Is this legal?

[Spark123]

Well, certainly not a 17th edition board.
An no tradesman worth their salt would leave those blanks exposed.
You may also want to phone your network operator regarding the missing shroud on their cutout - isn't normal to see them exposed like that.

 

[RF Lighting]

Those tails look a bit small aswell.

Are there any other earth wires connected to the CU other than the one in the photo?

 

[GaryMo]

The first thing that hits me is the lack of three blanks on the RCD side probably showing an exposed live busbar.

 

[securespark]

Yes, those tails look decidedly like 16mm². Is that an earth clamp on the incoming cable? If so, did your Part P wonderboy put it there?

As for the JB near the w/m it does need fixing & needs to be accessible.

Finally for now, the double socket is for two white goods?

Should really be two singles, maybe even on a radial to avoid overloading the ring final at that point.

 

[JACKC]

From all of the replies on this you can see it is not to any standard that a decent electrician would work to. You need to decide now if you want him to complete or get someone else in to sort out and pay them. Take lots of photos as evidence as if you don't pay him he may go to court and if you get someone else to complete ask for their opinions. I personally wouldn't let him back in the house.

 

[SJRSJR]

Are there any other earth wires connected to the CU other than the one in the photo?

No, should there be?

Those tails look a bit small aswell.

Sorry, I'm a lay person, what's a tail and what size should they be?

Is that an earth clamp on the incoming cable?

It's attached to an old metal pipe that seems to house the cable - I think it was always there. Is that ok?

Finally for now, the double socket is for two white goods? Should really be two singles, maybe even on a radial to avoid overloading the ring final at that point.

The photo is actually a socket for the washing machine and a switched spur next to it. The switched spur controls both the WM and the dishwasher. The microwave and the tumble dryer are on sockets without switched spurs. They are all on the one ring circuit. Is that okay?

You need to decide now if you want him to complete or get someone else in to sort out and pay them.

If I don't pay him and he goes to court shouldn't I show that I gave him the opportunity to put his work right? He brought this to my attention when his chippie didn't do the worktops correctly and I asked for someone else to fix them. Or is electricity too important to risk?

Thanks for all your replies, it's been very helpful. Anyone know a good electrician in SE London?

 

[JACKC]

If that is the standard of his workmanship, to what standard will his repairs work to. There is plenty of time to do the job right first time, why waste more and unpaid time at that putting, it right.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

View media item 2881

As others have said, that's appalling. It's contrary to the regulations and it, and the rest of his work, doesn't comply with Building Regulation 7.

He's also changed the consumer unit

Who is he registered with? Some schemes are limited in scope and they may not regard him as competent to replace CUs....

- how is it looking? Thanks
View media item 2884

It's looking worse and worse - as well as the non-compliances above, it is arguably unsafe, so that's another contravention of the Building Regulations...

I'm having a kitchen installed and the fitter who is also the electrician and plumber (PART P qualified) has installed some of the sockets inside the kitchen units.

The thing is you can (and he almost certainly did) become "Part P qualified" on the back of a 5-day course, either run over 5 days or a longer period of shorter evening sessions at college, adding up to 30-odd hours.

Those courses may teach you a few things you didn't know beforehand, but don't bring about overall general improvements - if you're a crap workman when you start you'll still be a crap workman when you finish.

Are there any other earth wires connected to the CU other than the one in the photo?

No, should there be?

Where do the earth cable from the CU and the clamp on the cable sheath run to? If they go to an earth block, and in that there are also cables which run to the incoming gas, water etc pipes then that's OK.

Take another photo...

Those tails look a bit small aswell.

Sorry, I'm a lay person, what's a tail and what size should they be?

That's name for the cables that run from the fuse to the meter and the meter to the CU. 16mm² is OK if the main fuse is 80A or less.

Is that an earth clamp on the incoming cable?

It's attached to an old metal pipe that seems to house the cable - I think it was always there. Is that ok?

Probably - what method of earthing did the guy record on the certificate, and what values are shown for External Loop Impedance (Ze) and circuit Earth Loop Impedances (Zs)?

You need to decide now if you want him to complete or get someone else in to sort out and pay them.

If I don't pay him and he goes to court shouldn't I show that I gave him the opportunity to put his work right?

Check with your CAB and/or a friendly solicitor, but I'm 99.99% sure that you do. The quality of his work is dreadful - I'm just a humble DIYer and I'd never countenance work like that, but I'm sure you do have to give him the opportunity to put it right.

 

[mattylad]

I am not a qualified electrician by any standards.

However, even my standards would be better than some of this guys work.
Has anyone mentioned reporting him yet?

 

[SJRSJR]

Who is he registered with? Some schemes are limited in scope and they may not regard him as competent to replace CUs

Corgi - his electrical membership expires next year so they say at least 4/5 years with them. And they confirm that he can do CUs. He's been gas registered since 1998

Where do the earth cable from the CU and the clamp on the cable sheath run to? If they go to an earth block, and in that there are also cables which run to the incoming gas, water etc pipes then that's OK.
Take another photo...

View media item 2898The metal pipe that the earth is clamped to has always been there - it runs behind the plasterboard so I don't know where it goes

That's name for the cables that run from the fuse to the meter and the meter to the CU. 16mm² is OK if the main fuse is 80A or less.

How can I find out?

He hasn't finished yet so there is no certificate.

One more question. I originally got him in because I thought I would need a new cable to the CU for an electric hob. He told me that the size of the cable to the existing double oven would be sufficent for both as the hob was within 2m. Does that sound right? I don't have any photos because it's behind the oven. Both are switched by the socket in the second picture (albeit in the cupboard!)

 

[Space cat]

The photo is actually a socket for the washing machine and a switched spur next to it. The switched spur controls both the WM and the dishwasher. The microwave and the tumble dryer are on sockets without switched spurs. They are all on the one ring circuit. Is that okay?

Do you mean that a single switched spur controls power to two power-hungry machines? If there's a 13 amp fuse in there you might want to avoid using both machines at the same time! Or is it an unfused switch? Another photo would help.

 

[SJRSJR]

Do you mean that a single switched spur controls power to two power-hungry machines? Another photo would help

View media item 2900I just looked - it's a 13amp fuse for WM and DW.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

View media item 2898The metal pipe that the earth is clamped to has always been there - it runs behind the plasterboard so I don't know where it goes

Hmmm - no sign of any main bonding conductors.
Are there any visible where the water/gas/etc enter the house?

How can I find out?

Not easily...

One more question. I originally got him in because I thought I would need a new cable to the CU for an electric hob. He told me that the size of the cable to the existing double oven would be sufficent for both as the hob was within 2m. Does that sound right?

Could be, if it's all on an existing cooker circuit. What size is the cable, and what's the rating of the MCB for the cooker circuit?

I just looked - it's a 13amp fuse for WM and DW.

What the hell was he thinking of?

 

[Space cat]

The photo is actually a socket for the washing machine and a switched spur next to it.

I'm confused now. Your very first photo showed a double socket on its own. Is this also controlled by the fused switch? If so, then what else is on that switch? The reason I ask is that you have two cables connected to that double socket. If one is coming from the fused switch, where does the other one go?

 

[SJRSJR]

Sorry, I got confused: the first photo is just a double socket on its own for the tumble dryer.

The photo (with the red hose) is the socket for the washing machine and a switched spur which controls both the WM and the DW (the socket for the DW is elsewhere)