Bloody little jobs

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My sister in law has had a conservatory build on her new house. As a favour, I have done the sockets and light, and am part-p'ing it through the company.

House had some re-wiring work done by previous owner, certificates supplied. Basically, there was a new kitchen fitted, so a new ring installed, and at the same time, several new sockets throughout the house, all on this new ring.

I have added 4 sockets in the conservatory, and left two ring ends in a double socket ready to connect. Went today to second fix, and tested my ring prior to ringing it into the rear of the socket (through crimps behind socket). My ring has continuity, the houses doesn't :cry: Tested house ring from the double socket.

Well, the live and neutral do, but not the earth. I assume it must be loose in a socket, so take a quick look around where I can. Nothing.

Tested at the CU just to see, and it is continuous there - even with my break in the ring at the socket!

Bugger of a job then - I have to locate an interconnect ring in a house with new carpets and tiled kitchen floor. Great. So much for simple jobs!

The most annoying thing is that original company have shown everything as being fine - which it would be if they simply tested end to end at the CU which TOO many sparks do!

Dont know if to get them back, bit difficult as they did the work for previous occupier.

Also, the metering is Econ 7, and there is a live 16mm tail from previous storage rad CCT's - taped up. Lovell 16mm earth from NEW CU, hanging attached to a 4mm to the old head. I can sort the earthing through my DNO easily, but the metering - this has to go through the supplier, and they are saying it is fine to leave the econ7 meter in situ as they still log it as a normal tarrif. Even when you tell them there is a live end they say "yes, but this isn't in use"!!!!!!!! I can't be bothered to argue - have henley'ed it.

At least the bonding is done!
 
Whats the odds on more nasties like hidden junction boxes under the floor?
 
Lectrician said:
At least the bonding is done!

You think it is.....in reality, the 10mm² leaves the CU, disappears under the floor, is connected with a choc block to a bit of bellwire and then reappears at the meter/'cock in a piece of 10milli....!! :twisted:
 
securespark said:
Lectrician said:
At least the bonding is done!

You think it is.....in reality, the 10mm² leaves the CU, disappears under the floor, is connected with a choc block to a bit of bellwire and then reappears at the meter/'cock in a piece of 10milli....!! :twisted:

Don't even joke about it!... someone once told me about a house that the vendor claimed had been recently re-wired, and had a nice new board, etc, later on it was discovered that most of the wiring was twin and no earth VIR, and this was spliced onto modern cable for the final terminations, earth and neutral both shared the same core in the VIR (I can only assume there was no RCD, or no main earth or something, or maybe the earth core wasn't connected to anything at the CU end, but was to the neutral at the far end)
 
Sorted this yesterday.

After further thought, the gas hob is connected tot he ring, and as the gas pipe is copper provides an earth path. The combi boiler does the same - this is why I could read earth continuity at the CU even though the rings earth is open cct.

Completely disconnect the hob and combi for further testing.

Shorted live to neutral in CU on ONE side of the ring, and left the other end of the ring open. Went around all sockets and noted which showed a short, and which didn't. Changed the legs of the ring around in the CU, so shorting the other leg to earth. Noted which where no showing the short, and which where not.

This gave me two sockets to play with - the cable between them obviously susupect. Both sockets where in kitchen, one either side of the sink.

I managed to find the cable under the floor with real ease (made a hole just behind the kick board), and cut it in half to see which side had the fault - I then removed the kitchen cupboard from beneath the worktop (again with real ease!) and found the dozy kitchen fitter had screwed his 90 bracket to the wall - drilling and plugging right through the oval tube. I wouldn't normally laugh, but the walls still had the huge scars from having the chases recently one-coated.

Pulled a new length of cable in up the tubes, and left the cable loose beneath the kick boards - shoot me 8)

A ******* of a job turned out to be a sweety! Only took me an hour or so!
 
Well done you!!

I normally get jobs like that & they turn out to be half-day affairs...if I'm lucky!
 

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