Completion certificate received but we have electricity problems

[LillyHammer]

We have had major renovation work carried out and our property manager has received the certificates from the gas installer/plumber and the electrician.

We have now discovered electrical issues in that some plugs are not working (these were not checked at the time despite promises by our project manager).

Project manager wants us to pay electrician to come in again to sort this issue! Surely we don't have to pay more?

Before our electrics could be certified for our building work, another electrician had to come and do the testing. Not sure how it can be certified without this step? So I wouldn't expect you to have to pay again...

Thanks for that info Marmite. I need to ask questions...

Are the not-working sockets (not plugs) on a circuit that the electrician has just worked on?

Did they work before?

What was the work that the electrician was contracted to do?

PigletJohn I was hoping you would see this. The house has been a total re-wire and we've had 5amp sockets put in ( I know you like these). The ones in our bedroom are not working. We've only discovered this as we've only now got lamps with 5amp plugs on them. I have noticed my computer is also having problems now and again but I don't know if that is the same issue or not. It's on the same circuit.

Our plumber was also contracted (for a lump sum) to do the complete new gas installation and plumbing (including a water softener). We've now discovered that he hasn't put softened water in to the 2 x toilets or one of the cold water taps in the main toilet. This is something that we really wanted but as our project manager has fallen out with the plumber he is saying if we want this to be corrected we need to pay again. The plumber/gas fitter has, apparently, given the project manager his part of the completion certificate.

What can we do to get these certificates corrected? Should we get the local council involved? We feel cheated. It's been so stressful and now this.

Sadly it sounds like your PM is not up to the job. He needs to have an iron hand in a velvet glove and to be respected by the tradesmen, and to have a comprehensive understanding of building even though he is not expected to be highly skilled in all the trades. In time he will have seen all the things that go wrong so he can head them off before they do. By that time he will be old and worn out and can retire to his villa on the Algarve.

To know where fault lies, you would have to look at the specification of work that the electrician and the plumber were contracted to do. Where it omitted detail, e.g. on the softener, the plumber can reasonably have done what is normal, and many people don't use softened water in WCs or drinking taps.

The electrician ought to have completed an installation certificate that has signatures (may be the same or different people) for designing, installing and testing the installation. It would be interesting to see who signed that they had tested it. It would be interesting to know who authorised payment. Delay in paying is not an acceptable reason for withholding the certificate.

BTW 5A round-pin sockets may be used for lighting, but it is abnormal to run a PC off the same circuit. Perhaps the lamps are run off a fused spur from a socket circuit. This is not wrong, but could cause them not to work if their fuse has failed, e.g. if it was overloaded with halogen uplighters.

Thanks PigletJohn.

I was in the house on several occasions when the PM would remind the plumber/gas installer re the situation with the softened water. The PM himself is embarrassed that we have discovered this has not been done as requested.

Interesting re the installation certificate signatures. The PM tells us that he has the certificates from the electrician and the plumber and he's holding on to these until we are satisfied with everything and pay him the last £3k we are owe him (total job was circa £200k as it was a complete rebuild/remodel)

Re the 5A round pin sockets, the PC is not being run from one of those but the PM asked us if we had problems with the PC when we mentioned the sockets in the bedroom were not working. He said they were on the same circuit.

I don't want to pay the PM anymore. We seem to be paying for all his mistakes as we are on a cost + basis and every time he screws up we pay again and again. Do you know what we can do about getting our certificates (and our Banham lock paperwork!) if he refuses to hand these over? Our council allowed him to appoint his own building control company.

You could start by sending a very short formal letter requesting the certificates. See if he does it or if he can think of a reason for refusing.

I don't know if a copy will have been sent to the council BCO.