Electrical query

[David Bennett]

Hi all,

I've a query for any electricians out there, especially 'Part P' people! I had a central heating system fitted yesterday, but the electrician couldn't make it out until today, when I was unfortunately back in work. Now basically, the boiler is newly placed in the kitchen but due to it's placement, the nearest socket is approx 2m away. Now the electrician moaned to my fiance that they couldn't pick up the supply anywhere so has basically clipped flex under the sink to the nearest socket and has plugged the supply in for the boiler to a socket, using a double adaptor shared with the washing machine plug.

Now I know that the boiler won't take much of a load, but surely it still needs to be hard wired into a fused spare? I won't even mention that the T+E to the room stat looks like it has been clipped by a 5 year old, or that it took 2 of them 2½ hours to do it!!!

I was actually a qualified electrician (just until the 16th edition), but haven't worked in the industry for approx 10 years, however I know when I was working for my old firm I would have been sacked on the spot for such a shoddy job! I take it I'm right in thinking that this shouldn't be the standard of work expected of a professional firm?

Now I'll be ringing the heating firm tomorrow, but my fiance mentioned that they weren't from the same firm (so obviously sub-contractors), but I hope that they are as interested in seeing what they are paying for as I am. Anyone got any thoughts?

Best Wishes, Dave

[Dave Jones]

Pluged in or wired to a fused spur is ok. Depending if the skt is on a ring or spur, a logical soloution would be to take a spur of it to the boiler, with a fused spur by the boiler.

[Andy Wade]

So they could have picked up a feed only 2 m away...

Gordon Bennett!

That is not in any way the standard of work expected of a professional firm:

- "proper materials and good workmanship" not used;

- easily avoidable use of flexible cord for fixed wiring;

- fixed wring attached to kitchen furniture, not to the building structure;

- failure to provide an adequate no. of outlet points, forcing use of a multi-way adapter to connect a fixed appliance.

[Owain]

That is exactly what is required to comply with Part P.

A plug and socket is OK *provided* the socket is unswitched (so the only means of disconnection is pulling the plug, which provides isolation - some switched sockets are only SP switched which would not provide isolation).

It sounds exactly the sort of work expected from a *heating* firm. They generally kno nuffink about electrickery.

Owain

[Mike Harrison]

I would worry about a high-load appliance like a washing machine plugged into an adaptor

[David Bennett]

Hi all,

Thanks for all your comments. I spoke to the sub-contrators main man today and he's coming out tomorrow to have a look. He spoke to the electrician, who told him that it was only meant to be a temporary job until we decided how we wanted it wired! Hopefully it'll be sorted properly soon.

Best Wishes, Dave

[Ed Sirett]

I supplied a boiler from it's own dedicated socket in the cupboard it was installed in. The flex was clipped. I submitted a building notification online - CORGI inspected it - (probably because this was the only boiler in the area where the installer had submitted a notice [1]) and I got sent a defect notice telling me to replace the socket supply with a SFCU.

[1] I was speaking to a couple of other registered installers the other day and asked them if they were submitting notices for their installations. The reply was on the lines "Don't be daft - I'm not getting involved with that crap".