Consumer unit replacement - cowboy.

[vera121]

Went to wire up CH system to-day and found a nice new consumer unit (dual RCD), recently installed by the 'nice man' who installed a new shower and cable. No certs, receipts or paperwork of any kind.
All the existing circuits on one RCD the shower on the other.
No bonding to water or gas service's which were both in the garage within a couple of meters of the DB.

[flameport]

What is that taped up mess just below the consumer unit next to the tails?

The rest -
why have a henley block in the tails, considering the meter isn't even sealed.
Bare copper showing on the shower MCB
Arrangement of circuits obviously a mess, 16A for a boiler?
Only 2 sockets in the kitchen on their own 32A circuit and supplied in what appears to be a 2.5mm radial
Something wrong with the 'downstairs lights' - wire entering the 6A MCB is at least 6mm.
'Upstairs lights' have 2 wires which suggests it's really all the lighting, and the 'downstairs' one is something else entirely.
Incoming tails have damaged insulation where someone has carelessly cut around the outer covering. Silly to cut the covering there anyway, further back would make bending the wires much easier.
Odd grey wire going to the right neutral block
Main earth looks like 10mm, so too small.
Nowhere near enough earth wires for the number of circuits.

[VanSolo]

Just got to look at the writing on the CU. Poor and sloppy. Says it all.

[GaryMo]

flameport wrote:

Main earth looks like 10mm, so too small.

If you're right and it is 10mm earthing conductor then it may not be undersized when calculated via the adiabatic equation (assuming it's not a PME supply).

[RF Lighting]

Wonder if it was done by the chap from homeserve?

[mdbalson]

It looks like the 2nd wire in the upstairs lights MCB is for the old bell transformer.

The taped up mess looks like a connector block with 2 cables from the capping on the wall going to it, which is then connected to the MCB marked Boiler & Heating along with another cable.

Faults

Earths too short so extra wire connected via connector blocks

Copper showing on connections

Poor dressing of cables in CU

Poor labelling of MCBs

No splitting of circuits between the 2 RCD's

No earthing of the gas & water services

Unnecessary Henley Block

2.5mm Radial on a 32A MCB

Incorrect ordering of MCBs on both RCDs

[kai]

That looks like a PME supply to me, take a closer look at the right hand side of the service fuse holder block - very naughty to omit the protective bonding conductors here!

[GaryMo]

I've seen many TN-S supplies with an earth terminal on the side of the cutout fed via a split concentric cable. Internally the TN-C-S link isn't moved over.

Most PME supplies are marked as such, in my experience.

[DCC]

I love these pictures, its where you get to see what professionals/experienced people notice. I glanced at the picture and thought "Mess!" but didnt even spot the choc blocks (what the hell?).

Question though, why is visible copper on the connections hauled up when an inch above is a bare bus bar and screws? Is it just a matter of professional pride (which I understand) or if not, what's the actual requirement here?

[333rocky333]

DCC wrote:

Question though, why is visible copper on the connections hauled up when an inch above is a bare bus bar and screws? Is it just a matter of professional pride (which I understand) or if not, what's the actual requirement here?

The bare bar is Neutrals and earth, the Live bar is usually sheilded and any live bits are not touchable.
Bare copper like that sometimes gives the impression the cable is loose or hanging out and makes you wary, there is no excuse as the hole is normally recessed enough to encase the insulation slightly.

[DCC]

Thats true, and I hadn't stopped to consider it was a live that was being commented on as opposed to anything else. Guess what I'm wondering is I know there are requirements for keeping probing fingers out of things but once the cover is taken off what are the rules - if I take the cover off a plug top things are pretty dangerous.

Quote:

Bare copper like that sometimes gives the impression the cable is loose or hanging out and makes you wary, there is no excuse as the hole is normally recessed enough to encase the insulation slightly

So its just a neatness then? (nothing wrong with that IMO, applies in all walks of life).

[333rocky333]

Although it is often done, you should not remove the cover With the main switch on anyway.
The manufacturers stamp that on the cover.

[GaryMo]

DCC wrote:

Thats true, and I hadn't stopped to consider it was a live that was being commented on as opposed to anything else. Guess what I'm wondering is I know there are requirements for keeping probing fingers out of things but once the cover is taken off what are the rules - if I take the cover off a plug top things are pretty dangerous.

You won't do that whilst it's energised in a socket though due to the location of the fixing screw.

[DCC]

OK OK but they werent always like that....

(Pretty sure I can remember plugs where the main screw just came all the way out)

[spongsdad]

But is it dangerous?