Junction Box Position - where do I stand?

[Leg]

Hi all,

just come home from work, Virgin 50mb installed, engineer put it in the right part of the living room... but its 70 cm off the ground!

I spoke the engineer in the morning before he started work and asked for it to be put in the corner. I left before he started. He has done ok for except for the height, which is no good for many reasons (conspicuously visible, same height at a surface preventing me from continuing the surface, half a meter of dangling wires etc).

I rent a 200 year old Georgian flat with very thick walls, I'm worried about the damage caused by this installation. I rang Virgin about it, and the call centre person said that Virgin would reposition the junction and repair the old hole. It sounds great, but am unsure they will repair this properly - are the engineers also trained for this?

Where do I stand in this situation? Anyone got any advice? Is it just me, or does it seem daft to put the box 70cm off the ground? Is it negligent of them? Could there be any reason that it has to be this way? Can I get them to pay for professional repair of the old hole? I definitely do not want the junction in its current position under any circumstances.

Thanks

[Gazjam]

Hi, had a similar situation...

I had a cable rewire at my property recently (there was a cable splitter above a bedroom door from a previous tenant installation which I insisted I get fixed) and the install team guys were generally good, asking where I wanted it located etc.

One guy though, the boss I think, tryed to disuade me from where I wanted it to go, quoting all sorts of rubbish about signal levels being affected etc.

I'm quite technically savvy about this stuff, and his mates actually laughed when i explained how what he was saying wasnt correct.

It was 4:45 on a Friday, last job of the day and what the Installer was suggesting was the quickest, easiest route for them - get them out the door quicker basically.

My idea...wasnt.

The eejit tryed to insist on "his way" even to the point of uncomfortablness (awkward silences from his team) but I stood my ground and asked this:

"Is it VMs policy NOT to install equipment in line with the paying customers wished in their property? Shall we phone Customer Service and find out right now?"
He had no answer and it was his No2 that piped up and said "Of course we can install it any way you wish Sir, thats what were here for. "

Good save by the No2..
Im sure there was a conversation held outside..

I phoned a CS Manager to discuss what had happened and he confirmed that the VM equipment installation has to be both "domestically acceptable" and in line with the customers domeastic requiremrnts and wished as much as possible.

You have a good case for complaint - its not "domestically acceptable"

Hope this helps in some way.

[zing_deleted]

I would imagine they would slap some cement in the hole outside and perhaps if your lucky some soft surface filler inside although they may well just use the same cement lol

I would never arrange an install like this and leave them to it. I learned my lesson with the council cowboys who fitted my kitchen

[calmpitbull]

I agree 70cm is way too high, it should be approx 1ft off the floor too allow the cable to connect underneath.

However there may have been some reason for it to be this high:

1.Electric cables or pipes in the wall (we use metal detectors to check).

2.Obstruction on the outside like a drainpipe, gaspipe or lead flashing of a leanto below or something.

I can't think of any other reasons why it would be 70cm high. I would definitely complain and find out. If there isn't a valid reason then it could be moved. You may have to fill the small holes inside though (not a big deal).

[MovedGoalPosts]

It's worth noting that for electrical wiring in new build, sockets are no longer fixable at floor / skirting level in main rooms. This is primarily to assist those with disabilities. Whilst 70cm is a bit excessive, the guidance would be about 450mm above floor level. On that basis installing the VM connector above floor level makes sense, but only if you were matching other already installed fittings.