No none of that obviously. The guy was sent by the charging point supplier and he fitted an extra one port consumer unit, taking power from the existing Henley Block. There is a sensor on the main line out cable from the meter and the charging point temporarily shuts down if the total load from the meter exceeds 60 Amps (which it is not normally going to do as we use gas for heating, hot water and cooking).
Sounds like a CT clamp on the meter tails.
They should provide certs and are obliged to register the work with local building control.
That ensures if the worst should happen or anything be at fault it remains their liability either to correct an issue or to meet the needs of any insurance claim.
That may well all be true, but it will have been done by the charge point supplier. I had to provide them with my MPAN number in advance and send photos of the meter, main fuse, consumer unit etc, also where I wanted the charging point to be fitted.
They did the installation three days later.
Regardless of installer they should supply certificates of work and notification. Easy enough to ask for it but you shouldnât have to.
As @Mr.M said, as this is a ânew circuitâ, they will need to register the work with local building control, and supply you with a certificate. In my experience of electrical work having been done, this might take a couple of weeks after the job is complete, but you should get it, and if not, ask.
2 Likes
So JimâŚwhenâs the installation date ?
20th July.
1 Like
Fantastic- Iâll get the champagne ready 
1 Like
I think what it boils down to is that the installation needs to be done in accordance with the manufacturerâs instructions, so if you ignore these as an installer you are on your own in the unlikely event of a fault.
When the fat cable comes through a drill hole in the wall, how does an electrician normally install the socket?
I ask because weâre painting the room now - so Iâm trying to predict how much damage the drilling and installation is likely to do (and my electricianâs on holiday so I canât ask him).
It depends if you want it rebated or surface mounted. I had mine surface mounted as there is an HDMI cable heading up the wall for the TV where I wanted the dedicated socket to go. As the socket sits behind the racks (along with other sockets, cable feed,HDMI switcher) , I wasnât bothered about it not being recessed.
Hereâs the fat 10mm2 T&E cable coming through the wall before the wires were trimmed, dressed and the front plate fitted.
2 Likes
As you donât have anything else on that wall in that area, I would imagine he would drill from the outside brickwork inwards, then wherever he comes out, install the socket there - obviously with some measurement beforehand to get to the area you want. He can then either go surface mount or flush. My 10mm SWA cable comes straight into a flush mounted double socket, using a slightly deeper box than usual to give maximum flexibility for the cable. I think the box is 35mm rather than the usual 25mm.
My room was already decorated, and the end result did not need any further attention - lovely clean job
1 Like
Thanks @james_n and @GadgetMan
Thatâs very useful info and a relief that it will not make a total mess of the Farrow & Ball Duck Green paint that has been lovingly painted onto the walls.
Some electricians are reasonably neat, others are shockingly messy and shouldnât be allowed anywhere near a newly decorated room.
A lot will depend on where the socket needs to go relative to where it comes into the room. A wall chase with capping may be required, and you would almost certainly want a plasterer, not an electrician, to make good afterwards.
Re the redecoration, this will depend on the following:
1- what depth of back-box the sparky plans to use, noting 10mm can be challenging to bend, which might mean a deeper box â I think they range depth 35mm to ~47mm (but see on).
2- What the wall construction is â it looks like dry-lined, probably over blocks (3ââ or 4ââ?).
Assuming min 9mm plasterboard as lining plus the dob & dab adhesive (say 11mm), plus ~2mm of surface coat, then the wall should tolerate a back-box being set in without issue i.e. by this I mean, not sinking in so far that a hole is knocked right through the soft thermal block (Iâve seen done).
Itâs usually easy to trim in a back box by cutting through the plaster/plasterboard with a Stanley but runs the risk of the 'board paper âtearingâ and/or the cut edge crumbling but these are usually easy fixes with filler and repainting (see on - the flange on the 'box assists).
Assuming dry-lined with blocks, I suspect the sparks proposes to use one of these:
These have a flange which sits external to the plasterboard (to prevent recessing in to the PB) and the side pieces (yellow) are slid in and can be moved to ensure adequate grip in the hole.
This means that any edge tears and plaster fall-off when chopping in may be covered by the flange and the effective flange of the socket.
Obviously, avoid dust getting on carpets, as block/brisk/plaster dust can stain IME.
The alternative is to go the surface pattress route per @james_n 's pic.
FYI, my deep surface pattresses protrude ~55mm from the wall (exc the plug top). You may be able to get away with thinner (worth mentioning that sparks often like surface mounts given no need to cut out the holes and âmake goodâ â the latter not an accurate term often).
If you really want to avoid the risks of digging out a wall et al, and being mindful that if you ever want to change the room around, you may need a blank faceplate, assuming you donât want to fill in a deep hole, then this may be better, especially if the sockets are in behind a kit stack which, in itself, will need to sit > say 75mm from the wall to allow for cabling, cleaning etc.
1 Like
If the other side of the wall is the exterior of the house, do check the detail of what the electrician plans to do in terms of drilling through and making good out there: E.g. I would expect them to confirm details such as that the hole through the wall will be angled upwards from exterior to interior, and water sealed around the cable entry externally behind whatever trunking is used.
1 Like
Looking good Jim
1 Like
This topic was automatically closed 60 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.