DIYbanter - View Single Post - Non-fused and non-earthed

wrote:
A friend of mine was teling me about his flat recently. he had a new
kitchen installed and had some sockets moved. The fitter removed all
the fuses from the fuse box (the old slot in kind with fuse wire) but
apparently the kitchen circuit was still live. Switching the main plug
did work though. In the cupboard there seems to be two fuse boxes
both with only a few fuses in. Also the electrician or fitter moved a
socket but didn't install a new cable so the chasing down the wall is
diagonal. Apparently the council signed off the work.

Also, the lighting ciruit has no earth and he was recommended to
replace the metal light switches with plastic ones. He was told that
he couldn't have a new consumer unit as the feed to the flat wasn't up
to the job.

Can anyone comment on all this as to whether it's normal or legal etc?

More detail would really help, but it sounds like this might be an
ancient rubber installation in need of replacement. If its 1960s pvc
with unearthed lighting, there is a lot less to worry about, though it
would still be short of modern standards.

Either way I doubt theres much mileage in an inspection/test, since it
will fail on a number of points, and if you dont understand the issues
with it now you ilkely wouldnt be able to put the test result issues
into a meaningful perspective. And to rectify things would need a full
rewire anyway.

That leaves motivation from finding out how much is wrong as the only
use of an inspection, but you could get that free by telling us more
about it.

NT