I don't believe it!

[The Medway Handyman]

Working for a guy today who completely gutted his kitchen, then broke his foot. May put an advert in A&E :-)

One of the jobs was to plasterboard a wall, directly over the existing plasterboard/stud wall.

In the area that was once between the work surface & wall units there were three double sockets. Removed the left hand one to fed the cables through the new plasterboard and found 4 x 2.5mm T&E cables crammed into it.

One was the power in and ran diagonally down from the ceiling passing through three studs on the way.

Two cables ran sockets above & below. Last cable seemed to run horizontally to the right towards the other sockets. Along the line between the sockets I noticed badly filled spots at roughly 600mm centres.

Subsequent piggling about revealed that the cable ran under the PB, out & over the timber stud, back under the PB, over the next stud, back under.... you get the idea. Held down on each stud with a cable clip. Went for a total run of about 3m.

I gave him the number of my electrician friend and got on with the other jobs.

Maybe Part P has it's uses.

[Grunff]

I've seen this exact same thing at a friend's house.

[Guy King]

The message from "The Medway Handyman" contains these words:

I bet he was totally gutted.

[Velvet]

Still annoying for those who would have done the job and done it right, if it weren't for the Part P red tape :)

Velvet

[Owain]

Maybe wander down the ambulance station with some fridge magnets ...?

Like stopping him or you redoing the job properly?

Owain

[TonyK]

Snip.

But Part P wouldn't prevent anyone from doing this. How many bathrooms, kitchens etc get fitted without BCO inspection? Unless they license the sale of electrical fittings, cable etc and record to whom kitchens and bathrooms are sold and then do random inspections regulations don't stop anything. They simply open a door to prosecution in the unlikely event that someone is discovered doing something they shouldn't. The only time this is likely to happen is when a death is investigated in which case Part P is little consolation.

[The Medway Handyman]

Strangely this guy rang my home number about half an hour after a guy who had broken his arm & wanted some banisters finished. My eldest daughter took both calls having just got in after her night shift - as a paramedic.

Spooky!

[Guy King]

The message from "The Medway Handyman" contains these words:

Not spooky at all, you've just got her handing out business cards.

[Owain]

Stick them on the ambulance ceiling where victims can see them as they're lying stretched out on a spinal board.

I'm surprised the NHS haven't got round to advertising on/in ambulances. Perhaps you could negotiate the master franchise. Include the sirens, as the two-tones could be replaced by the Intel chimes.

Is she allowed to give out cards on duty?

Owain

[meow2222]

PP increases the cost of a qualified spark doing it, so bodges will be more frequent. Then PP stops people putting it right. Great law.

NT

[Ed Sirett]

Provided the cable runs horizontally or vertically to/from an accessory [1] does this constitute a breach of the regs. Does Part A forbid the modification of studs as it would rafters or joists?

Obviously it is better and more pleasing to bore a 13mm hole in the studs.

[1] Or within the top 150mm of the wall.

[Andrew Gabriel]

What happened -- did he walk off the edge of the landing, or something? ;-)

[The Medway Handyman]

Tripped over the cat!