Oh dear..

[dw3101]

Just been to look at checking out some wiring in a friends house he has bought, basically give it the once over..

Wiring is in a right state..

Three consumer units, no fuse carriers present, bedroom in garage, with 2x 6.0mm t&e over head, one for a shower, one for a garage CU.

Outside lights wired via extension leads..

No Earth Terminal provided by REC, except a 2.5mm earth cable coming from bottom of cut out. (didnt have earth loop tester with me at the time)

2.5mm earth cable goes to lower cu, Old wylex (didnt check to see what this powered.. wasnt interested - Earth loop of sockets was 5.17 iirc.

Top Consumer unit had earth bonding cable (10mm) from gas iirc Havent confirmed yet connected in.. this got a reading of 5.17 on the earth connection in cu)

Shower CU mounted upside down above top cu (no - poor earth) was fed from CU via 30A Rewireable fuse.. only rcd fitted, centrally with 1/2 blank either side.

So 30a Fuse - 63A RCCD - overhead cable - Shower in garage with no earth..

Took one look at the above.. looked at main fuse there was enough tag / seal to remove it and leave it intact.. Nice

Removed both boards and one set of tails from henly.. (one set corroded / loose / burnt)

Reinstalled shower cu correct way up, put tails into RCD 2.5mm out from Neutral, and installed a spare 16A breaker of odd make next to it.. bridged RCD to breaker with 10mm cable as no bus bar, and connected live to breaker.

took 2.5mm from cut out.. and connected this to a double socket mounted below the temporary CU (which will be now be mine mounted on a portable board)

Removed everything else.. Earth Loop Impediance now 0.17

Got someone going in to rip out all exisiting cabling / wiring / patresses.. at least its reasonably safe. Have asked homeowner to ask YE / NEDL to come and install an earth terminal ASAP.

I will get some pics of the appauling wiring remaining, and of my install when done.. just for your amusement.

Had to share this rant.. (I had to sort this there and then it was that bad.)

David

 

[dw3101]

New Wylex 12 way Split Load Board and 25mm Tails, 16mm earth (with MK Earth Block) fixed to new board awaiting YE to move meter and fit my tails to the meter

50 quid for wylex board with 10mcb's (inc 2 type C's) not a bad price, and it isnt old stock as it has blue and brown cables from main sw / rcd.

Sticker allready placed on lid.

David

 

[AdamW]

bedroom in garage

I know this isn't really an electrics issue, but does it conform to being a habitable room? An opening window for one.

Sounds like your mate is fortunate to have you as a friend!

 

[dw3101]

no.. it doesnt.. has window / door etc but was done my prior owners.. Its disgusting.. the wylex fusebox is mounted against an open air brick..

I said it has to be disconnected. garage is being demolished in 6 - 12 months... but he wanted power, I said amoured cable or nothing.

Water pipe is burried, so wtf isnt the cable?

Id rather he used an extension lead than me leave that 'temporarily' connected.

I said It gets done properly or I dont touch it.. Makes me sound like a **** but the more boards that come up the worse it gets..

Terminal blocks taped up with masking tape..

Extension lead drilled through from back of a socket... plug chopped off and wired into back of socket.

Ignorance is bliss with some people, its people that do wiring like that I wish shocks on.. might put them of messing.

David

 

[AdamW]

Could be worse: occasionally someone here comes across a customer or friend's house and found they run power (generally to a shed) by having a lead with a plug at either end that plugs into one of the sockets in the shed...

When househunting you always come across shocking DIY. Where someone has decided to do a job but with no idea how to do it, and no intention of finding out first. I can be very anal with DIY in that I will spend a month planning a smallish job, but it seems to pay off.

Although, now the property programmes are focusing on "proper" developments, maybe people are still doing the same terrible wiring but now know to bury the cables where no-one will ever find them...