PIR question

[17thman]

Hi guys, help please.

On a pir Today, i tested ring continuity at CU on Kitchen sockets and got .44 ohms on line, .42 on N and .68 on E, nice. then i lifted kitchen sockets to see 4mm2 and then others with no ring continuity. I assume that the two 2.5mm2 conductors along with the earth have been joined somewhere under the floorboards, there are no sockets energised by this circuit other than those on the 4mm2 radial section.

SO.. I can treat this as a full radial with 5mm2 to 4mm2, that is ok, but there is going to be a connection somewhere which is inaccassible. shall i put it down as code 3 considering that there is some very poorly made swa connections made by the same spark?

 

[ericmark]

Certainly interesting as now without the code 3 there is no longer a coding for this.

We all know that we should get all previous paperwork listing work which very often we don't get. And the accessible for inspection has been something which has been talked about many times.

I have seen an electrician write on floor boards to say cables or junction box below and at the time the work was done it was accessible but within a week carpets or other floor coverings were laid. The question is who is responsible for the fact that it is inaccessible.

The words that come to mind are non destructive. I would not lift a carpet without direct instructions and I would always tell the customer I am not a carpet layer and I will not be relaying carpet or re-plastering a ceiling so any cables or joints above ceilings or below carpets will not be tested.

The point is of course it could be a maintenance free JB and you could very well find no fault. So all I would do is note what has been found and not code it.

What I would say anywhere out of sight some one could to repair a damaged final ring use under size or sub-standard cable or accessories and your tests would not find it. You would walk away considering you had done a good job and would not be blamed for not finding it. This is no different. You have not found anything which would indicate that there is a fault. It could be a epoxy resin filled joint for all you know.

So yes make reference to what you have found but you can't code it as you have no idea as to if it's A1 or a fault. And to lift boards is not within your remit.

I have had same with three phase cable where at source phase rotation was correct and at other end the rotation was reversed. So there had to be a cable joint somewhere but no idea where it was and no way was I digging it up. Likely some one at some time in the past had laid the cable from wrong end and with a 150mm it's not really an option to twist them within a joint. I just noted what I had found there is no code for wrong phase direction. You will just have to do the same.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Inform client that there are limitations to the extent of the inspecting that can be done. IE your not ripping floors up to find inaccessible joints.
And note this down in "EXTENT AND LIMITATIONS OF THE INSPECTION"