Electricity not earthed in new build apartment

Cferg

A Sky technician visited my house and reported that there is no earthing in my apartment. 

I've contacted our estate management company who have said they will look into it, but just wondered if I should take this further with Miller Homes (who I purchased the new build through) as the Sky technician said it was very dangerous and could be a fire hazard if the electrics surged (sorry if my terminology is wrong, I am clueless!) 

Thanks in advance  

Reed_Richards

It's both dangerous and illegal for whoever wired it to have left it like that.  You refer to both your house and your apartment so I'm not clear about your situation.  The earth problem might be confined to your apartment or apply to the entire building.

[Deleted User]

Defects within the first two years are a matter for your builder to put right. I would contact them in writing so that you have an audit trail.

niktheguru

You also have to establish if that is true or not. I'm not sure why a sky technician would be looking at if you were earthed or not. Usually they just stick the dish on the wall, drill a hole and connect your box to it. Or if its communal just drill the hole or access the common box. Why would he have gone to your consumer unit or fuses to check earthing?

Ectophile

The good news is that a missing earth is unlikely to be a fire risk. The bad news is that it's a high electrocution risk.

You really need a qualified electrician to check.

matelodave

TBH I'm not sure that a SKY technician (installer) would know what he was talking about but it might be worth checking just in case.

Your electrical system should have been installed and certified at the time it was commisioned so it's down to either your builder or management company to provide you with the appropriate documentation. Is there a sticky label anywhere near the incoming mains, meter, fusebox with any info on it. If it's a new build then the house should have test certificates with all the other bumpf that goes with a new house (is it rented?).

Ectophile

Just because it's got documentation, it doesn't mean the wiring is right.  It only means that somebody filled in a form.  And the person signing off the form may not even have seen the installation they were signing off.

That's why I would recommend getting it checked by someone who knows.  Either the Sky installer was wrong, and the earthing is fine.  Or it's wrong and needs fixing.

Cardew

I find it very difficult to believe an apartment is not earthed. The electrician who wired the apartment must certify it is correct, in writing and registered with the local authority. See:

https://www.niceic.com/find-a-contractor/building-compliance-certificate-check

However, as said above you need to get it checked.

Reed_Richards

A plug-in socket tester will tell you if the socket is earthed.  It would make sense if the Sky technician carried a plug-in socket tester and they might try multiple sockets if the first one failed.  All sockets tested failing the earth test might lead you to conclude that the earth connection is absent.    

knightstyle

I wonder if he was talking about bonding?  There were changes to the regs in the 18th edition and metal pipes entering the building having an insulating section at their point of entry need not be connected to the protective equipotential bonding.
Best to get a qualified person to check.

macman

One socket/circuit not earthed? Or the whole electrical system not earthed? Rather different things.
As above, I'd go round with a plug-in tester. if there really is no earthing anywhere, then the management co. needs to react with rather more urgency than you have indicated so far.
Sky installers are just that: installers. They are not qualified electricians and have only a basic electrical knowledge, nor do they carry any professional test equipment.