Turning ones back on suspect electrics?

[ericmark]

In the last year we have lost two parents, the result has been a lot of work clearing two houses, my mother not too bad house will be just mine so I can take some time sorting things out, my father-in-laws house was however owned by the three children, so the other two have been in a rush to sell, grabbing what we want before it is taken to dump, mowing lawns, etc.

My father-in-law was an electrician as a result I have never looked at his house electrics wise until he died, had kittens when I saw some of his handy work, two wires twisted together on lawn mower with masking tape.

I can see some suspect fixed wiring, he was clearly not that good in his latter years 91 when he died, it had been my intention to disconnect the suspect wiring, however before I could the house has sold, they still have not moved in. But now sold not sure if I could simply remove the wiring, and not my house, owned 1/3rd by wife.

I am guessing the conservatory has 6 sockets as spurs off spurs and where connected to ring there is a lump of wood half covering socket back box with a socket in the wood, since I can see the likely fault without touching it, should I assume the buyers surveyor or EICR will high light it any way and so nothing to do with me, I can ignore, or should I say something, or do something.

The point is that is the bit I can see, once I start testing there may be more, so I am inclined to look the other way.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Houses are always as-seen, caveat emptor, etc.

There is a vanishingly small chance that your dilemma would become a legal one. But 100% it has already become a moral one for you, so only you, really, can wrestle with it.

 

[chivers67]

When we purchased Our house it had an Outbuilding/Shed served by a 2.5mm T&E Spur that went through a 15mm piece of copper pipe painted black in between the house & Shed about a meter wide. There were Spurs off Spurs & a few other bits of weird wiring, Gradually I replaced most things as and when.

What a Dilemma replacing the Six circuit rewireable Fuse BS3036 Wylex 15th Edition DB that's Metal, that got replaced with plastic DB's that got replaced with Metal ones!

 

[Mottie]

The worse bit of diy wiring I’ve ever seen was when we moved into a new council house with a garden in the early seventies. I was about 14 at the time. My dad went out and bought a secondhand 'home made' electric lawnmower from someone who lived in a block of flats. It was basically a cylinder push lawnmower that the bloke had mounted an electric motor on to, welded a couple of pulleys on it and connected them with a fan belt. However, the cable coming out of the motor (no switch, just connect up and go) went to a single socket outlet bolted to a piece of wood on the handle. Consequently, the extension lead had a three pin plug at either end! My dad was excitedly setting it up when he got it home and told me to plug it in indoors when I noticed that and told him it was dangerous. He told me not to be silly and touched the pins at his end and promptly got an electric shock. He still used it after that but plugged the lawnmower end of the cable in first!

 

[seasickstevie]

... the extension lead had a three pin plug at either end! ... I noticed that and told him it was dangerous.

I did something extremely wreckless like that many many (yes, many) years ago. It just hadn't dawned on me at the time that the 'other' exposed plug was live!

It seems almost unbelievable now, but I remember the site foreman coming on site, and as he walked past, he looked at my 'invention', of which I was rather proud

I was waiting for some complimentary remark. Instead, he said nothing and just walked off. No-one ever made any comment, and no disasters ever happened.

I altered the lead soon after to make it a conventional extension, just because I decided it would make more sense. It wasn't until some years later when I was thinking back to that particular time, and it suddenly hit me just what I'd done

I'd only just left school at the time, but what amazes me is that the 'electrical' foreman on site obviously knew it was a bit 'odd', but didn't realise even himself that the other plug was going to be live.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Walk away. Presumably the house has (shall we say) a dated look to it (I hadn't realised how 90s my place looked til I started tarting it up to rent it out & realised I hadn't really changed much for 20 years). It is up to the new owners to commission what surveys they choose and act (or not act) on their recommendations. Wasn't even you that sold them the house so don't worry about it

 

[ericmark]

Thank you all, I will leave it then, hopefully they will realise it needs some work.

As to two plugs on an extension lead, we needed around 20 extension leads 110 volt, 100 meter role of cable would make 5 leads, so 4 reels of cable and 4 boxes of plugs and sockets, left the electricians mate doing the work, it was like a production line, put plugs on 5 leads, then sockets on 5 leads, however the plugs and sockets were not all the same make and the poor electricians mate picked up wrong box, so 5 leads with plugs either end.

I now feel sorry for the poor guy, he really got a ribbing over that, the boss cut off 5 plugs, you never knew when some one would walk in and take a lead, and latter I returned picked up an off cut of cable held it in a loop, walked into container and hooked up one of the corrected leads with little finger, said you've done it again, and cut loop in off cut. Lucky I could run faster them him.

 

[pete50]

So you, as a qualified electrician, presumably, are going to choose to turn your back on what you as a qualified electrician, presumably, see as a dangerous situation that involves your family to an extent? The mind boggles.

 

[ericmark]

The house is being sold by my brother-in-law on behalf of the three who own it. I have pointed out the faults, and have been given strict instructions not to talk to the buyer. To do anything could cause a family argument, my wife and I were not in a hurry to sell house, and wanted time to sell the stuff in the house, however our wishes were not reflected by other two owners, so washing machine, and gas cooker went to skip site, brother-in-law did get the central heating serviced which to my mind did not need doing, but seems to think since his dad was an electrician the electrics are A1 even when faults are pointed out.

It has been sold well under market price which has annoyed us, as this will bring down the price of our house next door but one. I have major faults with my own house that need fixing before it is sold, so really don't want to take on any other work. So when BAN said "caveat emptor" then I felt fair enough, I will say no more. After all it's not my house, it is just the same as walking into anyone else's house, I will point out dangers, but that's the limit to what I can do.

 

[EFLImpudence]

What if your brother-in-law sells his car which you know to have a leaky brake cylinder?

Would you repair it or even think you should?

 

[SparkyTris]

always keep your back to iffy electrical installations, especially when energising! Nine times out of ten, if it doesn't go bang right after you throw the switch, the job's a good 'un.

 

[OwainDIYer]

Although houses are sold 'caveat emptor' you still have a duty of care to the buyer to not leave the house in a dangerous condition. There are also standard conditions with solicitors will use for house sales so eg ifyou take away the wall lights you aren't allowed to leave bare wires poking out of the wall.

The first person to discover dodgy electrics may be a small child enthusiastically exploring his new home whilst adults' backs are turned.

 

[Jakg]

It has been sold well under market price which has annoyed us, as this will bring down the price of our house next door but one.

If it sold for less-than-market-value, it suggests that the buyers factored in the cost of some remedial works.

If you live very near - why not introduce yourself to the new owners when they move in? You can mention how you knew the previous owner, but that he was getting on a bit and that sometimes he got confused and maybe it's best to get it all checked out...

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Or even "They thought it probably does need a lot of work, which is why the price was so low".

 

[seasickstevie]

Sounds like a 'doer-upper'