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[pauls]

Long time no posts.
Hope everybody is having a great xmas
Anyway quick question my bathroom pull cord stopped working so I thought ok I will take it out and put in a normal switch outside the bathroom. So I went into the loft to find the wire into the light. When I pulled the insulation back that was covering the wires going into the light the insulation was black and burnt like it had been on fire.
I dont believe this has happened since we own the house but my question is we have a upto date board that was put in a couple of years ago if this fire happened now would it trip the board out. Also it looks like the yellow green wires are not connected to anything would this have cause the fire.

[ronnyd]

Get yourself a qualified sparky asap mate.

[pauls]

Thanks but doesn't really help as sparkys round here are few and far between and the ones that are never return your phone calls.

[dave the builder]

Was the new fuse box / consumer unit put in by a qualified NIC-EIC or NAPIT electrician who supplied complete certification of the work/installation ?

an Insulation resistance test for that circuit will be should be  on the certificate

along with any departures from BS 7671 (wiring regs)

have you had the light replaced since ? extractor fan running off the same pull cord ?

 "the insulation was black and burnt like it had been on fire" sounds like insulation break down (due to overheating) ,loose connection , or overload due to under-size conductor 

I dont believe this has happened since we own the house   

how would you know 

but my question is we have a upto date board that was put in a couple of years ago if this fire happened now would it trip the board out. Also it looks like the yellow green wires are not connected to anything would this have cause the fire.

Even the very latest board with SPDs ,RCBOs, even  AFDDs is unlikely to trip if the cables and connections are in poor condition  or badly installed .

Yellow/green wires = CPC = Circuit Protective Conductor = "EARTH"
if class 2 (double insulated/plastic fittings, designed to operate without the need for a CPC/EARTH) fittings & switches are used then the CPC just protects the live cables .

As you are asking such questions ,I'd suggest you find a qualified electrician who will do a full PIR (periodic inspection report) and advise you what works are required to stop your house burning down /electrocution/shock etc .

better to be safe than dead 



 

 

[Sir Tigger KC]

Yep agreed the OP needs an electrician in to do a condition report and I think the last one I had done cost about £150, which isn't much for peace of mind!

Seems to be no shortage of Sparky's in and around Minehead either, but it's a fair point about trades not answering the phone! 

Maybe they're still stuffed full of turkey and can't get off the sofa! 

https://www.yell.com/ucs/UcsSearchAction.do?scrambleSeed=449162342&searchType=proximityadvance&filterDistance=10&keywords=electricians&location=minehead

[dave the builder]

£150 for a PIR is VERY CHEAP 
Take off the call out and cert fees there's not much dollar left to pay for time for testing .
I'd suggest £300+ a more realistic figure PLUS vat .

This is the problem, "Electrician" fits "latest" consumer unit for £200 ,no paperwork 

Had the board been installed well and installation fully tested ,there'd be an NIC-EIC sticker on the board with a phone number to ask about "crispy burnt wiring" 
and a real test certificate 

[Sir Tigger KC]

£150 for a PIR is VERY CHEAP 
Take off the call out and cert fees there's not much dollar left to pay for time for testing .
I'd suggest £300+ a more realistic figure PLUS vat .

This is the problem, "Electrician" fits "latest" consumer unit for £200 ,no paperwork 

Had the board been installed well and installation fully tested ,there'd be an NIC-EIC sticker on the board with a phone number to ask about "crispy burnt wiring" 
and a real test certificate 

I'll check my records, but it was nowhere near £300. 

[pauls]

Iam sure the board etc was fully tested I will have to dig out the paperwork. I could contact the installer but I dont think he will travel from Scotland. Yes we have lots of trade people here but they like to pick and choose.last time I needed one it took 12 calls and 18month wait

[dave the builder]

£150 for a PIR is VERY CHEAP 
Take off the call out and cert fees there's not much dollar left to pay for time for testing .
I'd suggest £300+ a more realistic figure PLUS vat .

This is the problem, "Electrician" fits "latest" consumer unit for £200 ,no paperwork 

Had the board been installed well and installation fully tested ,there'd be an NIC-EIC sticker on the board with a phone number to ask about "crispy burnt wiring" 
and a real test certificate 

I'll check my records, but it was nowhere near £300. 

was the inspection 20+ years ago ? 
maybe you've only got 1 socket and 1 light fitting   
some houses have lights in every room 

There are companies that do do PIRs / EICRs for cheap but the certs tend to be full of bogus results or N/As or pre filled in boxes ,unable to test ,limitations
not worth the paper they are printed on IMHO

£85 EICR.... of pants ,VIDEO example

[dave the builder]

Iam sure the board etc was fully tested I will have to dig out the paperwork. I could contact the installer but I dont think he will travel from Scotland. Yes we have lots of trade people here but they like to pick and choose.last time I needed one it took 12 calls and 18month wait

Good Electricians are busy people 
If you want the job done correctly ,it will cost more than a drink .
If the board has been correctly installed and NIC-EIC certified then a full EICR may not be required
just ask them to pop and look at the cable fault 

https://www.niceic.com/householder/find-a-contractor

[Marks DTM Calib]

Probably just a lose terminal or failed contact in the switch adding a bit of resistance and hence it got hot.

Just replace the wire and fit new

[Andy H]

How old is the wiring?
My first house was built in 1954 and had rubber insulated cables. When I moved in (in 1988) the ends of the cables had perished but the cables buried in the walls were like new.
Some switches and sockets had loose screws (which caused overheating) and the insulation fell off as I pulled the accessories out of the wall to inspect them 

[Andy B]

with the exception of Mark .... the house bashing equivalent is like saying just take your car to the nearest garage without even lifting the bonnet to take a look.

My consumer unit was put in by me years before Part P regs were introduced & the house hasn't set on fire yet. Ironically I'm
 qualified to do sparking at work but not at home under Part P.

[Rangie]

Do you have any insurance other than contents etc, we have one with Anglian Water that covers for electrical & plumbing emergencies this would cover an " electrical burning" might be worth checking or obtaining doesn't cost much £15 per month, and attendance is within a few hours.

[dave the builder]

with the exception of Mark .... the house bashing equivalent is like saying just take your car to the nearest garage without even lifting the bonnet to take a look.

The fact that the OP is asking the questions and doesn't know if "yellow green wires" should be connected  suggests the level of electrical competence quite low .

I'm all for people doing simple DIY jobs safely ,but would you advise someone to fix their brakes if they didn't know what the pads where ? 

just like car brakes , 230 volts of A.C is dangerous if you get it wrong ,not only for the original "tinkerer"