Maximum cable size

[scousespark]

I am not saying there is anything wrong with Bernard's design.

I am saying this electrician was given this when he turned up. Would you accept it is possible this guy may have been misinterpreted by the client?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

So the guy says something like "well you don't actually need 4mm cable, it's just a waste because 2.5mm will be fine" and the customer hears something like "the voltage drop at full load is less than 2% the system is correct and any changes will make it not correct", or "4mm is not permitted under the rules for a ring final" or "4mm would contravene the regulations so I can't use it"?

 

[scousespark]

I am saying, without being there none of us can say what really happened.

 

[RF Lighting]

I bet the electrician has just made something up so he can get the F out of there and let some other mug work for the customer from hell.

 

[1john]

I would be inclined to agree with RF here.

 

[bernardgreen]

I bet the electrician has just made something up so he can get the F out of there and let some other mug work for the customer from hell.

You lose the bet.

After going away and thinking about it ( researching maybe ) the electrician got back in contact and agreed that using 4mm was not prohibited and was prepared to install 4mm. He was very keen to get the work.

But by then a second electrician has been contracted to do the work.

This second electrician had no problems with using 4mm.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I bet the electrician has just made something up so he can get the F out of there and let some other mug work for the customer from hell.

Then the level of unprofessionalism and general contempt for his clients which leads him to lie to them rather than politely decline to do the work and leave makes him unfit to be doing the job he does.

 

[mikhailfaradayski]

Hi Bernard,

Just another thought.

I wonder if the accused electrician possesses CG2391 or similar?
Was/Is he registered with a competent person scheme?

Don't suppose you could enlighten us to the position of the accused?

 

[bernardgreen]

All I will say is that he is a member of a scheme whose members can self certify their work under the requirements of Part P.

I can say that he has realised that the training he was given was adequate only to enable him to be an installer of electrical cable and components in a domestic situation.

I think he is a product of a training organisation that teaches the regulations by rote with little or no explanation of the science behind the reasons for the figures in the regulations. Fees from students may be more important than the quality of training.

 

[dingbat]

... the training he was given was adequate only to enable him to be an installer of electrical cable and components [with] little or no explanation of the science behind the reasons for the figures in the regulations.

I hope you realise that this describes an enormous proportion of those who earn their living as an 'electrician'.

I was surprised when, right from the start, you wrote of him referring to volt drop as a limiting factor.
In my experience, very few installing electricians of whatever ilk would carry out voltage drop calcs. This would put him towards the top of the heap!

(For the record, I do think there's more to this whole incident than is evident here, but maybe it's best to leave it at that.)

 

[ban-all-sheds]

he has realised that the training he was given was adequate only to enable him to be an installer of electrical cable and components in a domestic situation.

He is fooling himself and, no doubt, sadly fooling his customers.

His training may have been adequate if he were someone who possessed an actual understanding of the work of Messrs Ohm and Joule, but he is not.

His training may have been adequate if he were someone who possessed enough intelligence to read what the Wiring Regulations actually say, but he is not.

I think he is a product of a training organisation that teaches the regulations by rote with little or no explanation of the science behind the reasons for the figures in the regulations. Fees from students may be more important than the quality of training.

All true, but if his training was for the EAL DI then the syllabus for that does not cover such topics.

But that's irrelevant - even if he didn't understand the science he ought to be able to read the Wiring Regulations and understand what "Iz not less than 20A" means.