Electrician has left holes in interior brickwork

[GeorgeP]

Hi, is it up to the electrician these days to brick up where they have left holes in interior walls? My electrician's employee has just shoved a piece of wood in where he's gone through the brick and on one socket there is a really loose piece of brick and you can see from one room through to the other. I will bring it up with my electrician but just wondering what goes on these days. I know old school etc would clear up as they go along. What are other peoples' experiences? I am having to do quite a bit of checking and chasing on what seems like such a vast project we've taken on. We are not living there you see.

 

[securespark]

What?

He's smashed through from one room to the other?

Pieces of wood are no good. Loose is no good.

No making good is bad. Any making good should be done with the correct materials.

HOWEVER......what did you agree in writing before he started work?

 

[GeorgeP]

What?

He's smashed through from one room to the other?

Pieces of wood are no good. Loose is no good.

No making good is bad. Any making good should be done with the correct materials.

HOWEVER......what did you agree in writing before he started work?

I didn't agree anything in writing because he came with the loft conversion company so we just used him for the whole of the house whilst he was there. The brick is Akrington brick and yes, there is a brick's worth and a bit of hole size through from the kitchen to the dining room in two places. You could put your hand through. And where they have channelled out for plugs for wall hung tv screens there are holes also. It has been tutted at by 2 builders who have been in to quote for plastering and other jobs that need doing. In fact one builder said he wasn't interested in going over someone else's work like that and would rather have been on the whole project. I have asked the electrician to come in and finish off the house before plastering starts. As we have been waiting for the loft conversion to finish there's a bit of work outstanding on the rest of the house. The unit in the garage still needs updating and plugs and sockets in the garage and wash house. I can't understand why he hasn't just done everything ready for plastering and then second fix. He is coming back though - either himself or his employee that he has had in to do this (who wasn't happy with going through Akrington brick on his own in a 5 bed house). Maybe he will make good then but he hasn't mentioned it. I seem to have written an essay..... any advice appreciated.

 

[DaftPunk]

As you've got a plasterer coming in then I'd assume the electrician is there just to first fix and making good will be done with others.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Strange how without exception every single trade is letting you down on this project.

 

[GeorgeP]

Strange how without exception every single trade is letting you down on this project.

I have just posted some photos but couldn't get them under any other folder than loft conversion plastering.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

You need to do all the steps listed in the instructions for posting photos, not stop part way through so that they don't show up in your posts.

 

[GeorgeP]

You need to do all the steps listed in the instructions for posting photos, not stop part way through so that they don't show up in your posts.

I just uploaded them to an album - are you able to look through the album?

 

[AdamCH]

Not sure where the hole in the wall is but are these okay wrt safe zones to run the cables?
View media item 59109View media item 59110View media item 59101View media item 59102View media item 59103View media item 59104

 

[GeorgeP]

Not sure where the hole in the wall is but are these okay wrt safe zones to run the cables?
Not sure what you mean by safe zones but glad to hear you think they all look okay. The electrician is a very good communicator and well priced and I would be surprised if anything was untoward - it's just that I had a couple of comments about the brickwork from a couple of contractors who came in to quote re plastering. The loft conversion looks good. I am quite a fussy person so I like to kind of check things and get to know how to approach a contractor about things. It is reassuring to be on this site as a punter.

 

[AdamCH]

George

Safe zones are explained at //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:installation_techniques:walls

I don't think yours look okay. I'm not a qualified electricial but I'm sure one wil give you advice in a minute.

 

[GeorgeP]

George

Safe zones are explained at //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:installation_techniques:walls

I don't think yours look okay. I'm not a qualified electricial but I'm sure one wil give you advice in a minute.

The private building inspector passed it. I asked him about conduit and he just said that some electricians use it and others don't bother because it really is only to stop a nail going in. I have checked throughout the house if that could ever be a problem and it really looks like that we would never ever pick a point where that would happen because of the way the wires run around the house and where all the sockets and switches are placed - an idiot would have to hang a picture or owt where they go. However, there is no conduit in the kitchen. Does this make sense or is there any other reason to have conduit or does safe zone mean anything else? Thanks.

 

[Chri5]

The safe zone diagram

The idea is that when a 3rd party, another home owner or contractor see's a socket or switch he should suspect a cable or group of cables in the wall.

You have a few areas where the volumes of cables seem to slip outside the safe zones marked by the back boxes.

It might be better to group some of the outer cables in the multi runs so make sure they are inside the zone areas. The offset to this is grouping factor applies, but in a minor way. I'd give preference to grouping and having a few cables double clipped ( two cables under one clip / cleat) rather than having some outside the safe zone.

 

[Taylortwocities]

The private building inspector passed it. I asked him about conduit and he just said that some electricians use it and others don't bother because it really is only to stop a nail going in. (

Well he is wrong. Cable capping is only there to shield the cables from the plasterer's trowel. Capping, especially the plastic sort, provides zero resistance to nails, drills etc.

The old type steel tube conduit, when earthed is a different matter, but its not used in domestic installations now, except in special circumstances (and some pedants on this forum are, right now, banging on their keyboards to show off about some of these)

In my experience, building inspectors do not have an in-depth understanding of the Wiring Regulations. The electrician who is signing the installation certificate to confirm that the installation was designed, installed and tested in accordance with BS7671. He is the one who is putting his whatsit on the block if he signs that document and someone drills through a live cable that is not in a safe zone.

Note that a safe zone (see link above) is bounded by the width of the socket/switch etc. Some of those cables appear to be outside that limit.

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

I don't like the "dog legs" bends where the cables go across the wall then up or down. They should be in a straight vertical / horizontal run to the socket / switchplate.