Advice on safety of new Consumer Unit Install

[minorcamount]

Hi all, new to posting but been reading for years.

I inherited a house from my grandmother who passed in 2021, I intend to renovate and rent out, step by step, job by job as money allows.

Getting the property ready to rent has uncovered a fair few jobs needed to bring it out of the 1970's

I knew the electrics needed sorting so found an electrician via Check-a-trade website. He inspected wiring and said I just need an upgrade to the consumer unit. old system was 2 old bakalite cu's on day night mode I think it was called (2 different tariffs for day and night)

So he quoted and installed a single consumer unit dual rcds. 5 original circuits but I told him to disregard the shower as I would be installing a mixer tap shower .

Circuits now are, Cooker, Lights up & Lights Down on same breaker, Sockets Up and Sockets Down on separate breakers (He said their all radial circuits)

Now here comes the question as I don't think its safe.

He has installed the new consumer unit half on and half off the wooden board that the meter and main fuse are on.

Used 1 screw to fix it, the half of the consumer unit hanging off the wooden backing board there is a 30 to 35mm gap behind to the wall.

There is one screw in the bottom left into the board (I know, I took the cover off (I did safely isolate)) The CU is so unstable and wobbly.

He has had to move the CU approx 10 inch down and 14 inch to the right, so he has joined the wires above the ceiling to extend them by using junction boxes (Old bakalite types, so they must have already been there) They are free hanging between the joists under the bedroom floorboards which is just above the CU on the kitchen wall.

CU is installed at top of kitchen wall (2200mm from floor level, approx) so not accessible for kids to pull off wall or anything but it is still very loose.

There is no strip around the rear entry knockout and no fire barrier, just a large knockout with the several wires coming in.

Is this right? Safe? I need a EICR before I rent, will this even pass with those issues?

I can take photos and post them if you can't quite get what I mean.

Thanks in advance, I just want to be prepared in what I say when (if i should) call him back in to put it right.

Now, maybe the thing that should have rang alarm bells is he charged £250, is that too cheap?, I have had a glance on line and seen its usually £400 upwards.

I did as mentioned get him through check-a-trade so thought he would be reputable and everything, ultimately I want to know where I stand before contacting them and him.

thanks for the patience in reading this long winded post.

David

 

[Electro-tech]

Can you please post pictures & have you mentioned your concerns to the electrician ? What accreditation scheme is he with NICIEC or NAPIT etc? Any Certification documents?

 

[minorcamount]

Can you please post pictures & have you mentioned your concerns to the electrician ? What accreditation scheme is he with NICIEC or NAPIT etc? Any Certification documents?

Not contacted him yet, I wanted to get as much info as possible to back myself up when speaking to him.

I will check which accreditation's he has and report back, I will also post pics later this afternoon when I visit the property and take some.

Thanks

 

[minorcamount]

I can see he is accredited to NAPIT not seeing anything else yet.

 

[DPG]

What certificates did you get for this CU replacement?

Free hanging JBs with no strain relief do not meet regulations.

 

[minorcamount]

What certificates did you get for this CU replacement?

He did give me a certificate, Its at the house at moment so will grab it when I go take photos,

 

[Electro-tech]

That is a start await photos later.

 

[minorcamount]

As a new member here on these forums what can and can't I post? Photos? Links to video? obviously I'll blank out any personal info but is it ok to post the certificate here?

 

[DPG]

As a new member here on these forums what can and can't I post? Photos? Links to video? obviously I'll blank out any personal info but is it ok to post the certificate here?

Yes it will be fine, as long as any names and addresses are redacted.

 

[minorcamount]

Attached some photos, forgot to take image of Certificate, I will do that tomorrow.

 

[James]

That looks like an orgy in a snake pit.

It should be securely fitted to the wall so if it is going to stay where it is then a couple of wooden battens behind it and add some extra screws.

there should be some cover that goes over the shiny copper at the bottom of the board so you cant touch it when the cover is off.
BEWARE the shiny copper bits are LIVE.

all in all at £250 I think you were overcharged.
It is not the worst job i have seen but it is pretty dam poor workmanship in my opinion.

 

[JBW175]

Lazy, lazy and rough as dog rubbish install.

I could do better after 8 pints of Old Rosie.

He could have mounted it to the right of that wooden board and secured it properly, renewed the tails, and brought the cables in through the top knockouts using correct glanding.

BG screwfix special

 

[SJD]

Quite apart from the rough install,
(a) I'd always install a board with at least a couple of spare ways for future use
(b) nowadays I'd install an all-RCBO board, so one circuit tripping the RCD doesn't disconnect other circuits
But I guess at such a 'cheap' price, this is what you'd expect.

Edit: just remembered the shower circuit is not used, so I guess there is one spare way.

 

[James]

https://www.electriciansforums.net/attachments/img_8234-jpg.38132/

not one of mine, but that is a really good looking install just to give you some comparisons.

 

[DPG]

Oh my word. That is abysmal. Looking forward to seeing the test results.

 

[UNG]

Where is the Main Earth Terminal or has the neutral terminal become multi purpose

 

[DPG]

Where is the Main Earth Terminal or has the neutral terminal become multi purpose

I think the earth bar in the CU is being used as the MET isn't it?

 

[UNG]

I think the earth bar in the CU is being used as the MET isn't it?

So who took the decision on it being a TNC-S supply

 

[DPG]

So who took the decision on it being a TNC-S supply

Yeah fair point

 

[Dartlec]

It's definitely not a neat install or one done with good workmanship, but I'd say it would be unusual to get that for £250.

The board is a Screwfix special, but he did splash out and fit Type A RCDs, so 69.99, instead of the £49.99 option. He also used a gland for the meter tails, so he is already some way ahead of the average DIY board changer.

It should definitely be secured more firmly - with battens between it and the wall where it overhangs, and the wires to the top of the MCBs should really be better installed, with no copper on show - but then the BG supplied cables fail on that basis too!

There should also be a plastic cover sitting in front of the bus bars, so that even removing the front cover does not expose lots of live copper...

Other than that I'm not actually seeing anything that would count as unsafe. You mentioned the extended cables, but there's no picture of that so tough to make comment.

Check online with NAPIT if you haven't already that he is actually registered, as it's been known for people to claim membership of a scheme when they aren't.

If he is a NAPIT member, then that will give you some comeback should there be a problem. Check that he will be providing a Part P certificate, as well as an Electrical installation Certificate.

If you get those, then there is probably not much to be concerned about. I would not use him for the EICR though, as that will give you an independent and more thorough inspection that what he has done is at least safe.

 

[minorcamount]

Thanks to all that have replied, I have checked Napit site, he is on there as Domestic Installer EAS/CPS. I will take more photos under the floorboards just above the CU in the bedroom floorspace where the JBs are, and upload the certificate he gave me.

Apart from that, and pending all of the good folks advice on here regarding the JBs, should I be at least be asking him to come back and secure the CU better by putting some battens under the overhang side?


Regards

Dave

 

[123]

Dual RCD board for 4 circuits? Why oh why?

Pictures of the junction boxes could be interesting...is this a bungalow or where the void above is usually accessible?

 

[minorcamount]

Another quick Q,

He quoted £100 for the EICR, Looking at instructing someone else, how much should I be looking to pay? around double that??

 

[minorcamount]

Dual RCD board for 4 circuits? Why oh why?

Pictures of the junction boxes could be interesting...is this a bungalow or where the void above is usually accessible?

No its a 2 bedroom end terrace, upstairs and down,

 

[minorcamount]

So who took the decision on it being a TNC-S supply

Just to add to your question, it may help it may not. I am one of the end terrace of a terrace of 7. We are all on a looped supply, 1 loop comes up my side wall splits to mine then feeds 2 other properties so 3 of the 7 from the incoming loop on my wall, then the remaining 4 in the terrace are looped together on a separate incoming loop on the end of the wall of the other end terrace the other side.

Its a rubber incoming cable with 2 cores. The earthing arrangement has always been like this.


I have also attached a photo of the setup before he came in and installed the new CU

On another note regards the loop, have a look at these pictures and see how dangerous this looks to you

 

[minorcamount]

My grandmother had storage heaters and no gas supply, so I think she had different peak tariffs for the storage heaters to heat-up at night. I know have gas line installed and central heating system installed

 

[James]

Whatever you do, DO NOT put your ladders anywhere near those supply cables.
a call to the dno to inform them of damage to your supply cable would be prudent.

 

[littlespark]

Whatever you do, DO NOT put your ladders anywhere near those supply cables.
a call to the dno to inform them of damage to your supply cable would be prudent.

Yeh… I had a bit of a panic when I saw that close up of the incomers.

 

[westward10]

@UNG is correct they have created their own 'earthing system' which was not there before. The whole installation is appalling and carried out by someone with little or no electrical skills.

 

[Vortigern]

Is that overhead supply? Looks like it was TT and the installer converted it to TN-C-S perhaps without DNO approval. Another point to raise with the DNO, not so much to catch out the guy but to ensure regularisation of conversion as some areas cannot/will not convert. I see the seals have been removed so looks like a bit of a chancer on the job. Exposed copper at the terminals and can't wait to see the JBs' if the terminations in the JB echo the CU well I think it would profit from an inspection and perhaps remedy. I wonder what the test results were??? In any event looking at the supply wire, if indeed they are in use, the "electrician" should not even have started work without getting the DNO in first so that is a bit worrying.