Dangerous electrical installation

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7 Jan 2011
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My cowboy builder subcontracted the sparky from hell. The electrician, barely out of his teens (Part P qual. and 17th ed) has made a catalogue of errors in the wiring of my extension (2 storey side and single storey rear.) The NICEIC electrician I called out to inspect the property found live cables all over the shop. Just to clarify, this is my home, not a get rich quick multi-occupancy: ie. I'm living in this electrical timebomb with children! Amongst his catalogue of errors are:

1. no earthing of the water mains
2. 5 live cables, including 2 massive electric shower cables, oven cable and an electric cooker cable (chunky red switch) which has been left live and just sticking out of the wall, plasterboarded and plastered over in the wall where new kitchen wall units are due to be fitted :eek:
3. a 'birds nest' of light cables (about 5 cables linked together using 3 ceiling roses and a choc box)
4. a pendant light in the bathroom (low ceiling, long cable so you can imagine!)
5. drilling straight through copper pipes (about 1 cm away from the 'bird's nest' described above) allowing water to pour straight out of light socket below. Electrician says 'human error...' which wouold be fair enough, were it not fot the fact that I located the drilled pipe within 1 minute by lifting one UNSCREWED floorboard above it!!

Furthermore, the builder has allowed the electrician's younger brother (unqualified I believe) to install the lights in the kitchen and the carpenter has installed sockets etc, whilst i was at work despite my express instructions to the builder not to allow him to.

What I really want to know is, now I've had an NICEIC Inspection (failed of course!) who do I report the electrician to? I have the utmost respect for the proper sparkies I have sourced myself since, all properly trained qualified AND experienced. But people like these are seriously endangering lives and giving real electricians a bad name.

Needless to say, the builder's been given the boot and is now trying to take me to court for non-payment!!!
 
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it really depends if he is registered on an approved 3rd party organisation.

if not,

trading standards, with the results of your NICEIC cert and PHOTO`s!!

Go for it.

Oasis
 
If he has membership of a scheme allowing him to submit notifiable work, then report him to them....
 
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I think you may find you legally owe the man some money, even if it does eventually turn out he owes you more.
Your grounds for withholding payment would be a breach of your statutory rights, namely the right to reasonable care and skill in the purchase of services from a tradesman. A breach of your statutory rights means you can void the contract, which i'm guessing is verbal, but it is subjective and therefore one for the expensive lawyers if it goes the legal route. It would apply to the electrics from the description, but what about the rest of the tradesmen? Are you rejecting all the work done, or just the electrical installation? Has he offered to rectify the problems?

Bizarre as it seems, he may well win his case for non payment, especially if he argues he's offered to rectify the problems and been denied the opportunity. The law, as they say, is an ass. I'd recommend you consult a lawyer with a view to bringing a countersuit. I wouldn't pay the bugger either, but it may get messy.
 
If you have a complaint against the original (registered) installer, then you should give that chap every chance to address or rectify those problems - instead of calling in another electrician so quickly.

You're always guaranteed a result to your liking when you set one electrican against another. They like nothing better than to find fault with the other's work.

I strongly suspect that your main problem is with the builder and your reluctance to cough-up the payment.....


Lucia.
 
Is the original electrician a member of a competent person scheme such as NAPIT, NICEIC, ECA, ELECSA etc?
 
You're always guaranteed a result to your liking when you set one electrican against another. They like nothing better than to find fault with the other's work.

Yep, it is always easy to pick holes in someone elses work, however some of the obvious stuff such as lack of protective equipotential bonding doesn't inspire confidence in the original sparks.
 
Your grounds for withholding payment would be a breach of your statutory rights, namely the right to reasonable care and skill in the purchase of services from a tradesman.
1) He can't withhold all of it.

2) There's more than a breach of statutory rights here - the builder has contravened the Construction Design & Management Regulations - a criminal offence.
 
Your grounds for withholding payment would be a breach of your statutory rights, namely the right to reasonable care and skill in the purchase of services from a tradesman.
1) He can't withhold all of it.

2) There's more than a breach of statutory rights here - the builder has contravened the Construction Design & Management Regulations - a criminal offence.

1) You really see no relevance to your objection in the parts you cut out?
sherlockholmes said:
A breach of your statutory rights means you can void the contract, which i'm guessing is verbal, but it is subjective and therefore one for the expensive lawyers if it goes the legal route. It would apply to the electrics from the description, but what about the rest of the tradesmen? Are you rejecting all the work done, or just the electrical installation? Has he offered to rectify the problems?

Bizarre as it seems, he may well win his case for non payment, especially if he argues he's offered to rectify the problems and been denied the opportunity.

2) I hope the relevant authorities attempt a prosecution, if successful it would support his case for withholding payment based on a violation of his statutory rights.
 
Hi there, you may find your builder has brought in a spark that is probably doing the job on the side, or part time after his 6 week fastrack boil in the bag course. Long live the JIB!
NIC, NAPIT i doubt it!

Why did you get it tested and not them? Or didnt you let them carry on that far? :confused:

The building installation will require testing to comply with building regs so you have got the builder by the proverbials. That is if this is being put through planning, local building inspector etc??? If not you may have a problem.

Having already paid out for an NIC 3rd party to inspect and report you could refuse to pay for the electrical element and contra charge the builder for your 3rd party to complete and rectify.Get it agreed in writing.

Obviously you are not happy with the original spark so why let him rectify it and 9 times out of 10 he wont want to come back now you have rumbled him.

Ask the builder to deduct the elelctrical work from the final account or get the buiding inspector in and shop him.

If your builder is of any worth reputation is evertything so let him sweat at the prospect of a chat with the building inspector. Red tape can sometimes pay off.

Good luck
 
Prince of Darkness, you sound just like my builder...
;) Hope my builders case is as strong as yours..

No seriously though.. just to enlighten you, the 'builder' himself made a catalogue of errors from the ground floor to the roof (literally), has had every opportunity to make good, has been paid a considerable chunk of the money and hasn't a legal leg to stand on.The works unfinished and substandard. Sparky had more than enough chances to make good, but full of attitude when 'suggestions' respectfully made. Don't know about you, but 3 months seems long enough to 'make good' to me. As for other tradesmen checking out, if he'd done it properly they wouldn't have to! There are plenty of proper tradesmen out there who are up to the job!

And are you defending a builder who allows live cables sticking out of walls and a chippie installing lights, sockets etc off the old circuit? That kind of misplaced loyalty could be the death of someone.
 
Unfortunately he does have a leg to stand on, however wobbly. You are voiding a contract, in the case of legal challenge the burden is on you to show why. And if you sue him for his mistakes, the burden is again on you to make the case, which is a seperate case.
From your description it sounds like he's due partial payment, which you may have already covered with your 'considerable chunk'. You can't just write off what you think you're owed from what you owe on the initial contract without a retention clause, technically you'd have to pay then try to recover the money. That's why it's better to reach an agreement without taking it to court.

When A and B have cases against each other, the winnners are C and D, who are their lawyers. Generally better to reach agreement, by which I mean report him, threaten to sue him, and offer to let it drop if he goes away. If he agrees to that you'll need a receipt stating full and final payment has been accepted for all works, say for a pound.
 

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