fire damage on light circuit, can this be fixed

[radio_engineer]

Advice needed.

Let me first say I have no intention of repairing this myself but need expert and independent advice.

Due to water leak from flat above water got inside cable conduit inside the wall on the run from ceiling down to switch. Existing cable is very old and did not take much for water to penetrate insulation. Cable got hot and turned to charcoal nearly went up in flames!! Existing light circuit does not have earth wire at all! hence fuse did not trip. Bottom line is this needs replacing. Problem is this:

During inspection electrician told me that my flat has 2 light circuits and both need replacing as they do not have earth + plus cable is old, and he would not be happy to issue completion elec safety cert. to do one circuit only. Insurance company would only pay for one damaged circuit. (it is unclear if other circuit is damaged) It is in my interest to get all this covered by insurance. I basicaly can't afford this extra work now, just had baby etc...
The rest of circuits have earth and it's all fine.

Q1. under current regulations can only one light circuit be fitted with earth as I was told entire instalation needs to be tested and lights would not pass?

Q2. Electrician told me existing installation was fine at the time but as repair needs doing to it all needs to be done under new regs and for this each light point and switch must have earth. IS this correct

Any advice please
thanks for help

 

[plugwash]

firstly are you really in bosnia and herzogonia or did you just pic that at random?

if you are actually in britan then there is no rule afaict to forbid them leaving other parts of the install in a noncompilant state provided the parts they touch are up to spec and the installation isn't immediately dangerous but some electrians won't do it for ass covering reasons.

 

[RF Lighting]

Providing the electrician does not touch the other circuit, then he is allowed to leave it in whatever state it is in.

It sounds to me that this part of your installation is quite old, and therefor it is likely to have an old fusebox, which both circuits may be connected to. It is quite probable that your electrician will replace the fusebox feeding the lights with a modern CU with MCBs, which then he would have to connect the existing circuit back to something.

Obviously it is a good idea to have the other circuit replaced, and getting it done at the same time will minimise the disruption, rather than waiting until the other circuit goes wrong too.

 

[radio_engineer]

Thanks for reply

I am in UK.

I was told that since other circuit does not have earth it will not pass inspection and if he does any work he would not do it unless he gets earth to each light point and switch!? I have metal back box behind switch but it does appear it is not connected to earth and under some condition screw head on fron plate can be live.

As I am leaseholder I must get inspection cert for any work done in any case, so it looks like I am well stuffed here!!!

Fusebox is with MCB's, push button type, as it was probably replaced at some point.

Q1. Is there any way to get NCEIC residential safety certificate with light circuit without earth?

 

[Steve]

Fusebox is with MCB's, push button type, as it was probably replaced at some point.

the push-button MCBs are probably at least 20 years old. The actual fusebox could be double that age, if not more. what colour is it?







Out of interest, did anyone see the episode of coronation street where charlie stubbs pulled 2 fuses in maria's flat, without turning the main switch off? tut tut.

 

[plugwash]

sounds pretty realistic to me, are people on soaps meant to not break any reccomendations or laws?

 

[Steve]

sounds pretty realistic to me, are people on soaps meant to not break any reccomendations or laws?

You'd think he'd set a good example to all the viewers who still have an old brown wylex - when he came to resolve the problem he should have recommended an upgrade too - that fusebox is probably 40 years old. Anyway, where on his van does it say he is a registered electrician?

 

[radio_engineer]

fusebox is actually not box at all

it is inside metal box within wall. The fuses are held by one bar, there is dark brown protective cover around fuses held by 2 screws. on the right side is main switch for incoming supply. all N cables are connected in one corner and all Live are from individual fuses.

The tricky bit is the way earth is sorted out, there are 2 threaded bolts / screws one on each side of the metal cabinet where all earth wires are connected.

Can I upgrade MCB's would this make any improvement?