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Thread: Calling any sparkies......is this an acceptable repair?

  1. #1
    Craftsman
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    Calling any sparkies......is this an acceptable repair?

    Hope to get some advice here please. We've had some work done on the house today and a gas fitter has managed to drill through the electrical ring main. He's effected a repair as shown:



    Two concerns: (1). He's used a stranded cable, not sure of the size but it doesn't look like 2.5mm^2. Can you mix stranded and solid cable? It's not a big worry as I have plenty of spare T+E so I think I'll change it for peace of mind. (2). The connector blocks are rated at 16A 400V, our ring main is 30A 240V, do these connectors need to be changed as well?


    Thanks in advance!

  2. #2
    Journeyman
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    I'm no electrician but that looks like a bodge up

  3. #3
    I’m not a qualified spark but did serve an apprenticeship as an electro-mechanical engineer....
    Definitely doesn’t look right
    Maybe a gel-filled junction box at least? If it’s to be plastered over?

  4. #4
    I’m no spark either but crimping it would have been easier and better
    It’s a bodge

  5. #5
    Master
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    I’m a gas fitter we’ve all drilled through a wire at some point, your pic is a temporary fix and he should arrange for a sparkle to come and make good.

  6. #6
    Grand Master oldoakknives's Avatar
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    Looks very similar to a repair I did once, after drilling through a cable, in my teens in a rented house. I'm not an electrician, and it was a bodge!
    Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.

  7. #7
    Master
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    Not a sparkie but that’s a temporary fix at best, accidents happen but that needs mending properly, I’m concerned the cable in the middle isn’t correctly rated looks small, if any electrical load makes it heat up those choc blocks could melt, that’s a gash repair. I’d have that seen to properly - easy enough to properly crimp something in place and heat shrink it to make it safe
    Good luck spring it out


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  8. #8
    I’m a spark,
    1 - You are correct that the connectors are undersized at 16a
    2 - Again you are correct that the flex used to joint is undersized at 1.5mm
    3 - I guess you will be wanting to plaster over this so using connectors as a joint where not accessible is also wrong.
    Tbh the leg of the ring needs pulling out and replacing either to a box joint in the ceiling or to the next socket....

    Would you let a spark that drilled your gas pipe repair that? It’s need doing properly.

  9. #9
    Master
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    I thought someone would say this.. making a mess to replace but necessary if the sparkie says so


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  10. #10
    Master IAmATeaf's Avatar
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    I definitely would not be happy with that. It looks like the cable is in trunking so I’d get that entire length re-pulled.

  11. #11
    Looking at that I would say he’s done all he can with what he’s got ,to get your power back on temporary,and will hopefully be getting a sparky to sort it properly tomorrow.


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  12. #12
    Craftsman
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    Thanks for all the replies, it does seem to be a bit of a bodge. That area won't be replastered as it will be behind a false chimney breast, so the repair doesn't need to look pretty, but it does need to be permanent. Let's see what transpires tomorrow, as said upthread maybe he just did what he could at the time (and to be fair it was right at the end of the day).

  13. #13
    Journeyman jakesblue's Avatar
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    I had a similar accident with attempting to mount a coat rack over where the mains comes in. Had an emergency electrician come in and he showed me the job he did, you could hardly tell, he'd even used a plastic shrink wrap thing that he heated over the cable so it looked close to perfect. He said that since it was a mains cable it needed to be waterproof, not sure if that's true but he did a cracking job.

    I gave up with the coat rack... Get a sparky in :)


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  14. #14
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by gary1064 View Post
    Thanks for all the replies, it does seem to be a bit of a bodge. That area won't be replastered as it will be behind a false chimney breast, so the repair doesn't need to look pretty, but it does need to be permanent. Let's see what transpires tomorrow, as said upthread maybe he just did what he could at the time (and to be fair it was right at the end of the day).
    I that case you could repair it with Wago terminals in a Wagobox.

  15. #15
    Grand Master Mr Curta's Avatar
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    Could be worse - I once drilled through a gas pipe whilst installing a power point for an electric oven.

  16. #16
    Master
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    Does nobody use a live line indicator now before lifting a drill?, saves a lot of hassle.

  17. #17
    Master Maysie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by joeytheghost View Post
    I’m a spark,
    1 - You are correct that the connectors are undersized at 16a
    2 - Again you are correct that the flex used to joint is undersized at 1.5mm
    3 - I guess you will be wanting to plaster over this so using connectors as a joint where not accessible is also wrong.
    Tbh the leg of the ring needs pulling out and replacing either to a box joint in the ceiling or to the next socket....

    Would you let a spark that drilled your gas pipe repair that? It’s need doing properly.
    He drops the mic....

    He leaves the room....

    DONE

  18. #18
    Craftsman
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    All sorted now with new 2.5mm T+E and proper inline splice (is that the correct word?) connectors.

    Quote Originally Posted by Pitfitter View Post
    Does nobody use a live line indicator now before lifting a drill?, saves a lot of hassle.
    Indeed, would have saved time and money. I had a cheapie one from one of the DIY sheds that did give some "false positives", but I'm sure there must be more reliable models for professional use.

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