both have to be turned off at the consumer unit for the sockets not to work.

- The hall and landing lights have their earth cable snipped short so the switch cannot be earthed. Other lights on the same circuit have earth connected switches but are they really earthed if the whole circuit isn't?

- Downstairs sockets and lights are still on old wiring colours. Doesn't bother me but don't want an electrician to insist on rewiring it.


Thanks in advance.

 

[EFLImpudence]

- The upstairs sockets are not on the RCD protection.
- There are 3 lighting circuits, none are RCD protected but 1 of them (kitchen) has an extractor fan and outside light wired on it.
- One room downstairs has its sockets on 2 circuits - both have to be turned off at the consumer unit for the sockets not to work.

Not a problem.

- The hall and landing lights have their earth cable snipped short so the switch cannot be earthed.

Poor practice cutting them.
They can be extended if you have metal switches - which you shouldn't have at the moment.

Other lights on the same circuit have earth connected switches but are they really earthed if the whole circuit isn't?

They may be. Can't tell from here.

Downstairs sockets and lights are still on old wiring colours. Doesn't bother me but don't want an electrician to insist on rewiring it.

Of course they won't.
What difference do you think the colour makes?
It's the copper coloured part that counts and that will be the same.

 

[cwcw]

Thanks for the response.

One of the things I want doing is a new outside light. I want two, so I was thinking I'd just split the existing spur with an exterior junction box but then I read that as they are metal cased and it would constitute a wiring change then it should now be RCD protected, and part P notifiable.

I'm also quite safety conscious and not sure I'm happy having upstairs sockets not on the RCD protection. Any idea how much I should expect to pay?

The hall and landing switches are plastic. I bought metal replacement ones but didn't replace when I found the earth core snipped. Are they easy to extend or does this need an electrician too?

 

[winston1]

- One room downstairs has its sockets on 2 circuits - both have to be turned off at the consumer unit for the sockets not to work.

This sounds serious, as if the ring starts at one MCB and finishes at another. Definitely get that looked at.

 

[PBC_1966]

- One room downstairs has its sockets on 2 circuits - both have to be turned off at the consumer unit for the sockets not to work.

Not a problem.

This sounds serious, as if the ring starts at one MCB and finishes at another. Definitely get that looked at.

I think we need clarification on this point as to what "both have to be turned off at the consumer unit for the sockets not to work" actually means. Do you mean that (a) you have some sockets in the room which are turned off at one MCB and some sockets which are turned off at another, or (b) you still have power at all the sockets in the room unless you turn off two MCB's simultaneously? If the former, then as EFLI says, no problem; if the latter, then as Winston says, it needs looking at.

 

[Midas Man]

Classic case of mixing the legs of ring up!

 

[EFLImpudence]

It would surely not be in just one room if that were the case.

 

[PBC_1966]

One of the things I want doing is a new outside light. I want two, so I was thinking I'd just split the existing spur with an exterior junction box but then I read that as they are metal cased and it would constitute a wiring change then it should now be RCD protected, and part P notifiable.

Adding lights to an existing circuit isn't notifiable. If you want everything fully compliant with BS7671 then the RCD protection may or may not be required, depending upon how the new wiring is installed.

I'm also quite safety conscious and not sure I'm happy having upstairs sockets not on the RCD protection.

Even installations fully compliant with the current edition of BS7671 when done were not required to have RCD protection on all sockets until as recently as 2008.

The hall and landing switches are plastic. I bought metal replacement ones but didn't replace when I found the earth core snipped. Are they easy to extend or does this need an electrician too?

There may be enough slack in the existing cables to pull a little more into the switch box to get at the cropped earth wires. Is there just a single cable to the switch? If more than one cable at each box and the earths aren't connected together, then you may have missing earths on lighting fixtures.

 

[cwcw]

- One room downstairs has its sockets on 2 circuits - both have to be turned off at the consumer unit for the sockets not to work.

Not a problem.

This sounds serious, as if the ring starts at one MCB and finishes at another. Definitely get that looked at.

I think we need clarification on this point as to what "both have to be turned off at the consumer unit for the sockets not to work" actually means. Do you mean that (a) you have some sockets in the room which are turned off at one MCB and some sockets which are turned off at another, or (b) you still have power at all the sockets in the room unless you turn off two MCB's simultaneously? If the former, then as EFLI says, no problem; if the latter, then as Winston says, it needs looking at.

It's the latter. Both MCBs have to be off for the sockets not to work.

 

[Midas Man]

It would surely not be in just one room if that were the case.

True.

 

[cwcw]

It would surely not be in just one room if that were the case.

It is just one room but the room in question is a 1970s extension.

 

[PBC_1966]

It's the latter. Both MCBs have to be off for the sockets not to work.

Then it definitely needs attention. What are the ratings of the two MCB's concerned?

 

[cwcw]

There may be enough slack in the existing cables to pull a little more into the switch box to get at the cropped earth wires. Is there just a single cable to the switch? If more than one cable at each box and the earths aren't connected together, then you may have missing earths on lighting fixtures.

The light switches all have one cable in each box. Others on the same circuit and all switches on the other 2 lighting circuits have earth connected. The hall and landing, for some reason, have them snipped.

 

[PBC_1966]

The light switches all have one cable in each box. Others on the same circuit and all switches on the other 2 lighting circuits have earth connected. The hall and landing, for some reason, have them snipped.

Just to confirm, can you actually see the earths cut short or are you assuming that they've been cut right back because you can't see them? (Just thinking of the possibility that these are older cables without earths - Installed widely through to the late 1960's.)

 

[cwcw]

Just to confirm, can you actually see the earths cut short or are you assuming that they've been cut right back because you can't see them? (Just thinking of the possibility that these are older cables without earths - Installed widely through to the late 1960's.)

I can see about 1mm of a 3rd core sticking out of the cable casing at the entrance to the light switch box. The other 2 cores are the live and neutral. The other switches on the same circuit are (seemingly?) earthed.