Need help with cracking those EICR codes?
The technical team at NAPIT, with the help of the brand new 18th Edition Codebreakers publication, answer your latest coding queries.
MORDECAI DANISA: Was asked to quote to replace a badly burnt fuse HRC in Sheffield and got the shock of my life – 2.5 T&E being used, no water mains bonding or even gas mains. The 80-year-old homeowner said the shower was ok at first but stopped working after the fuse burnt out.
Codebreakers: Unfortunately, this is probably one of the most commonly seen DIY modifications and can be exasperated further when end of life shower units are changed for a bigger, more powerful type. The risk of thermal damage and fire is very high. If the shower is used for a continued period, the 2.5mm2 conductors are likely to overheat, and their insulation will degrade, exposing the bare conductors, which can then go on to do much more severe damage.
On closer inspection, it seems the CPC has not been used/connected to the shower’s earthing terminal, so most likely has no form of fault protection. The connection made under the red tape is also unlikely to be rated for the current it will be expected to take and will also be a weak point that could fail. The manufacturer’s instructions aren’t likely to have been followed or taken account of, so any warranties may well be void.
PAUL MACKLIN: A great find here! The client informed me he had a consumer unit change the previous day. When we finally went to check on the work this is what we found, with the consumer unit cover laying in front of the installed unit. Shocking!
This is soul destroying, to say the least, it’s deeply concerning when a Client has evidently been taken advantage of by unskilled or uncaring installers.
As the cover is not in place, probably due to the way the cables have been dressed in (or not), there is straight away access to live parts, which can only attract a C1.
With the multitude of cables tangled together and taped off, possibly live conductors, the best and only conclusion is to assign an FI. This is because the whole installation will need to be fully inspected. If this is domestic, the CU may well need to be metallic, which it is not.
There may be a problem with division of circuits with the solitary RCD, but we can’t tell if this is the only CU in the installation, we will assume that it is.
There is a grey twin & earth at the bottom of the photo that is not supported or contained adequately, being at a low level, could easily be snagged and pulled out accidentally.
To find out how you can order your copy of the updated 18th Edition Codebreakers publication visit: www.napitcodebreakers.co.uk
