Spot the fault

[flameport]

Are they not used to uk wiring colours?

Whichever country they may be from is no excuse.

Blue as neutral is a standard throughout Europe.
The neutral bar has a big blue label above it.
The neutral bar also has a big blue wire connected at one end.
Even the most basic of tests would have indicated things were very wrong.

The only way to make that mess safe is to remove the main fuse, then throw it away.
Or do a Blues Brothers elevator style repair on the whole thing.

 

[RF Lighting]

The SWA feed is about the only part which is ok, apart from being terminated wrong

We started trying to sus out what went where, but gave up and cut it all off.

The tennant called the landlord to complain he was getting a shock off a class 1 item. I suspect he might not be there much longer...

 

[AndyPRK]

They understood red and black ok.

I think the blue colouring probably dawned on them at the end but couldn't be bothered to sort it.

 

[SimonH2]

We work for the landlord who met us on site and quite rightly was far from impressed.

Far from impressed sounds like something of an understatement. I'd say that's bordering on being criminal damage.

I suspect he might not be there much longer...

The phrase "and don't let the door hit you on the way out" comes to mind - but unfortunately the law sides with tenants even when they do criminal damage like this.

 

[GoodDIYjob]

Just interested. Why would a tenant want to undertake a consumer unit replacement off their own back so to speak?

Electrical service maintenance would normally be a landlord responsibility or is this a commercial premises with different responsibilities?

 

[AndyPRK]

and did they install the cabling with the new colours ?

 

[333rocky333]

was the board on the blue phase by any chance

 

[SimonH2]

Just interested. Why would a tenant want to undertake a consumer unit replacement off their own back so to speak?

I was wondering about that myself - it does seem very odd.

Electrical service maintenance would normally be a landlord responsibility or is this a commercial premises with different responsibilities?

Not only that, but normally a well written tenancy agreement would specifically state that the tenant is not allowed to alter the property or the services in it.

EDIT: And good luck to the tenant getting another tenancy. Would you rent to someone where the previous landlord gives that mess as the main reason for ending the tenancy ? I assume the tenant(s) never thought it through

 

[rjm2k]

Just interested. Why would a tenant want to undertake a consumer unit replacement off their own back so to speak?

Electrical service maintenance would normally be a landlord responsibility or is this a commercial premises with different responsibilities?

There have been numerous postings from "the other side" on this, reasons vary from the landlord isn't interested in resolving problems with old wiring, the tenant wants to run a fish tank on a circuit of its own, the tenant is wrongly informed by a friend that old colour wiring is dangerous, or just that the tenant thinks for some magic reason that it would be better, or maybe that they want to learn howto do it themselves.

 

[bernardgreen]

Sometimes the rogue tenant has absolutely no respect for the house or the landlord. They feel the house is theirs to do with as they like,

"" I live here and I will live the way I want to live "" is the attitude some tenants show when challenged about lack of care of the property.

 

[JohnW2]

Sometimes the rogue tenant has absolutely no respect for the house or the landlord. They feel the house is theirs to do with as they like,

... but even they are quite probably not being honest, perhaps not even to themselves. In many cases, if the house actually were theirs ("to do with as they like"), the same individuals would not accept the sort of 'lack of care' or 'lack of respect for the house' we're talking about.

Kind Regards, John

 

[securespark]

I found an install like this and locked it off. I explained the problem to the customer, who was not happy and would not sign my letter.

Then I called my manager and explained the situation. He happened to be in the area and came round.

The install, rather like RF's, was worse than I first thought and we recommended a full rewire.

We didn't get the job!

 

[JohnW2]

I found an install like this and locked it off. I explained the problem to the customer, who was not happy and would not sign my letter.

AIUI, and as others have suggested, there may be a legal problem in that, unlike the situation with gas installations (and with DNOs), I don't think that there is any legal basis for an electrician 'locking off' an installation if (s)he considers it to be unsafe without the agreement and consent of the customer. Hence, if an electrician does that, despite being told not to by the customer, I suspect that may constitute 'criminal damage' or, at least, might expose the electrician to claims in civil law for the consequences of being deprived of electricity.

However, I'm not sure that there is a simple answer, given the range of 'electricians' around. If any 'electrician' could 'lock off' an installation, I can imagine all sorts of possible abuses - particularly on the part of those 'electricians' trying to push unnecessary re-wires, CU changes or whatever onto customers.

In really bad (clearly unsafe) situations, if an electrician contacted the DNO, would they come and disconnect the supply that was connected to the unsafe installation (which power I believe they have in law)?

Kind Regards, John

 

[securespark]

Yeah, DNO's disconnect their own supplies (and consequently their customers') all the time, but only for (usually) earth faults on their side.

 

[westie101]

ESQCR does give the DNO powers to disconnect unsafe installations but it is not a straight forward process and is rarely used.

Having said that I have warned customers in writing that we do have it as an option (which is the first stage) and only on one occasion disconnected one flat that was fed from an unprotected (well by the cut-out fuse) 4mm cable.

The main idea of the power is to allow us to disconnect where a customer's installation (or use of it) interferes with other customers supplies