Council Sheltered Housing Installation

[securespark]

Went down the Smoke this weekend just gone, and met with a few of my other 1/2's rellies.

One lives in sheltered housing and has had a bathroom refit early in Jan.

They ripped out the bath and fitted a wall chair and shower, along with a pump to take away the waste water via a floor drain.

I found a few things a little odd:

The bottom of the shower unit is 30" off the floor, with the bottom of the rail at the same height. Normally the bottom of the rail is lower than the shower, isn't it?
The only Supp Bonding is 1 rad pipe wired back to CU, and a link between h/c on sink unit.

Pullcord for shower in Z2.

Both CU's in 16mm2 tails. Cutout seal removed and not resealed.

Gas pipe bonding cable strapped to pipe with nylon ties.

Sticky pull cord light switch not replaced as requested (Pure laziness!)

The fan is not linked to the light, but has to be switched on seperately.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Were you asked to look around, or could you just not help yourself?

 

[securespark]

No, I acted like a guilty fella nipping off for a quick w**k.....took some paper and a pen to the bathroom and had a good shuftie. (That's a good look around, before you lot say anything!!)

Yes, the short answer is I just couldn't help myself. (LOOKING!!!)

Actually, I went for a sl*sh, and the bonding on the rad caught my eye as I opened the door, then I went and got a bit of paper....

Initially I was interested as to the work they had done, then when I noticed a few anomolies, I kept on looking.

I'm a sad git like that. Wherever I go, I look at the electrical installations and find myself making mental notes...

The worst culprits for questionable installs I find are garden centres. There's usually at least one thing that leaps to the eye the moment you walk in - try it this weekend!!

I even find things in hospitals and other public buildings like broken or cracked sockets.

I went to St Mary's Hospital in central Manchester last time my missus was preggers (he is now 13m old) , and found a broken metalclad socket which was actually quite dangerous. I reported it to the maintenance guys.

Last week we went there again (yes, another pregnancy!!!!) and the very same socket was still broken. Not been replaced, same one. Norty, norty, very norty!!

Joked with the obs guy that it was a good job we were having the sprog at home, with their record of maintenance!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Interesting tale here with a hospital electrician involved...

 

[Igorian]

Actually, I went for a sl*sh, and the bonding on the rad caught my eye as I opened the door

Sounds Nasty!

 

[ZenStalinist]

I even find things in hospitals and other public buildings like broken or cracked sockets.

Ever seen the wiring in some schools? Cracked sockets, circuit still active, just a cross marked over the socketin a bit of sticky tape. Ditto for one of the four plug extension leads, which is broken in such a way that one of the socket's shutters doesn't work (you can see the contacts in the live and neutral pins)... Must be a public service thing...

Small and medium sized shops can also be terrible, there are numerous shops in my town where they have sockets (in use) not even screwed into the mounting box, held (about a centimetre away from being) in place by virtue of the cable. That was at the independent music shop which recently closed.
Also, at one of the newsagents there is an FCU for the window display fitted in exactly the same manner.

I guess when things like that go wrong, people can't even figure to get a screwdriver and screw them back in place...

The corner shop near here also has two cluster adaptors plugged into each other, plugged into a slightly rusty, rather suspect looking 13 amp socket. 1.5mm t&e going straight into one of the plugs to power an illuminated bilboard outside.

Yep, anywhere that's open to the public seems to have terrible wiring.

 

[securespark]

Agreed, Zen.

I used to write these co's letters on headed paper, pointing out their elec faults and the fact that they are open to public, and offering a free estimate, but I just got so much s*it, I stopped.

One company (the afore-mentioned Garden Centre) rang me up and F'd down the phone for 12mins solid before I could say anything. And that word was Goodbye........

Another company threatened to get a solic onto me. What they thought he was going to do, I don't know.....but I suggested that maybe he could alert his solicitor in readiness for a claim against their Public Liability insurance. His response was "What on earth for? If some stupid f*cking w*nker decides to touch my electrics and kills himself, it's his own stupid b*stard fault....!" Unbelievable, but there are people like that out there who have no sense of responsibility AT ALL.

Imagine......

Dear Mr Abbott

I am acting on behalf of W*nk Garden Centres Ltd, and I understand you have been writing perfectly reasonable letters pointing out the dangers of their electrical installation to the members of pblic who visit said establishment.This has been deeply upsetting to the MD who is now seeking treatment from his GP for high blood pressure and gross stupidity.

Your upsetting behaviour must cease immediately, or I will be forced to seek a restraining order from the court forthwith.....

Next time you go into a retail establishment, look around to see if there are any dangerous installations. If there are, walk out because it is probably run by another chap like that one!

 

[ZenStalinist]

Also, regarding the hospital installations... I wonder if any of these hospitals treat private patients, too... Maybe they're not being cheapskate when it comes to wiring but trying to bring in a bit of extra revenue...