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[Dawn_Tee]

Sorry if this asking questions which have been asked before. I have searched the forum and can't find exact answers.

I am currently having a 'bit of a dispute' with my kitchen fitters. I had a new kitchen fitted starting in May and finishing in August 2007, so before 17th Ed.

The general standard of workmanship was poor, which is why the dispute started. However, the things which worry me most are to do with the electrics.

I did not commission the actual fitters myself, they were sub-contracted by a 'middle' project management company who were recommended by the kitchen suppliers. My contract is with them. So I did not know whether or not the fitters were Part P qualified. In fact, at the time I had never heard of Part P.

The sockets and lighting in the kitchen just replace what was there already, except that there are double sockets where there had been single before.

There was an electric oven, in the same place as the new one, on a 32A circuit breaker with an isolating switch in the kitchen. HOWEVER, there used to be a gas hob next to the built-in oven, which I have had replaced with an induction hob. I have, myself, switched on the oven and all four rings on the hob to see if the circuit breaker blows, and it doesn't.

My question is: all electrics were replaced like for like EXCEPT there is the additional induction hob. The fitter hard wired this into the existing isolating switch and circuit for the oven. Should the hob be on a separate circuit?

I live in a flat, built 15 years ago, and all the walls are plasterboard (including exterior lining) and I own the loft above as well.

Should I have been offered / got a Part P certificate for this work?

The 'middle' company I had the contract with have offered to completely re-do my kitchen....but that means (so they say) completely stripping EVERYTHING out, including all the plasterboard walls! This seems OTT and is unacceptable.

If a new circuit is required, can it be added without stripping off the plasterboard, given that there is access down the partition cavities from the loft above.

I have phoned around local NICEIC registered contractors to try to get a second opinion and quote for remedial work. But so far no-one's interested.

[ericmark]

To start with I am not Part P registered so if one of the others on this site who are say I have it wrong they may well be correct. But since the start of Part P I have said how silly it is that the house holder is responsible for ensuring the work is registered either by employing a registered company or by before the work starts contacting the Local Authority Building Control and paying their fee.
However where electricians are not registered they would normally assist in filling in all the forms for you and telling you what does and what does not need to be registered.
Nothing to do with Part P any normal electrician on completing work with issue some paper work either minor works or full insulation certificate.
On to your work:- Like for like replacement does not need Part P but if I was to for example in a kitchen plug in an extension lead I would not need Part P but if I then put a couple of screws in the wall and hooked the socket onto them and nailed in a few cable clips to keep socket and cable out of harms way I would need Part P which anyone with a little sense realises is crazy. The same applies where single sockets are changed to doubles although it may to the letter require Part P I would expect many would change a single to double without Part P.
As to the induction hob it is fixed and should be under Part P but had it been free standing it would not have been and although I can’t condone I can understand why a kitchen fitter would not bother registering the work.
The induction hob does raise other questions though as in the main they use a lot more power than other hobs and normally would be fused independent to the oven and would have semi-conductor fuses rather than a breaker as breakers are too slow on short circuit disconnection and would allow the hob to damage itself before disconnection had taken place. But you would need to read the instructions that came with the hob to see what protection is recommended for that hob as some may have it internal.
As to cables down the wall with access in loft one would not normally strip the plaster board off but if going to the letter of the rules it should be clipped so as to get rid of the heat and although I would not do it myself I could not say anyone else doing it is wrong.
There has been a few cases of contractors being taken to court under Part P but all I have seen either the contractor has claimed to be registered when he was not or has done really sub-standard work.
Had he changed your 32A MCB for a 50A MCB for example that would have been dangerous and you would have had a good case but although I am sure he is not A1 I am not so sure he has done enough wrong to get the LABC interested in a prosecution. Much is down to small print if he said for example all work required then you could claim that Part P was part of work required.
In the main in situation like yours the LABC are understanding and in the main they will give you good advice. It may cost you around £70 but you will need a completion cert to sell the house and maybe also to keep insurance valid.
I had a builder run off in the middle of a job with my Father and the LABC were a little bombastic to start with but then did all they could to help.
My advice would be to approach the LABC and get them involved but wait a few days for any other input.
There is a link to Part P in projects section and I would recommend you to down load and lightly read. Don’t worry it is in plain language in the main and it give examples of the forms you should have received etc.
Eric