electrician credentials

[ericmark]

I was "not pleased" and had to be quite insistent that he WAS going to put it back.

Yes I have had it both ways, a socket made into a FCU which stops use of portable power supply, and a FCU made into a socket, with no RCD protection.

But unless he has the knowledge, then it is simple, they should not touch what ever, be it gas or electric, and if they demonstrate they don't have the knowledge, then to ask them to replace a socket or FCU is also wrong. Unless talking about the likes of an apprentice under the guidance of the master.

I know all electrical work should have some paperwork, I assume the same for gas, and lack of paperwork rings alarm bells.

I had it with social services, the batteries kept going flat on my mothers door bell, and they did not like walking around the house to either knock on a window or get key from the key safe, so wanted the door bell supplied from the mains, and they were willing to pay for the work, so why not?

Already a bell transformer, but 4-8-12 volt AC, which is why I had not used it, needed 6 volt DC. So the electrical firm arrived and fitted a 6 volt AC transformer and rewired the supply direct to the intercom door bell, as one would expect, it didn't work.

So told social services the electricians had turned a working door bell into an inoperative one. They returned, but they could not find a local supplier of a wall mounted DC power supply, but they could get a wallmart type, so a socket was fitted instead of the transformer, and a power supply plugged in, with two butt connectors, to connect to existing wiring, which were a continued cause of problems after with the wires falling out.

I looked at the job, and thought what a mess, but it was a freebe, the client was social services, not my mother or me, so I did not have the authority to call up the electrical firm, and get them to put it right, and to be fair, one junction box would cure the butt connection problem, and the socket was also handy to charge up the mobility scooter, simple double adaptor and away to go.

But out of interest I did plug in the RCD tester, and see the result, the RCD did not trip, clearly connected to wrong side of the consumer unit on the non RCD side, which with a transformer directly connected would not matter, with the council being involved, I did not want to fiddle, I knew the house really needed a re-wire, and I did not want to do anything which would show I knew that. So did not want to delve into the consumer unit.

So my only option was to ask for the minor works certificate, then at least if something did go wrong, I could show nothing to do with me. Multiple calls to social services, to get a copy, never did get one.

Then found my mother seeing a red neon flicker, had put an extension lead in a bucket of water as she thought it was on fire, and so when she went into hospital for unrelated reason, I took the opportunity to get whole house re-wired. Not done by me, it would have taken too long, and if not finished when she was discharged, I would have to pay for a care home.

But still feel if the county council can't follow the rules, why should I?

But that does not mean I should not test and inspect, but I do object to paying a council to work on my own home. I can see with gas, an error could impact next door, yes there is a fire risk to next door, but in the main the electrical regulations are more about not getting a shock.

If the appliance is plugged in, then the appliance installer is not really responsible for if the socket complies, but if a FCU is used, then in real terms, it needs to have at least a minor works certificate, which is basic the guy saying I have done this, and I accept responsibility for the work done.

I had a new immersion heater fitted, did not want to damage the cylinder, so felt worth paying someone else, there was no minor works left, and in fact the fitting of the iboost+ is not listed on the installation certificate for the solar panels, neither is the supplies to freezers and central heating. The installation certificate is so vague, it really says very little.

The Flexiorb certificate did get the second MPAN number, which was more important to me. But read the certificates for late mothers house or this one, and near impossible to work out who did what.

But my feeling is, if no certificate issued, why? I can see why no completion or compliance as they cost money, but it does not cost to make out a minor works or installation certificate, and if the installation certificate is issued, the electrician can say I thought the owner was applying for the completion certificate, but if no issued, then clear he did not expect the work to be registered.

So to me the certificates protect the electrician, he can say, look I tested when I had finished, and it was OK then, even if he didn't, but no certificate says I did not do any testing, and just trusted to the lord.