Can someone translate this please

[chewymix]

Hi

Had a loft conversion done and so electrics extended into loft. Due to us still being on a fuseboard, its a late 1800's victorian terrace, he fitted a new consumer unit into the loft for the new circuits.

His report report on the current installation states this......

"Poor, no mechanical protection, no earth in switch lines, no MCB's or RCD's, connect blocks, no flagging in S/L, no earth sleave, Rewire required"

Now its an old house so its clearly not going to be to current regs but there are earths to all the switches that i have ever looked at and in the sockets so could anyone tell what he is talking about?

many thanks

 

[PrinceofDarkness]

Why don't you ask that 'electrician' to explain in writing, using plain English?


Lucia.

 

[chewymix]

because he was a sub contractor and is long gone ....

 

[JohnD]

do the light fittings and switches have earth wires in them? Are they connected to anything?

 

[sherlockholmes]

Why don't you ask that 'electrician' to explain in writing, using plain English?


Lucia.

Looks like he has already to me, except that no flagging in S/L bit, which running through my layman's translator comes out as 'the switch lines aren't marked as such', though that's something of a guess. The rest seems clear. Whether it's accurate is another matter, possibly one of them is wrong on the earth in the switch lines bit, a photo should be fairly conclusive though he may also have meant the earth is just decorative.

Rewire seems indicated at any event.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

but there are earths to all the switches that i have ever looked at

You've looked at them.

Maybe he tested them and found there was no continuity back to the CU?

and in the sockets

He's not questioning those.

 

[flameport]

Poor, no mechanical protection

Mechanical protection would be conduit or some other similar system. The absence of this may be a problem depending on where the cables actually are. Could also refer to the lack of suitable enclosures for connection blocks.

no earth in switch lines

No CPC / earth wire to the switches, a fairly common situation in 1960s and earlier wiring.

no MCB's or RCD's

Fuses of some kind then. While fuses are not in themselves a dangerous item or a failure, it is another indication of an older installation. If they are rewireable types there is the likely problems of people using the wrong fusewire and not installing the fusewire correctly.
No RCDs is just typical of an old installation. They would provide additional protection against electric shock, and so would normally be used on a new installation.

connect blocks

Probably refers to 'chocblocks' or terminal strips which although can be used inside an enclosure, were/are frequently left flapping about loose in the walls/ceiling or similar.

no flagging in S/L, no earth sleave

Switched lines need to be identified as such, typically with pieces of red sleeving (brown on new installations).
Earth sleeving is required to both identify the wire, and prevent it contacting other live parts.

 

[Paul_C]

Some of the things in that so-called report don't seem very clear or precise.

"Poor, no mechanical protection, no earth in switch lines, no MCB's or RCD's, connect blocks, no flagging in S/L, no earth sleave, Rewire required"

No mechanical protection for what, and where? No MCB's or RCD's - As BS3036 rewireable fuses are still perfectly in compliance with the current edition of BS7671, subject to proper cables sizes, of course, that's no reason by itself to condemn an installation. Nor is the lack of RCD's, unless required due to high earth loop impedance. The current edition of BS7671 specifies them for many circuits, but there are still many thousands of installations in use perfectly safely without them, so again, in itself that's not a reason to condemn it.

Connect blocks? What about them?

No red or brown sleeving on switch return lines is hardly a big issue, and easily corrected if you're really worried about it. Ditto for lack of earth sleeving, which was the norm at one time and certainly not any sort of safety issue.

 

[chewymix]

thanks for all the tips/help - i am perfectly happy with the install as hey its an old house what do people expect. The wife was just frieking as she thought we had some hugely unsafe install as the spark seemingly did some scaremongering from what i can tell.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

He may have done.

On balance I think we'd say that definitely he has done in some areas.

But the problem is we don't know what he really meant by some of his comments.

no mechanical protection

That might be quite serious - it depends what cable(s), where, and why they should have mechanical protection.

no earth in switch lines

If that is the case then you must not have any metal switches.

no MCB's or RCD's

You don't have to have these fitted to an existing installation, but the lack of an RCD will make any changes to the existing wiring difficult or impossible. And RCD protection is a Good Thing anyway.

connect blocks, no flagging in S/L, no earth sleave

All fairly minor.

Rewire required

I'd agree with "some remedial work and partial rewire strongly advised", but not that.

But all the above has to be caveated by the fact that he's been there and poked around and people here haven't.

 

[holmslaw]

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