Wiring issues - danger!

[jeni_phil]

Hi

I own a George Wimpey home (Warwick style). Today I was putting up shelves that were not anywhere near any sockets or fitted appliances. The only thing near it was the boiler. We had been told it was fine to drill into this wall as there were no cables or pipework.

After drilling a hole through the plasterboard, I had noticed something behind, but thought there was enough room to put the fitting in.

As I was putting the shelf bracket in place there was a loud bang, spark followed by smoke came from the drilled hole. The circuit breaker for the house tripped. The screw has scorch marks down the length and the end looks as though it has melted.

The site manager came round that afternoon when I was out and says there is definitely not a cable behind it...however when I got home this evening I took a section of plasterboard off and have found two lots of trunking about 10mm from the back of the plasterboard...one with a hole and a live wire exposed.

Thankfully I only had hold of a wooden bracket...had it been a metal one I might not be here to tell the tale.

The position of the wiring seems to contravene everything in the IEE Wiring Regulations...do I have any comeback against Wimpey?

[zednine]

hi there

i am an electrician so i hope i can help..

we have zones that we are allowed to run cables in with out mechanical protection..they are

up and down and horizontal left and right from any socket switch etc, should be no greater than the width of the outlet, but sometimes can be a little bit so allow for that...

also 150mm down from the ceiling and 150mm in corners of the rooms, these would be unlikley in a new house..

sounds like you hit one of the cables going to the boiler,,
wimpey should take the matter up with the electrical contractor, if not they should be niceic or eca registered,, give either of them a bell, the contractor under the new part p regs should have offerd you a free warranty anyway.
good luck

feel free to ask anything