Using the earth wire of the twin+E as alive conductor

[Isetech]

I was under the impression that using the earth wire as a live conductors, would not only be illegal but extremely dangerous. considering the wire is smaller and not insulated. Wrapping black insulation tape around the wire will not help with identifying that it is a live.

I was called out to a site today due to a power issue, imagine that, the first light switch I open has the earth taped in black tape used as the return to the light. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, I open another switch and find that the switch is switching the neutral and not the live. Then the fun really started, when I could understand how there was twin+E at the switch and surfix at the light point, it just went downhill from there. I managed to break open the ceiling and found 4 concealed junction boxes with a 2 metre space. Yip you are right the fault was a burnt wire in one of the junction boxes. It didnt stop there, I then found the 20 amp mixed circuit breaker feeding the lights and plugs had a mixture of 1.5 and 2.5 mm wires.

The house was purchased 2017 and the customer informed me that nobody had done any electrical work in the house since they moved into the house. I requested the COC, which they provided.

4 month ago I was called out to do a COC audit on a house which had just been purchased, the same company issued the COC for this house.

This is now becoming a little embarrassing for this association, a 100 % fail rate for their members

It makes no difference if the electrical contractor/inspector is registered with every department, organisation or association , there is no policing, no random checks and no consequence.

This customer will have to find more than R10 000 in the next few days to create safe environment, just in the area where we are working I dont want to even go into the roof space in the house. the worse part is they will have no claim against the contractor/inspector who issued the COC in 2017.

SOME FREE ADVICE WHICH COULD SAVE YOU THOUSANDS, IF NOT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF RAND, MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR BRAND NEW PROPERTY YOU ARE ABOUT TO PURCHASE, (WHICH COULD BE THE BIGGEST INVESTMENT IN YOUR LIFE TIME) CHECKED BEFORE YOU AUTHOURISE THE PROPERTY TRANSFER. YOU HAVE NOT LEG TO STAND ON ONCE THE TRASFER IS SIGNED.

What are the consequences, either you will end up with endless electrical issues while living in the house or when a legit electrical contractor has to work on your property or you attempt to sell the property, you will get stuck with a huge repair bill.