New shower installed by bodgit and run

[Harry Bloomfield]

An elderly friends bathroom shower failed and he called a supposed qualified installer from out of one of those pushed through the door booklets.

The original shower was a cheapo 7.5Kw job, he himself replaced that with an 8.5Kw, then another 8.5Kw, but when that shower began leaking, he called in an assumed qualified guy to sort it out.

The guy claimed parts were not available for it - untrue, the shower is still currently on sale, but not unreasonable to swap the complete shower for a new one - except it seems he wasn't electrically qualified... What regulations has he broken? Comments please?

The 8.5Kw shower is on a 4mm T&E, via a 32amp MCB on an old Wylex DB.The installer claimed it was fine.

There is no RCD anywhere in the house.

There was no check for any earth bonding.

Guy was asked if he could swap hose and head for the originals, he claimed he couldn't do that because the hose and head were required by regulations to be entirely plastic. I have never heard of such a reg. is their one?

No paperwork of any sort was issued, not even a proper receipt, I thought there should have been?

 

[EFLImpudence]

Being pragmatic -

The original shower was a cheapo 7.5Kw job, he himself replaced that with an 8.5Kw, then another 8.5Kw,

Owner should have used another 7.5kW.

but when that shower began leaking, he called in an assumed qualified guy to sort it out.
The guy claimed parts were not available for it - untrue, the shower is still currently on sale, but not unreasonable to swap the complete shower for a new one - except it seems he wasn't electrically qualified... What regulations has he broken? Comments please?

Regulations are not statutory so just, presumably, not complying with Part P if anything - if not reasonably safe.

The 8.5Kw shower is on a 4mm T&E, via a 32amp MCB on an old Wylex DB.The installer claimed it was fine.

MCB just too small or shower too large.

There is no RCD anywhere in the house.

That's ok if just replacing the shower.

There was no check for any earth bonding.

A conscientious electrician (me) would have checked the circuit but as the shower has no exposed-conductive-parts and has resulted in no changes, it could be argued that checking bonding it is not part of the job.
How many checks do you think should have been done which would incur extra expense?

Guy was asked if he could swap hose and head for the originals, he claimed he couldn't do that because the hose and head were required by regulations to be entirely plastic. I have never heard of such a reg. is their one?

The shower outlet is today unlikely to be a metal exposed-conductive-part so it makes no difference.

No paperwork of any sort was issued, not even a proper receipt, I thought there should have been?

If it was a cash in hand job then there probably wouldn't be.

That's life.