"Electrician" wired my house

whampiri · 08-07-2019 11:04am #1

Just bought a new house 4 weeks ago in Cork city and asked an electrician buddy to come over and change a few sockets. In addition to this, we noticed that one of the electric showers was a bit dodgy so we asked him to have a look at the wiring. The motor was fried so he headed into the attic to make the whole thing safe and he cut the cable in the picture out.

Says we're lucky that the house is still standing.

In addition to this, the previous couple moved their oven. So, there's a cooker cable that has been run from the kitchen, through the ceiling, into a bedroom(not tacked in), into the attic, back down through the hot press and back into the kitchen.

Buddy says that it's not exactly safe. We're concerned that there's other stuff wrong that we can't see.

Who can I contact to get a full check done and how much should it cost?

Tasfasdf · 08-07-2019 11:08am

whampiri wrote: »

Just bought a new house 4 weeks ago in Cork city and asked an electrician buddy to come over and change a few sockets. In addition to this, we noticed that one of the electric showers was a bit dodgy so we asked him to have a look at the wiring. The motor was fried so he headed into the attic to make the whole thing safe and he cut the cable in the picture out.

Says we're lucky that the house is still standing.

In addition to this, the previous couple moved their oven. So, there's a cooker cable that has been run from the kitchen, through the ceiling, into a bedroom(not tacked in), into the attic, back down through the hot press and back into the kitchen.

Buddy says that it's not exactly safe. We're concerned that there's other stuff wrong that we can't see.

Who can I contact to get a full check done and how much should it cost?

****ing hell that dodgy, I hope he has insurance(electrician) and get it fixed through him

whampiri · 08-07-2019 11:11am

Unfortunately I think the guy who did it was the previous owner. As my buddy said, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

08-07-2019 11:11am

Tasfasdf wrote: »

****ing hell that dodgy, I hope he has insurance(electrician) and get it fixed through him

lol

Not a hope you'll see that lad again.
buyer beware

NIMAN · 08-07-2019 11:13am

So do you know for sure the guy who did the dodgy work was <nationality> and if so, is his nationality relevant?

Ultimate Seduction · 08-07-2019 11:13am

What's this got to do with a < nationality > electrician?

Plumbthedepths · 08-07-2019 11:15am

Tbh an incredibly misleading thread title.

ampleforth · 08-07-2019 11:17am

whampiri wrote: »

Just bought a new house 4 weeks ago in Cork city and asked an electrician buddy to come over and change a few sockets. In addition to this, we noticed that one of the electric showers was a bit dodgy so we asked him to have a look at the wiring. The motor was fried so he headed into the attic to make the whole thing safe and he cut the cable in the picture out.

Says we're lucky that the house is still standing.

In addition to this, the previous couple moved their oven. So, there's a cooker cable that has been run from the kitchen, through the ceiling, into a bedroom(not tacked in), into the attic, back down through the hot press and back into the kitchen.

Buddy says that it's not exactly safe. We're concerned that there's other stuff wrong that we can't see.

Who can I contact to get a full check done and how much should it cost?

Not sure where the <nationality> part comes in here. Are you assuming or do you actually know the person who did that while the previous owner occupied the place? Even if so, the question is more about if you have good, training people or the other kind...

Doop · 08-07-2019 11:18am

You're the victim of bad DIY unfortunately, get a couple of registered electricians round to do a quote for an assessment, likely wouldn't be able to quote for a repair until they know whats required.

whampiri · 08-07-2019 11:22am

I know the person who owned the house was < nationality > and have strong reason to believe that he did the job based on equipment found in the shed.

ampleforth · 08-07-2019 11:24am

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

Tbh an incredibly misleading thread title.

+1

This looks like the typical home-owner I-can-do-that-myself-its-just-a-wire 'work' after about 8 Guinness and misplaced reading glasses...

BarryD2 · 08-07-2019 11:59am

Did you commission any sort of survey of the house prior to purchasing? If so, you'd think from your description that they might have picked up on the issues arising?

whampiri · 08-07-2019 12:01pm

BarryD2 wrote: »

Did you commission any sort of survey of the house prior to purchasing? If so, you'd think from your description that they might have picked up on the issues arising?

We got a standard bricks and mortar survey done. It didn't go into the electrics... unfortunately.

NIMAN · 08-07-2019 12:02pm

whampiri wrote: »

I know the person who owned the house was <nationality> and have strong reason to believe that he did the job based on equipment found in the shed.

His nationality is still irrelevant though.

katiek102010 · 08-07-2019 12:03pm

Did you get an electrical certificate with the house when you purchased it? If so go through the person, company who signed the cert.

ampleforth · 08-07-2019 12:07pm

Standard surveys usually tell you things like 'Rewiring should be considered' or something like that.

Get a few quotes (preferably also from one usually exceptionally well-trained and fast working <nationality> electrician) to really find out what needs to be done...

whampiri · 08-07-2019 12:14pm

katiek102010 wrote: »

Did you get an electrical certificate with the house when you purchased it? If so go through the person, company who signed the cert.

No, never heard of one of those. Live and learn I guess.

08-07-2019 12:41pm

Mod note: As a number of posters have correctly pointed out the nationality of the electrician is irrelevant. On that basis no more mentioning of the nationality will be tolerated.

Thank you.

Plumbthedepths · 08-07-2019 12:43pm

katiek102010 wrote:

Did you get an electrical certificate with the house when you purchased it? If so go through the person, company who signed the cert.

My understanding is these certs only apply to work carried out by a registered electrician.

Oasis1974 · 08-07-2019 12:46pm

But you have to get a full rewire if the wiring is to old no electrician would touch my house and it was only built in the mid 1960s.

kramer1 · 08-07-2019 12:53pm

Periodic inspection report will give you a good idea of the state of the electrics. Won't cover everything but it's a good place to start

thomas anderson. · 08-07-2019 1:21pm

I'm no electrician but even I went OOOOFF

ampleforth · 08-07-2019 2:15pm

whampiri wrote: »

Who can I contact to get a full check done and how much should it cost?

I wonder if this could be exhibited in an art show... and how this show would then be called

'A metamorphosis of Possibilities'

'Wired Extravaganza'

'Fun with Power'

mmmm

stiofan85 · 08-07-2019 8:14pm

Just get a periodic inspection report and go from there. You can't figure this out from an internet forum - that's how I ended up subbed to this forum! Bought a house, rewired by a sparks who never came back and left me nervous. Searched all the forums online and ended up getting a PIR done and he rectified a couple of bits. If you need work done the report will tell you.

Well worth it. Think mine was €400 or so

frankythefish · 08-07-2019 8:21pm

Shop around. you ll get a periodic inspection report done for circa 250. See what comes up on the report and work from there

frankythefish · 08-07-2019 8:24pm

250 plus vat I got a periodic inspection report done for. That was a 3 bed semi d

stiofan85 · 08-07-2019 8:29pm

Yeah sorry, mine was around the 200 mark then a few bits to get fixed

Sleeper12 · 08-07-2019 8:34pm

kramer1 wrote:

Periodic inspection report will give you a good idea of the state of the electrics. Won't cover everything but it's a good place to start

Off topic here but I'd love to see insurance companies looking for these every 8 to 10 years for domestic.

Nikki Sixx · 08-07-2019 8:36pm

Not being sarcastic, but would your electrician friend who did bits and bobs, not do other parts of the house that could be dodgy?

Risteard81 · 08-07-2019 8:50pm

frankythefish wrote: »

Shop around. you ll get a periodic inspection report done for circa 250.

Depends greatly on the size and complexity of the installation, and also the level of inspection and testing agreed. As such it's unwise to suggest that periodic inspection and testing will cost A or B - it's much more complex than that.

whampiri · 08-07-2019 9:33pm

Nikki Sixx wrote: »

Not being sarcastic, but would your electrician friend who did bits and bobs, not do other parts of the house that could be dodgy?

He'll have a look about no problems. His point is that he'd prefer if we got peace of mind by getting someone with insurance to do it.

Nikki Sixx · 08-07-2019 9:58pm

whampiri wrote: »

He'll have a look about no problems. His point is that he'd prefer if we got peace of mind by getting someone with insurance to do it.

I’d get him to do the essentials, your house could burn down!

Stoner · 09-07-2019 8:28pm

Nikki Sixx wrote:

Iâ€™d get him to do the essentials, your house could burn down!

A registered electrical contractor would be needed for these works as it sounds like it needs a lot of work and everything should be above board.

Risteard81 · 09-07-2019 9:39pm

Stoner wrote: »

A registered electrical contractor would be needed for these works as it sounds like it needs a lot of work and everything should be above board.

It is worth pointing out that inspection and testing, e.g. for a periodic inspection, is in itself Restricted Electrical Works.

10-07-2019 10:46am

Risteard81 wrote: »

It is worth pointing out that inspection and testing, e.g. for a periodic inspection, is in itself Restricted Electrical Works.

Correct, but this only applies to domestic installations.
The general consensus is that the aim of this rule is to reduce tax evasion (otherwise it would apply to iHe rest of the industry).

Risteard81 · 10-07-2019 10:58am

2011 wrote: »

Risteard81 wrote: »

It is worth pointing out that inspection and testing, e.g. for a periodic inspection, is in itself Restricted Electrical Works.

Correct, but this only applies to domestic installations.
The general consensus is that the aim of this rule is to reduce tax evasion (otherwise it would apply to iHe rest of the industry).

I agree that only applies to domestic installations. They are otherwise Controlled Electrical Works. However, it was a domestic installation being discussed here.

10-07-2019 1:10pm

Risteard81 wrote: »

I agree that only applies to domestic installations. They are otherwise Controlled Electrical Works. However, it was a domestic installation being discussed here.

That’s fair enough.
I just wanted to highlight that there is no technical reason that a non-registered electrician with the required qualifications and experience could not do this.

I suspect that industrial maintenance electricians may be best suited to this area as they tend to spend more time than most carrying out detailed inspections on more complex systems. As with most things it’s hard to beat experience.

10-07-2019 1:16pm

2011 wrote: »

Correct, but this only applies to domestic installations.
The general consensus is that the aim of this rule is to reduce tax evasion (otherwise it would apply to iHe rest of the industry).

I believe the reason it doesn't apply to industrial is that a company can hire electricians for building/plant maintenance without becoming a REC.

10-07-2019 2:23pm

BrownFinger wrote: »

I believe the reason it doesn't apply to industrial is that a company can hire electricians for building/plant maintenance without becoming a REC.

If that is the case why introduce a statutory instrument that prevents the same from being permitted domestic installations?

Let's call a spade a spade, we all know that there has been a long history of domestic rewiring "nixers". This was dealt with to a large extent by the introduction of legislation that makes it an offence for non-registered electricians carry out any electrical work "beyond minor works" to a domestic installation. There was never the same issue with industrial installations, therefore I think it was no coincidence that the legislation does not require those working on industrial installations to be REC's despite the increased complexity and risk.

10-07-2019 4:03pm

2011 wrote: »

If that is the case why introduce a statutory instrument that prevents the same from being permitted domestic installations?

By hire I mean staff.
I am on staff in a factory and not a rec.

10-07-2019 5:03pm

BrownFinger wrote: »

By hire I mean staff.
I am on staff in a factory and not a rec.

....yet you are not permitted to wire a domestic installation.
Why do you think that is?

Bruthal · 10-07-2019 5:52pm

2011 wrote: »

....yet you are not permitted to wire a domestic installation.
Why do you think that is?

Revenue

10-07-2019 6:13pm

Bruthal wrote: »

Revenue

That is my belief (see post #39), I want to see what BrownFinger‘s view is.

EHP · 11-07-2019 7:24am

Bruthal wrote: »

Revenue

No doubt the real reason was revenue disguised as being for improving safety. The belief was that domestic work was generally more prone to dodgy work being completed by handymen etc but commercial/industrial was more self regulated even though we all no of areas in these industries that are also completed by handymen etc. Be under no illusion in the next few years the regulations will apply to industrial/commercial works just watch the gas regs they also are only for domestic but will soon be for all areas.

As for the ops issues he legally needs a rec to complete the periodic inspection and probably needed one for the works completed by his buddy already.

whampiri · 11-07-2019 8:08am

Thanks all. Will be getting that cert ASAP.

Stoner · 13-07-2019 11:28am

whampiri wrote:

Thanks all. Will be getting that cert ASAP.

Thank you. Sorry that the thread went a bit off topic. Hopefully you got the advice you wanted.

"Electrician" wired my house

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