 |
By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
|
Yep since September my home has been failing it's electric test.
So I've had a new earth from the power company and then had another sparky out to check it was installed 
Another sparky came out, house is still peaking to high and it failed the test.
A week later... Another sparky came out and yep you guessed it, it failed the week after too 
So it needs a rewire!
October, 2 tests, both failed.
November a test, failed
Ok survey for a rewire.
Its a case of channelling all new plugs in every room, in solid walls, 2 full weeks. High priority Im told.
Got a date, 3rd Jan.
Got a call, delayed a week.
Another Monday gone and anyone turn up??
No 
Before you say get a different company it's council
Sorry for the moan but Im blowing more than my house fuses right now   |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
|
No a decent sparky would realise that my Tv, sky box, router, home phone, external harddrive, black box and lamp all run off the light fuse
Thing is I have to have the lamp as for some reason turning lights on, makes everything pop
Ps No I didnt wire into the light fuse, the previous tenant did; and no I didnt wire the electric shower over the top of the instalation in the loft but I do like showering by candlelight  |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
"No a decent sparky would realise that my Tv, sky box, router, home phone, external harddrive, black box and lamp all run off the light fuse
Thing is I have to have the lamp as for some reason turning lights on, makes everything pop
Ps No I didnt wire into the light fuse, the previous tenant did; and no I didnt wire the electric shower over the top of the instalation in the loft but I do like showering by candlelight "
Sounds like some prat as wired an mains radial/ring into an mcb for a lighting circuit. Have a look at the consumer unit and if the circuit breaker that keeps tripping has 6A on it, it is underated for running sockets. A socket circuit should have 32A for a ring main and 16A or 20A for a radial circuit (a radial is one wire out connecting all the sockets up in series, no return wire).
If that's what you've got then I'm not surprised it's tripping. All it needs is a new mcb fitted for the socket circuit and the live wire moved to it. |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
|
"No a decent sparky would realise that my Tv, sky box, router, home phone, external harddrive, black box and lamp all run off the light fuse
Thing is I have to have the lamp as for some reason turning lights on, makes everything pop
Ps No I didnt wire into the light fuse, the previous tenant did; and no I didnt wire the electric shower over the top of the instalation in the loft but I do like showering by candlelight
Sounds like some prat as wired an mains radial/ring into an mcb for a lighting circuit. Have a look at the consumer unit and if the circuit breaker that keeps tripping has 6A on it, it is underated for running sockets. A socket circuit should have 32A for a ring main and 16A or 20A for a radial circuit (a radial is one wire out connecting all the sockets up in series, no return wire).
If that's what you've got then I'm not surprised it's tripping. All it needs is a new mcb fitted for the socket circuit and the live wire moved to it."
Oooh wishy 
Thing is I only have 1 plug in the livingroom and 1 in the hallway etc, and 2 in my bedroom etc, (11 in a large 3 bed house) so it's a little more than re-wiring the stupid wiring that was here when I moved in
Also I have 1 living room light switch on the front wall, no switches on the doors, etc
But thank you  |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
"No a decent sparky would realise that my Tv, sky box, router, home phone, external harddrive, black box and lamp all run off the light fuse
Thing is I have to have the lamp as for some reason turning lights on, makes everything pop
Ps No I didnt wire into the light fuse, the previous tenant did; and no I didnt wire the electric shower over the top of the instalation in the loft but I do like showering by candlelight
Sounds like some prat as wired an mains radial/ring into an mcb for a lighting circuit. Have a look at the consumer unit and if the circuit breaker that keeps tripping has 6A on it, it is underated for running sockets. A socket circuit should have 32A for a ring main and 16A or 20A for a radial circuit (a radial is one wire out connecting all the sockets up in series, no return wire).
If that's what you've got then I'm not surprised it's tripping. All it needs is a new mcb fitted for the socket circuit and the live wire moved to it."
Love it when you talk dirty ....... |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By *nnyMan
over a year ago
Glasgow |
".........
Before you say get a different company it's council
Sorry for the moan but Im blowing more than my house fuses right now "
I dunno about social housing in England but in Scotland loss of electrical power counts as an emergency repair and should be rectified within 1 day (or 3 days if it's a partial loss). You should also be entitled to some money if they fail to comply. |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
My boiler is broken I have 3 pairs of socks on trousers t-shirt jumper fleece and a blanket huddled round the fire, I can see my breath when I go upstairs, the only good thing is its forcing me to go the gym so I can fetch a hot shower and get ready in the warmth! X |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
|
"My boiler is broken I have 3 pairs of socks on trousers t-shirt jumper fleece and a blanket huddled round the fire, I can see my breath when I go upstairs, the only good thing is its forcing me to go the gym so I can fetch a hot shower and get ready in the warmth! X "
Oooh no, I hope you get it fixed soon |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
"No a decent sparky would realise that my Tv, sky box, router, home phone, external harddrive, black box and lamp all run off the light fuse
Thing is I have to have the lamp as for some reason turning lights on, makes everything pop
Ps No I didnt wire into the light fuse, the previous tenant did; and no I didnt wire the electric shower over the top of the instalation in the loft but I do like showering by candlelight "
Shouldn't this have been checked and rectified by the council prior to you moving in?the electrics are obviously unsafe and you are possibly at risk, I'd be having serious words with them about it. |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
Thanks. I'm off to buy a little heater for the bedroom today to keep me warm till it gets fixed. I got dressed under the duvet this morning! Gym again tonight for shower ha ha x |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
It might pay to remind council of the need to supply decent housing this includes safe electrics and heating. Sounds like council are sub contracting to British Gas, and as such they need to apply pressure to sort it. |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
|
Im just sat waiting (praying) someone either turns up or phones.
The council put out for tender last year and British gas got the contract.
Sad I know this, but when I ring, they always have an excuse.
Up for tender, Offered a 2 year contract with the council; training new staff, setting up a local centre, employing staff from the old company, retraining staff they've taken on.
The electric is on, If I use the mains lights it trips (mostly)
If I use the washer and dishwasher at the same time it trips.
Ive learnt how to use my appliances without tripping things, I just wish my kids would.
I am a priority however over xmas some houses lost all power and some became empty so others got a higher priority than mine, as no power is first and empty houses needing rewiring is second (so they can get them re let)
It's just horrible without carpets in the bedrooms and having half our stuff packed and stuck out in the shed (where I am hoping it doesn't get damp and ruined) |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
I don't want to alamr you but you have a dangerous electrical installation. The circuits breakers are overloading with the appliances you have running on them and the only saving grace is that the breakers are doing what they are designed to do by tripping out. Can you tell if you have an RCD fitted? (If you have it would trip and take out a bank of circuit breakers at the same time).
|
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
|
I get individual breakers tripping (usually lights) and mostly the main one is thrown.
They did some emergency temp thing with a second box and the fuse for the cooker is now in that seperate box, so I can cook (electric oven) When I moved in I had to wait a few days to get a sparky to wire up my cooker and when he did it we found the power wouldnt stay on, so the council sent workmen out to see what the issue was. I thought I was going to get a huge bill but the sparky I hired didnt charge me any more and the workmen said I, nor my qualified electrician did not cause any faults and are not liable 
The previous tenant must have been gas and she wired the extension into the lights and wired the shower over the loft instalation and a variety of other things, so she never reported any problems, as she helped caused them, and didnt want a bill. (I do believe they are going to bill her anyway??) |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
Wiring the shower over the top of the loft insulation isn't a problem. Cables heat up when power is put through them and if they are covered by thermal insulation then they get even hotter. The sparky would have known this and should have applied a thermal rating factor when selecting the cable size and breaker for that circuit. Obviously someone has spotted potential problems and wired your cooker into a seperate consumer unit, wiring main circuits into lighting circuits is very very dangerous and I'm surprised your house hasn't either burned down or been rewired sooner tbh.
I'm also amazed that the council let you move into the property without it having an installation certificate (as there is no way your electrics would have passed a full test). I'd phone the council and ask to see the Electrical Installation Certificate and the Electrical Installation Condition Report (rented houses are required by law to have these tests done every five years or with every change of tenant). |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
» Add a new message to this topic
