Lights not working after total rewire. Advice?

Aubrey_Thicket

Hi all


My brother recently renovated an old farmhouse. The renovation was total and included a full, new rewire. The building was taken back to the brick and 100% brand new electrical cable was installed by the electricians (who by the way are Napit accredited etc). I actually saw the company install new cabling all round the house. Then a few weeks later after the replastering the electricians came back and fitted all brand new plug sockets, switches, ceiling lights, a brand new consumer box, alarm, smoke alarms etc, etc. I have seen all the goods (were new) in their boxes with my own eyes. So, everything went well and the job was finished. The electricians mentioned to my Brother whilst working that they are working far away in Dorset (We're in North West) for the next couple of months. So, the day after they left my Bro went round installing bulbs in the new ceiling lights. However, he has now discovered that the 2 way landing light doesn't work. There is a switch at the bottom of the stairs and one at the top and none of them turn the light on. Obviously something is faulty somewhere...Indeed, now the sparkys can't get back to repair it for a couple of months and ideally Bro wants it sorting earlier. The unusual thing is the working relationship they have with my Bro is great and they say they will sort it in a couple of months. Bro doesn't want to fall out with the sparkys so I'm sort of trying to intervene and maybe get a resolution. With this in mind, my question is to the sparkys out there...


If you had just done a complete new rewire, new sockets, new consumer board etc what would you estimate the problem would be if the 2 way landing light didn't work?


Regards

JJ_Egan

2- way Light switches wrongly wired /connected .

boom

We had a similar problem and it was a crossed neutral which was fixed at the consumer unit end by the electrician.

neilmcl

At the end of the day your brother has a simple choice. Either wait for a month or two until his electricians are available again, not ideal but forcing them to fix it sooner might ruin the relationship he has with them. The alternative is to employ another electrician to fix the fault and deduct his charge from the amount he's paying the other lot.

forgotmyname

If your competent with the electrics and can make sure the power is off on that circuit. Beware crossed circuits though.

Check the switch is wired and the ceiling wires are connected. Other that that its best left to the electrician. You could always call in a local guy.

Or get a small lamp to lightup the stairs in the meantime?

Mojisola

Aubrey_Thicket wrote: »

I actually saw the company install new cabling all round the house.

Then a few weeks later after the replastering the electricians came back and fitted all brand new plug sockets, switches, ceiling lights, a brand new consumer box, alarm, smoke alarms etc, etc.

So, everything went well and the job was finished.

So, the day after they left my Bro went round installing bulbs in the new ceiling lights.

I wouldn't consider the job finished until the sparkys had tested all the fittings they had installed! Did they really walk away without testing everything?

System

Hi

start with what is common and from 1 end.

Working lamp
Faulty fitting

Neutral not connected.
Live not connected in switch plates.
Switchwire not connected in switch plates.

Presumably with it not working you don't know if it is connected to the Upstairs lighting circuit, or the Downstairs and isolation will be tricky.

Chino

Aubrey_Thicket wrote: »

Bro doesn't want to fall out with the sparkys

Why would your brother want to use these electricians again? They evidently don't test their work and may have left him with a potentially unsafe and dangerous installation.

kwikbreaks

Obviously check the bulb as already mentioned.

There is more that one way to wire up a two way circuit and it is possible that the neutral comes from one ring and the live the other so I'd start out by switching both upstairs and downstairs off at the consumer unit.

With that done I'd check that the wires are pushed well in and the screws are tight on each and every connector both in the light and switches. If that didn't fix it I'd decide on whether to wait, upset the original installer by insisting they fix it or pay somebody else with the virtual certainty that I wouldn't be able to recover that cost.

I've had a light fail in a house that was maybe 10 years old. When I checked it out I found it was down to a loose connection (I forget exactly where). On a ring main that could have been very dodgy because of the higher current draw.

Heedtheadvice

No need to fall out with the electricians or ruin what is perceived as a good relationship.

Tell Bro to get in touch with them and tell them he needs the lights working and if they cannot come themselves to sub contract it.

He does have a certificate of the work being complete including all the test results? He has not paid yet?

Edit:
Not really sure of the value of NAPIT to a customer (it is new to me unlike the well known NICEIC and SELECT bodies which would be my first choices). Would NOT recommend a DIY fix, however easy it may be as that might invalidate any protection you may have and if you are in England or Wales you should not attempt that anyway!

Now if they do not cooperate then that is different!
If he has not paid yet and they will not rectify what will be a simple error timeously after giving the opportunity to rectify then other actions will be open to him.