New office kitchen. Your opinions please (be kind!)

[curious1]

Hi,
First post here, so please be easy on me... and apologies if I'm posting in the wrong place!....

Our office landlord has just installed a new kitchen. I think the work is substandard; I was hoping you could take a look at these images and confirm whether my opinion is reasonable or not.

Please find photographs enclosed which show a new electrical/plumbing installation our landlord provided in our kitchen area.

[DLMURL]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1620039/DSC_7329%20copy.jpg[/DLMURL]
[DLMURL]http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/1620039/DSC_7330.JPG[/DLMURL]


1. Power supply to Water heater (located on floor) is unsafe : connects to a consumer extension lead (Breaching safety instructions provided with the boiler http://www.bosch-store.us/images_templ/ariston-gl-manual.pdf) and is routed beneath water supply and drainage.
2. Water heater is incorrectly installed : pressure valve (overflow) is not plumbed into any drainage, so any overflow results in water pooling(visible in photos) on kitchen floor increasing risk of electrocution due to badly routed cables.
3. Further risk due to leaking connection between P-trap and main stack causing water pooling on kitchen floor and under extension cord socket.
4. Earthing missing from sink ?

Am I being unreasonable?
I'd love to hear some opinions from the professionals here.

//edit //
Since posting this message I have discovered that the source of the leak was a hole drilled into the soilpipe from the sink (indicated on photo attached) which had the overflow pipe siliconed into place. Obviously, given the boiler was not fixed down, someone has moved the boiler and caused the pipe to pop out.

Now forgive me if I'm being a little over-critical (and please, DO correct me on any of these complaints if I AM being unreasonable) , but my assessment of this installation would be as follows.

1. Electrical installation is amateur and unsafe.

• Power supply to boiler by means of extension cable contravenes boiler safety instructions.
  ​
• Routing of cabling under poorly sealed/plumbed pipe-work is unsafe; risk of kitchen floor becomeing live. Why not fixed to wall? Why no permenant fused connection in wall?
  ​

2. Installation of plumbing is sub-amateur and dangerous.

• No professional plumber would connect an overflow to a soil-pipe by drilling a hole in the soil-pipe and connecting/fixing with silicone.
• Height of connection to soil-pipe (about 16" above floor level" contravenes boiler safety instructions "Install the valve in the opening provided and marked for this purpose in the water heater and orient it or provide tubing so that any discharge from the valve will exit within 6 inches above, or at any distance below, the structural floor, and cannot contact any live electrical part"
• Given the "fixed" connection to the soilpipe, the boiler should be fixed to the wall to prevent movement that would immediately break the seal. Lazy or incompetant, take your pick, or take both!

3. Unhiegenic installation of boiler?

• I appreciate my knowledge is limited, so I am perhaps being stupid to suggest this.... but doesn't having the connection to the soil pipe, above the boiler, introduce the risk of contaminated water entering the boiler by way of the pressure release valve (I assume the valve is suppose to be one-way, but perhaps this isn't guarenteed).

Sorry for the long first post, and thanks for reading this far.... hopefully with some professional opinions from this forum I can approach my landlord with some weight behind me.

Thanks in advance
c1.

 

[migoplumber]

the opinions of other plumbers wont pursuade your landlord.
you have stated the obvious facts, which appear to be true, speak to your landlord about your concerns, then if your still not happy, call your local council inspector.

your contract probably wont be renewed next year tho.

 

[curious1]

Cheers,
Yea I know the procedure... I'm sure the landlord is going to have the bodged work re-bodged, I just wondered if there were specific regulations being breached, or if the tradesmen should be reported for dangerous work.... or if any of you think I'm being unreasonable and over dramatic! I know I'm no professional so would be happy to be told that I'm being an idiot

No worries about the contract... we're outta here in 3 months... it would just be nice to know that the landlord isn't puting us or any future tenants at risk.

Also, presumable the overflow pipe should vent to somewhere visible such that if a fault does develop in the boiler, the landlord or tenant would be alerted by seeing water pour out of the building. Draining the overflow directly into the stack could mean that a fault could remain undetected.

 

[migoplumber]

your correct, and the installation is bodged and dangerous, according to what you have stated.

 

[stevetheplumber]

your right on all counts get it sorted asap in the meantime i wouldnt use it

 

[curious1]

your correct

Is that specifically in relation to my question about whether the overflow of the boiler should be visible?
I should point out that the boiler is a small non-fixed electric boiler.