Information needed.

[Stan001]

As you say it is normal for the lighting and fan to be linked with the double isolator (which must go outside the wet room – normally high above doorway). You can obey / get around the 50mm rule by taking your lighting and extractor fan wiring vertically up to the top of the joist (rather than run over the surface of your plasterboard ceiling) and run under P clips. Then as you say you easily lose that horrible plastic trunking at least for the ceiling (which would only collect condensation and mould anyway). Its all an easy and low cost fix except for the wall tiles.
I would not assume that because they work for the council that they will work to spec. many of the trades will do whatever they think they can get away with without a foreman or customer looking over their shoulder.
What is a bit legally mad is that now its installed if you or anyone electrically technically competent want to reroute it (even if you don’t have Part P) I believe you are now legally allowed to do so as you are not extending or adding to a circuit! (but check this). Obviously if you decide to DIY then remove your trip or at minimum tape it up when you work.
Very best of luck with your call to the council . (sorry Im so far away or i would have come and at min made it safe for your parents - its only a 30minute job to fix the overhead wires - slice then add a loop up to over the joist to lose that horizontal trunking - Im a bit worried that those overhead plastic channels have created the equivelent of a drip loop into your fan if its underslung, please get it sorted asap or if your folks need to use it until you get it sorted snap the channel covers off and squirt blobs of silicon at the end of the channels )

 

[Terry Cottar]

Hi guys

Many many thanks for your replies and information, very much appreciated.
My parents have paid for their part of the work but they used a visa debit card, I know from experience that it is possible to recall the payment and I will tell the company that this is exactly what I will do if the problem is not sorted.

As for the regulations, I'm sure these people will have all the things they need as most of the work they do is through the council.

If the fan had to be connected to the light, I don't see why they couldn't have done this when the bathroom was empty, thus the cable would have been hidden.

The electrician was supposed to come back on day four to install the fan but it was a week later when he arrived, don't think this would have made a difference as the tiles were already on by then.

If anyone had said that there would have been trunking over the tiles, I would have got another electrician or company or paid extra to get it hidden, as it is the bathroom is totally ruined and hideous.

I have the number of the social works lady and will give her a call on Monday.
I have no intention of giving up on this and will recall the money my parents have paid and take them to a small claims court to get the problem sorted, wouldn't look good for the company, this happening to two over 70's.

Watch this space for any developments as the company could be named and shamed and reviews placed all over the web.

Many thanks again for your replies and support.

Haywood

If it was a debit card you have no claim back it has to be a credit card

tel

 

[Curt 2444]

yep totally right no back up with debit card i had this with a advertiser a couple of weeks ago who ripped me off. back up if it is a credit card i tried to recall within 5 minutes of the transaction goin through to no avail

curt

 

[mikethetile]

hi hj

welcome to the forum

the building regs quoted above are correct and apply to new build/local authority housing in england

in retro work to private owned property they only apply if you bed the wiring within the wall, in which case it has to conform to building regs and be inspected and passed by someone who holds part p

if you surface mount in trunking those regs dont apply but other regs do

providing the installation complies and is passed by a part p holder , the asthetics are not covered by building control

do not interfere with or alter the installation unless you are quailified to do so

i know this isnt what you want to hear but but wait untill after the holiday and then contact building control for further advice

dont let it ruin your christmas and new year

 

[Haywood.J]

Hi Guys

Thanks again for the information and advice, much appreciated.
The trunking and wires are safe as far as I know, but I'm not an electrician.

I'm sure the debit card is covered as it's a visa and I recalled money that was paid to a big furniture supplier which went bust not that long ago, I'm sure everyone will remember, just before last Christmas.

It did take a little time to get it back though but this was probably because there were thousands trying the same and the administrators were in, I feel it wont take that long with this company.

I am visiting my parents tomorrow so will get some photo's and let you all see what a mess this trunking makes of the bathroom.

Haywood

 

[Curt 2444]

Hi would check this out with visa you would of been paid back by adminastrators because you did not recieve goods you have paid in good faith for a service that you have recieved (even though its not a good one) .dont like to be the bearer of bad news but it happened to me with a flyby salesman spoke to the fraud team at visa said i did not have a leg to stand on because i had give my details to them so its like handing over cash said if i had paid by credit card would be a different story .i know its crap

curt

 

[Olz]

Im pretty sure once you pay using a debit card and the transaction is processed you cant reverse it, you can with a credit card, but a Visa Debit card is not the same as a visa credit card, and sadly doesnt offer the same protection.

Have you got the quote in writing?

Got any pictures?

Try speaking to the company first and getting them to address the issue, in my experience wading straight in with threats of court action, cancelled payments etc will just put them on the defensive, escpecially if you dont have the particulars in writing.

 

[Haywood.J]

Hi Guys

You may be right about the credit or debit cards but as they say there are more ways to skin a cat and the internet is a very powerful tool, especially review websites.

Going to get some photo's today and will post them.

Still waiting on a call back from this company and will wait a little while longer but I know if it was one of my clients I would have called them as soon as possible to straighted things out.

Still got to fill in the satisfaction survey thing for the social services department, so you can guess what will be going on that.

This company has just laid off most of it's workforce due to the building game being so slow, I don't think it could afford to loose the council contract too.

Haywood

 

[diamondtiling]

Tell the Social services that you are worried about the electrics, they will be around in 3 weeks. rrr:

 

[Haywood.J]

Hi Folks

Success, got a call from the company and they are coming back in January to embed the cable in the wall and ceiling, will have to fill and paint a bit but that's not a problem.

Still don't like the idea of the fan coming on when the light is switched on though and the fact that the light is quite dull with my mum being partially sighted.

Since I am going to have to fill a bit of the ceiling anyway I was wondering if we got spotligths in to brighten the bathroom would it be possible for the electrician to run the fan cable along the rest of the ceiling and through the wall to the shower switch outside the bathroom so that it just came on when the shower is switched on?

The only other option I could think of would be to disconnect the fan altogether?

As always I appreciate your input and advice

Haywood

 

[diamondtiling]

You need the fan for ventilation, its part of building regs now. I would leave the fan to do its job, unless you open the window.

 

[Olz]

All new build extractors come on with the light, I've always presumed for this reason, that it cant be done with the shower, just the light, although they usually have an isolator switch to turn it off completley.

Perhaps its on with the light so it extracts smells as well as steam if you get my drift.

 

[redmeriva]

All new build extractors come on with the light, I've always presumed for this reason, that it cant be done with the shower, just the light, although they usually have an isolator switch to turn it off completley.

Perhaps its on with the light so it extracts smells as well as steam if you get my drift.

NEED FOR SPEED !!!