Kitchen Wiring

[No_Eye_Deer]

Hi, as you can tell from the name, my DIY skills stop at putting together flat-pack furniture.

We have had a local plumber/electrician (single tradesman, both trades) re-wire and re-plumb the kitchen. He initially installed a 3-pin plug hole for the cooker hood to be plugged into; however we pointed out the installation instructions which stated "this appliance is fitted with a 3 core mains cable and must be permanently connected to the electricity supply via a double-pole switch having 3mm minimum contact gap on each pole. A Switched Fuse Connection Unit to BS1363 Part 4, fitted with a 5amp time-delay fuse, is arecommended mains supply connection accessory...."

He disputed the need for this, arguing that the circuit was protected by the RCD Protected Circuit Breaker Box. I insisted that a 3 pin socket was not good enough and he has been back in today and fitted what to me looks like a normal lightswitch. His advice to my wife was that, once I have put the extractor fan up (it can't go up at the moment because it mounts between 2 cabinets which have yet to be put up because he is doing the wiring), I can simply knock out the blank in the bottom edge of the switch and attach the wires. He reassured my wife that this act did not require a Part P qualification.

This all sounds highly dubious to me! Any advice would be gratefully received.

If it is confirmed that all is OK and that I am being wet, I would be grateful for advice on how to wire in the "3 core mains cable" (see above quote from the manual) into the switch whilst also adhering to the other warning in the instructions "Warning: Double Insulated Do Not Earth"

Thanks

 

[securespark]

installed a 3-pin plug hole

That's taking the plumber/electrician angle too far......

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Seriously, it sounds like the mfr has muxed ip their instructions.

Ring them for clarification.

 

[No_Eye_Deer]

I have checked the actual cooker hood in the box and the appliance is actually fitted with a 2 core mains cable (blue and brown), not the 3 core stated in the installation instructions.

That notwithstanding, is this switchplate in the wall an acceptable installation from a supposedly registered electrician? We are awaiting his registration number (which he assures us he is bringing with him tomorrow) and will check it against the relevant registration body.

Also, anyone care to give an opinion on whether he is justified in charging £85 plus VAT for the certificate (he has already charged us for every hour he has been present, and a few more besides, so this is in addition to any time spent 'inspecting'), the guy who installed our worktop said it ought to be free (he also does electrics and we wish we had found him at the start of the project)

 

[slippyr4]

Firstly, when he assured your wife that what he's doing doesn't involve Part P, then he's sorely mistaken.

A switched connection unit (also known as a DP isolator) may look like a lightswitch. However, you'd probably be better to use a switched, fused conection unit - these have a switch and a little pull out drawer that takes a standard fuse much like you'd find in a plug.

However, the sure fire way to tell if you've got a lightswitch or a proper isolator is to (after turning the electricity off), unscrew it from the wall and look at the connections.

An isolator will have, clearly marked, Live and Neutral IN (maybe called supply), and Live/Neutral OUT (maybe called LOAD). It should have a kitemark too. and earth terminal(s).

A lightswitch, on the other hand, won't usually have an earth terminal, and will have 2 or 3 connections of rather piddly size, usually marked common, L1 and L2.

If he's fitted a lightswitch then you want to put a contract on the blokes head, because he's trying to kill your family.

He should also realise that having an RCD on a circuit doesn't actually negate the need for proper design and installation. They are an "extra" safetly device.

 

[HandyJon]

It would not require Part P if the assumed Fused Connection Unit (FCU) went to an unswitched socket. Then the cooker hood can be plugged in and the FCU allows it to be switched off. Part P isn't involved when you plug things in, and the FCU provides the appropriate isolation since switched sockets aren't generally double pole.

Even though wiring into a FCU in a kitchen involves Part P its a silly state of affairs. If you feel comfortable doing it, wire it into the FCU. If you don't get an electrician, but be prepared to wait ages to find an electrician who will be happy doing just that or be prepared to pay a lot of money. I'm not advising you to ignore Part P, but highlighting various options which it is your decision to take - only you know your capabilities and the situation.

 

[Nige F]

anyone care to give an opinion on whether he is justified in charging £85 plus VAT for the certificate Tell him Matt Allwright and the team are in the attic

 

[No_Eye_Deer]

Thank you all for your advice. I have opened up the switch (having isolated it at the circuit breaker) and it is a proper connection unit, with the separate 'supply' and 'load' connections, as well as a cord grip and appropriate 'knock-out' for the flex, although it is not a fused unit (given his argument that the RCD suffices). It was the wiring in of the cooker hood into this switch that he assured my wife did not require Part P, the work he has done he acknowledges as requiring Part P certification.

Also, thanks for the opinion about the £85+VAT charge for the certificate, it reinforces what our worktop chap said.

As an update, although he came back yesterday and did some remedial work that we required him to do before we gave him a cheque in payment, we also insisted on having his Registration Number and the body that he is registered with. As he didn't finish the work yesterday, he was due to come back again today. However, he rang up this morning to say that he had discussed it with his partner, they felt that they would never be able to make us happy and that they would just call it a day - he has then said that we should pay what we think we owe for the work done. Given that the bill is £1600 (including about £200 of overcharged hours and a further £100 for the certificate), this strikes me as an extremely strange state of affairs for a legitimate company. We will not be paying him for any of the electrical work unless we are satisfied with his registration status.

Thanks all.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

it is not a fused unit (given his argument that the RCD suffices). It was the wiring in of the cooker hood into this switch that he assured my wife did not require Part P, the work he has done he acknowledges as requiring Part P certification.

I wonder how he planned to organise that, given that what he's now done does not comply?

And is dangerous, BTW, as you now have no fuse protection on the cooker hood. Ironically it was perfectly OK with a plug & socket, but not now.

You need to get that switch changed for a switched FCU.

We will not be paying him for any of the electrical work unless we are satisfied with his registration status.

Did you actually ask him before you gave him the job if he was registered? Was it a condition of the contract?

 

[No_Eye_Deer]

Thanks ban all sheds! Sadly we did not have a contract - it is probably a good lesson to learn before we embark on a loft conversion next year!

We did confirm with him before we took him on that he was Part P registered, but we did not demand to see proof (which we will do in the future - in fact, we will only select tradesmen found via one of the registration body websites).

I take your point on the cooker hood connection and, as we have to get a proper electrician in to test the new installation and finish off the work that has yet to be done, I will ensure that he changes the cooker hood connection to a fused unit. We are currently in the fortunate position of not having paid and we will deduct any additional costs from what we ultimately agree to pay him. I also think that this is probably a case for trading standards - it might be a little old lady next time.