New consumer unit RCD tripping

[craig1234]

It's not if you can return the unused component.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Waste of time, then, if not money.

 

[flameport]

Returns cost retailers £millions every year, all of which is passed on in the form of higher prices, so people that regularly return items ensure higher prices for all.

 

[ericmark]

Are you a registered electrician? Did you do the work yourself? I am DIY'er and curious about what is possible.

I am not a DIY'er but I am not a domestic electrician, well before 2004 did some, but in the main industrial.

In the main not worth the hassle to DIY any work that needs registering with the LABC, but had builders run off in the middle of installing a wet room for my mother, had no real option but to DIY.

I was under the impression the builder had done all required, dad and sister had arranged the work, I only got involved after builder ran off, so first thing found out builder had not informed the LABC who pointed out although most builders do it for their clients, it is up to the owner to ensure it is done.

The LABC inspector only seemed to be worried about the electrics, and to begin with he wanted us to pay for an independent inspector to come and look at the electrics, which we would need to pay for, although the LABC would select who did the work, it seemed likely it would cost us around £50 per visit, so we did not want to have it inspected and tested by some third party.

So step one was to convince the LABC inspector we had the skill, both my son and I had city and guilds 2391, and at that time 2381 was the number to show we could read the regulation book, but he was not impressed, my son pointed out I had a degree in electrical and electronic engineering and he did back down and allow me, but not my son, to sign the installation certificate.

We had the test instruments sitting on the table, insulation tester, RCD tester, and loop impedance meter, unlikely non electricians would have the instruments to inspect and test even to hire looking at around £70 as they need calibrating after every hire.

When it came to do a full rewire the test equipment was out of calibration, and it seemed likely to DIY would cost me around £250 to get the documentation, and also costing £600 a week to put mother into a care home while the job was being done, so could get a firm to do it in one week, or I could do it in 3 weeks, so £1450 saved by getting it done by a scheme member firm. So looking at three weeks graft to save around £300, forget that for a lark.

Now for the daft bit, mother died, house being sold, can't find the paperwork, so phoned up LABC for replacements, told it would take 4 months, and cost what ever time it took the council worker to find them, clearly 4 months was not on, so solicitors said I could take out an insurance instead, around £100, but then found the documents.

On reading them I realised there was nothing to say what covered what, three people had worked on the house, and there was no way reading the documents to work out which of the three had done which bits, so in real terms useless anyway.

I think there is a time limit on the documents anyway, we have always been told we should have an EICR done every 10 years or change of occupant which ever is the shorter, and requirement for LABC registration is only required for work PLANNED after 2004, so technically if I planned to change my fuse box for a consumer unit in 2002 I can still do it. That would not comply with the intention of the law, so if I got it wrong I am likely to end up convicted in any court case, but if no one complains then unlikely to have a problem.

There was a case of an electrician doing an EICR who admitted he passed items which should have failed, who got a huge fine, but if the work is A1, it seems unlikely any court case would result.

However you only need to watch the TV series where they look at builders from hell, or what ever name it is, and you see and hear how the so called experts seem to have no idea what the law requires, yes substandard work, but often it does not actually break the law in the way the so called experts try to say.

If some one holds up his hands and says sorry I did it wrong, then the court accepts what they say, what we want is for some one to say there was nothing wrong with what I did, I plead not guilty.

So if I was taken to court as doing some thing wrong, then the expert witness needs to be equal or higher qualified to me. So my degree is lowest of the low only a Fdeng, (level 5) but any expert witness would need to be level 5 or above, but some one who is level 6 is hardly likely to be doing domestic installation.

As to if a jury can work out who is correct, I don't know. I would not do substandard installation knowingly, so likely some one would need to show at 71 I was suffering from dementia, maybe I am, had to look up how to spell dementia.

Sir Brian Norman Roger Rix, Baron Rix, CBE, DL did a TV interview on this problem, he was president of Mencap from 1998 until his death and he pointed out how hard it was to sack some one with dementia, and he felt raising the age of retirement was likely to cause problems as one needed to get some medical backing to show the person was suffering from dementia.

I had the same problem with my father-in-law, who felt he was fit to drive, we all felt his eye sight and mental state meant he was not safe to drive, but the doctor would not agree. He lost his licence for speeding, he did not see the sign, and died before he was due to get licence back.

But would I know if I was unable to safely work on electrical equipment? And maybe more to point, would a scheme provider know when I had reached a point where it was not safe for me to continue?

 

[DiyNutJob]

@ericmark With so many people exiting in the middle of a process, I think it is safe for you to continue. There are places where they will not follow you.

 

[craig1234]

It's called a process of elimination and is also a learning process. With the assistance of this forum I managed to rectify the problem and have learnt what I did wrong so in future I will not repeat this mistake!

 

[nitro23456]

Returns cost retailers £millions every year, all of which is passed on in the form of higher prices, so people that regularly return items ensure higher prices for all.

Are you saying everyone must therefore return stuff to make sure they benefit as well, otherwise they are only paying the higher price?

A bit like people that never claim on their home insurance?