Common code violations

[ians]

Some of the common code violations I see on a daily basis.

depth and cable marker

b) at least 0,5 m, the backfill around them shall not contain sharp objects and
there shall be a marker tape that runs above the route of the cable, at a
depth of between 0,3 m and 0,4 m.

[ians]

This reg should be applied to twin+E not only open wiring.


6.4.5.2 Each conductor of an open wiring system shall be visible where it is
installed on, over, or next to beams that can be used for walking on, or it shall
be suitably protected against mechanical damage.

This reg would make twin above the beams ... without mechanical protection a code violation

6.4.6.2 Unarmoured multicore cables do not require additional mechanical
protection if they are installed
a) under plaster in walls, or
b) under raised floors, in spaces above ceilings, in partitions or in wall cavities,
but only if they will not be damaged during installation.
6.4.6.3 Unarmoured multicore cables need not be fixed in position in places
such as in roof spaces above ceilings and where the cables are unlikely to be
disturbed.

[ians]

The inspection I am busy with had some of the following issues ... which are all common problems ... lets make this interesting ... add what you feel would be the code related to the violation of each item.

1/ A junction box built into a wall ... I knock a hole into the new wall to gain access to the junction box in the existing wall ... The twin flex wire feeding the light in the roof was plastered.

2/ Old steel piping used as the earth continuity ... I found light switches which had high resistance reading ... the steel screws were rusted.

3/ Old steel pipe feeding the outbuilding was rusted ... which caused 2 code violations ... the first a high earth resistance reading and the second low insulation resistance reading.

4/ Not one of the ceiling fans had an earth wire ... due to the steel piping ... no bonding strap was installed nor earth from the DB.

5/ A 4 mm cable feeding an isolator inside the house and the pool DB (still looking to see if it is a code violation) ... the cable had and open connection with the screwits exposed and the cable from the isolator to a double socket outlet has a 2.5 mm wire between the isolator and the plug.

6/ Faulty earth leakage unit ... the test button did not trip the unit ... and the earth leakage plug test didnt trip the unit.

7/ Incorrect labels and missing labels.

8/ What I thought was was illegal ... however as pointed out ... the use of cabtyre as part of an electrical installation is allowed as per ... as per 3.8.3 and 6.1.1.11 and 6.3.3

9/ Another which I need to check ... the use of 1.5 mm surfix to connect ... lights but using a 15 amp double socket with a 15 amp mcb ... sothe cable runs from the DB to a socket outlet and to a pole light ... the socket outlet has string lights. plugged into it.

[ians]

When doing the test report I believe it should be completed in a manner which makes it easy to identify the problem with the code violation.

For example:

1/ Day/night switch mounted on the left side of the outbuilding not compliant as per regulation 6.3.3.2 (a) (2)

If the test report attached to the quote for repairs doesnt have a detailed breakdown like this ... you send it back to the "inspector" ... if the inspector cannot provide you a detailed breakdown like this you tell him to piss off ... and find someone who can.

2 reason he cant provide the details ... maybe he is not up to date with the code or is incompetent to be issuing COc's.

If you receive a quote with a list that looks like this :

1/ No earth on the light

2/ open wiring

3/ label missing

best you be looking for a suitably qualified inspector ...

If you just looking for a cheap COC and dont give a rats ass about the buyer (as in most cases) then the second option is the way to go

If you the buyer ... get smart and request a copy of the quote with the test report and the COC ... if it looks like the second option ... best you put a hold on the transfer and get a second opinion.

[Derlyn]

It all depends who I am quoting for.

I do not do many COC'S anymore because the attorneys and estate agents think I'm smoking something when I insist on a commisioning fee and the balance cash on completion.

I have pointed out to them that legally I cannot give them credit as I am not a registered credit provider but they couldn't care.

Be that as it may, when I do, on
the odd occasion, att quote on a coc for transfer purposes I give as little details as possible. You give too much detail, your quote gets given to the buddy to beat and he gets the job without even going to site to do an inspection.

My regular clients dont need much detail. They know they getting value for money.

Peace out .. Derek.

[ians]

It all depends who I am quoting for.

I do not do many COC'S anymore because the attorneys and estate agents think I'm smoking something when I insist on a commisioning fee and the balance cash on completion.

I have pointed out to them that legally I cannot give them credit as I am not a registered credit provider but they couldn't care.

Be that as it may, when I do, on
the odd occasion, att quote on a coc for transfer purposes I give as little details as possible. You give too much detail, your quote gets given to the buddy to beat and he gets the job without even going to site to do an inspection.

My regular clients dont need much detail. They know they getting value for money.

Peace out .. Derek.

The problem is the way the system is operating ... people ask for a COC ... companies offer the "COC" at a fixed rate ... be it R650 or R850 or R1500 ... there seems to be no fixed fee

I am busy with a test report/COC at the moment (on hold until next week) ... the estate agent offers the "COC" included in their fee ... so the customer decided to rather go with the estate agent "free" COC ... I told the customer to contact the estate agent and find out if this "free" COC includes any repairs required if any items fail on the "test report" ....... and that where the fight started.

We all know how the free "COC's" work ... we all know nothing in life is free.

One day when a public awareness program is launched (the truman bubble ) ... people will understand how it works.

A tip ... if you are selling your house request a fee for the "COC" and a fee for the "test report" ... if the company or estate agent offers a free COC included in the price ... ask what it is going to cost to issue a test report including the repairs if required.

It use to take me 45 minutes to fill out a 3 page test report and the 1 page COC (total 4 pages) ... I hear the new COC/TEST report is only 2 pages.

Will update once I have collected the new documents.

I can by many test reports that I receive to investigate ... the document is a generic document filled in by the same person in the office with the same test results.

[Dylboy]

Many client comes with wide eyes when you say how it actually works and the true cost and time scale....

They think a CoC is a shop around for the cheapest and quickest to get that box ticked for the sale.... and I mean high degree people of acronyms longer than my arm dont understand it and then I explain the repercussions and the law then the eyes are even wider...

Anyway my new thing I have also decided to do, much like my fitness and cycling is I do me and you do you and I do not compare my self to them as I am not them and they are not me...


And want to do more research on who actually pays for it when it goes wrong, buyer or seller and from what Ians said got me thinking on it.

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

[Dylboy]

For me this one is a violation of new builds ( as not sure when it changed)

As I understand it is that a socket circuit can not have a 20A breaker as it would then need a protected socket outlet.

6.15.3 Single-phase circuits that only supply socket-outlets rated
at 16 A
Single-phase circuits that only supply socket-outlets rated at not more than
16 A
a) shall have overcurrent protection,
b) shall use conductors that are rated at not less than 16 A, and
c) shall, if the circuit protection is rated at more than 20 A, use only protected
socket-outlets, with, as far as is practicable, discrimination between the
protective devices for the circuit and the protective devices associated with
the socket-outlets. The protective device of a protected socket-outlet shall,
1) have a fixed rated current that does not exceed the rating of the socket-
outlet,
2) be mounted next to the socket-outlet that it protects,
3) provide protection against overload currents,
4) provide protection against short-circuit currents, unless short-circuit
protection is provided by a separate device, for example, on the
distribution board,
5) if it needs the protection of a back-up short-circuit device, be marked
with the required or maximum rating of the back-up device,
6) if it protects more than one socket-outlet, be so installed that all the
socket-outlets are connected in parallel, have the same rated current,
and are mounted next to the device, and
7) if it is a circuit-breaker, comply with the requirements of 6.8.2.

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

[ians]

c) shall, if the circuit protection is rated at more than 20 A, use only protected
socket-outlets, with, as far as is practicable, discrimination between the
protective devices for the circuit and the protective devices associated with
the socket-outlets. The protective device of a protected socket-outlet shall,


Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

The way I understand it ... if you use a breaker bigger than 20 amp ... for example you can use a 25 amp breaker for 2.5 mm wire (commonly use din aircon installations) ... however you would then need to have overload protection at the socket outlet.

[Dylboy]

Ahhhh yes ok... more than.... with you now.
Should have read it slower the first time hahaha. Makes sense as they say like max for a 2.5 is a 20A breaker.

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

[ians]

b) shall use conductors that are rated at not less than 16 A, and


Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

I have this situation at the moment ... a customer wanted me to move a light in the garden and fit a weather proof socket outlet for some strip lights.

The DB has a mixed circuit label ... with a 10 amp circuit breaker feeding the light and socket outlet ... with a label on the weather proof socket "for lights only" ... I did consider using a dedicated type socket outlet.

To lift all the paving to replace the cable with a 2.5 mm cable ... was not in the budget.

[GCE]

I have this situation at the moment ... a customer wanted me to move a light in the garden and fit a weather proof socket outlet for some strip lights.

The DB has a mixed circuit label ... with a 10 amp circuit breaker feeding the light and socket outlet ... with a label on the weather proof socket "for lights only" ... I did consider using a dedicated type socket outlet.

To lift all the paving to replace the cable with a 2.5 mm cable ... was not in the budget.

You could use a 4x2 , 5 amp socket outlet in a weatherproof box

[ians]

You could use a 4x2 , 5 amp socket outlet in a weatherproof box

5 amp cord cant be longer than 3 m ?

but I suppose the cord between the strip lights and the socket outlet is only 1.5 m ... the other 5 m of the actual light wouldnt be included.

As I think about it ... I should have installed a junction box ... fitted a wireless switch (like a shelly or sonoff) in side the weatherproof box and just connected both the pole light and strip light to the wireless switch.

The customer has already complained that he tried to use the weed eater but it tripped the 10 amp breaker.

[ians]

I have an interesting COC ... you can see the inspector has been to site and has offered to return to fix a few item not completed before the sale.

I walked around the site to see if it warrants a service sheet ... at first I didnt think so ... but as we dig deeper I am starting to wonder about the lights.

The ceiling is high ... and I hear the inspector will be back to replace one or 2 ... I noticed a couple old brass holder fittings and no earth wire ... then I noticed round boxes outside for the security lights ... all the end boxes facing up and I could bet my scrap box that the glands are not the flat type which will result in a bad IP rating ... then I ask myself ... are the round boxes UV rated for outdoors and are the boxes filled with a compound to improve the IP rating.

I didnt have ladder with me so I havent opened the trap door yet.

So now I ask myself ... who is going to pay for my time to start scratching.

We have another the customer who is complaining about what seems to be a few code violations ... my response to the customer was to get his electrician to open a service sheet and log the time and at the same time create a list of the violations with reference to the code.

It seems it is too easy for people to just complain about COC's without actually understanding how it works and what is covered ... I hear a lot of complaint about light fittings not working ... the wiring to the fitting is correct ... a bulb or 2 might be blown ... this is where public awareness is lacking.