last night 15th August, i was called to a property around the corner form my office to repair/replace a failed fluorecent fitting.

now that was the nature of the call, but.

when i got to the residence i was a little shocked, to say the least, the fiiting was an old Cryselco, single arm five foot fluorescent fitting held to the ceiling with two screws and no earth!!!

the cable feding the fitting is the old VIR black rubber cable, no earth available and terminated with old type wirenuts (porceline) i have not got any photos of the fitting but it was approx 40 to 45 years old, and had just failed!!!

now the problem i encountered was this;

the client is 96 years old and so is his wife, how do you explain that the elelctrical installation in the property is a potential fire hazard,?

i spoke to the son, who is in his early 60`s and he said that the ellectrics have never been touched!!!

i have thought about writing a letter but how do you put that sort of thing into words that wont scare the bejesus out of a very old couple??

its a bit a dilema, oh also i replaced the fitting with a standard twin 5 foot fitting and looped an earth back to the nearest socket outlet, but i am not happy with the condition of the installation at all. and due to me being the last person to work on it reners me liable ?

any answers would be helpful.


britspark

PS, this is why i stear away from domestic electrics and just stick to commercial and industrial.