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A CALL-OUT IN COLINDALE NW9 SHOWS HOW A LEAK CAN DAMAGE YOUR ELECTRICS
One of our SOR Electrical electricians was recently called out to a ground floor flat in Colindale NW9 to repair an extractor fan in their bathroom. Our electrician noticed that there were water stain marks on the ceiling board near the fan, and down the side of the wall. The tenant explained that their upstairs neighbour had a problem with a leaking washing machine and water had started trickling down through the ceiling in their bathroom and their kitchen.
The leak had also damaged wiring above the kitchen
Our electrician immediately had a look in the ceiling spaces and discovered that not only was the water leakage the cause of the problem with the extractor fan, but some of the wiring above the kitchen had also been affected and was showing signs of corrosion. Furthermore, there was still some water that hadn’t drained away and was still sitting around the wires in the ceiling.
25% of all flat insurance claims in the UK are for damage from water leaks
Water damage is a common problem with electrics with water leakage into ceiling spaces affecting wiring and light fittings. A quarter of all insurance claims made on flats in the UK are for damage caused by water leaks.
WINTER’S HERE!! SO CHECK THOSE ELECTRIC HEATERS AS THIS CALL-OUT IN BAYSWATER W2 SHOWED
With the arrival of winter, people start using their electric heaters again. And of course most of these heaters have been sitting around unused all summer.
SOR Electrical recently had an electrical call-out to a flat in Bayswater, London W2 by the tenant where their electricity had tripped. Our electrician traced the fault pretty quickly to an electric ‘fire’ heater in their living room with a damaged cable. There are a number of simple checks I advise you should carry out on your electric heaters especially if they have not been used in a while.
Some simple checks to carry out on electric heaters
- Is the casing or body cracked or damaged in any way?
- Are all the necessary covers and guards in place to stop fingers or hands, big or small, getting inside and being burned or getting a shock?
- Does the heater show signs of overheating or melting anywhere? This can include discolouration or a change in shape
- Is the cable in any way damaged or loose?
- Can you see the colours of the wires inside the cables? (you should not be able to)
- Is the plug in good condition, cable firmly attached and showing no signs of overheating?
A HENDON NW4 CALL-OUT SHOWS THE NEED TO ALWAYS USE A CERTIFIED ELECTRICIAN
SOR Electrical was recently called out by a landlord to a terraced house occupied by three professional sharers in the Hendon NW4 area after they reported repeated tripping on their fuse board. One of our electricians traced the problem to an electrical socket in their bathroom that appeared not to have been correctly installed and did not meet the required BS 7671 standards.
In bathrooms because of the high levels of humidity and damp, and the danger that water poses to potential electric shocks, it is critical that electrical sockets are professionally installed by a certified and registered electrician.
Electrical installations in bathrooms must meet Part P regulations and are ‘notifiable’
In this case the socket was installed in the area surrounding the shower which means that under current legislation there are standards it must comply with and that the installation is ‘notifiable’. These standards are called Part P of the Building Regulations, which means you must employ an electrician who is Part P registered; or you have to tell or ‘notify’ your local-authority building-control about the installation and pay them to inspect the work.
A CALLOUT TO A CELEBRITY HOME IN HIGHGATE N6 SHOWS THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL OUTSIDE LIGHTING.
As London N6 falls within our coverage area, and has some of the most expensive real estate in London, we often get called out by the celebrity residents to deal with their electrical problems. And because they know all our Highgate electricians are fully certified, qualified and registered they can rest assured that our work will be done to the highest standards and complies with the latest edition of BS 7671 (IEE Wiring Regulations).
We were called in after a burglary to the property
In this case it would be inappropriate for me to mention the name of this well-known Highgate resident, but they called us out to their multi-million pound detached property after a recent burglary had damaged some of their electrical installations, including sockets and cabling. Luckily they were away at the time of the burglary, and the thieves had ripped out their computers, and audio/ visual equipment causing much of the damage.
AN ELECTRICAL CASE STUDY: A CALLOUT TO A STUDENT LET IN MUSWELL HILL SHOWS THE NEED FOR PORTABLE APPLIANCE TESTING (PAT).
One of our electricians recently responded to a callout by a private landlord to his student let house in Muswell Hill that apparently had no power. On entering the Edwardian house, our electrician was greeted by a group of excitable students and the smell of burning rubber. The students had been using an old fan heater supplied with the house that had shorted, melting an internal part causing the smell, and tripped the switch on the main fuse board.
The law says that landlords need to maintain high standards of electrical safety in their properties.
This is not the first time that SOR Electrical has had this problem with faulty or worn electrical appliances in let properties, and in this instance it really illustrates the need for landlords to have periodic Portable Appliance Testing (PAT). To ensure the safety of tenants, the law says that landlords should supply electrical appliances that meet essential safety requirements, are in good condition and comply with the latest British standards. It’s therefore advisable to have all electrical appliances checked on a regular basis by a qualified electrician, and obtain documentation to confirm that this has been done.
AN ELECTRICAL CASE STUDY: RE-WIRING AN ARTIST’S NOTTING HILL W11 RENOVATION
A well-known artist recently decided to renovate his period property in Notting Hill, and SOR Electrical were called in to do the re-wiring. Of course, being an artist, his renovation was very creative and so was his lighting spec. This was not a problem for us as SOR Electrical offers a complete electrical service from lighting design plans right through to installations, electrical maintenance and electrical fault finding.
We developed a creative lighting design plan for the client.
At our initial consultation, we discussed with him what he was looking for which included the installation of custom designed chandeliers, very creative additional built-in lighting, and substantially more strategically positioned sockets. This was not a problem for us as we specialise in chandeliers, and have installed many in all sorts of different shapes and sizes, not to mention unique built in lighting that has been designed by the client themselves. Our design team was then able to give our professional input into developing an overall lighting plan for the client.
An electrical case study: wiring a Hampstead extension
The summer has finally landed, and as a result we’ve seen an influx of NW3 residents building extensions on their Hampstead homes.
Recently, we sent our electricians to NW3 to wire the Haversham family’s brand new conservatory. So if you live in Hampstead and are thinking of adding an extension, here’s a case study to give you a few ideas…
A perfect Hampstead hideaway
The Havershams had just built a new conservatory to be used as a family room. They wanted to be able to relax, listen to music, and dine overlooking their leafy Hampstead garden.