today's fault

telectrix · Jun 8, 2012

RCD tripped. narrowed down to SWA feeding hot tub. never seen SWA connected like this before. armour not earthed anywhere. was supposedly professionally installed. the pic shows a 30mA plug-in power breaker RCD, the type you'd fit to a lawn mower cable!

disconnected both ends and IR tested SWA . L/E 0.04 Meg. N/E 0.23 Meg. 40m of SWA, partly buried. half way down had been repaired? with choc block and tape.

so , it's quote for new SWA, glands, ad. box, correct installation. what i'm not happy with is that it's fed from the garage sub-main which is in turn fed from the house RCD in a split board, so a fault will take out all in the house except lighting. now, i've not done any work on hot tubs, but my thinking is to feed the garage sub. from the non protected side of the house ( it's fed in SWA ) and then fit RCBO in the sub. to cover the garage socket ( just a fridge/freezer) and a 13A FCU to feed the SWA to the hot tub. anyone see a flaw in this? worked out the VD at 13A to be 9.5V using 40m of 2.5mm SWA.

Jay Sparks · Jun 8, 2012

Not had much to do with hot tubs neither. Not many people up here have even herd of a bath, let alone a hot tub. But it sounds ok to me. Just be carefull with the frdge/freezer on the rcbo, if it trips and they dont know until a few days later, all the beer and food for the bbq will be ruined.

P.s. You have big thumbs!!!!!!!

Jay

mickys86 · Jun 8, 2012

Jay Sparks said:
Just be carefull with the frdge/freezer on the rcbo, if it trips and they dont know until a few days later, all the beer and food for the bbq will be ruined.

Jay

That's a good point jay.

telectrix · Jun 8, 2012

hmm. as the cables to the fridge/freezer socket are surface.i could leave on MCB and label as dedicated socket, then a RCD FCU for the hot tub. might have to fit a RCD socket for tool use though.

Jay Sparks · Jun 8, 2012

^^^^^^^^Yes this sounds better. But what are you going to do about your big thumb??????lol

Jay

telectrix · Jun 8, 2012

it's not that big. you know how these wide angle lenses distort--- make guys look like they got huge noses? well it's the same.

trev · Jun 8, 2012

No Tel, that's a big old thumb there mate

Des 56 · Jun 8, 2012

telectrix said:
it's not that big. you know how these wide angle lenses distort--- make guys look like they got huge noses? well it's the same.

With my Sherlock Holmes hat on,I would deduce you are left handed

"Where are the nicotine stains on the right hand Watson"

telectrix · Jun 8, 2012

shhh, it's not my thumb. it's my big toe.

telectrix · Jun 8, 2012

Des 56 said:
With my Sherlock Holmes hat on,I would deduce you are left handed

"Where are the nicotine stains on the right hand Watson"

wrong on both counts, sherlock. i'm right handed, and don't suffer from nicotine stains, only on my facial hair.

and i use that thumbnail for tightening roofing bolts.

Silly Sausage · Jun 8, 2012

telectrix said:
it's not that big. you know how these wide angle lenses distort--- make guys look like they got huge noses? well it's the same.

Sorry Tel, can't resist, could you get the wife glasses with lenses like that...

SPARTYKUS · Jun 8, 2012

telectrix said:
shhh, it's not my thumb. it's my big toe.

You must do yoga to be able to smoke with your toes

Jay Sparks · Jun 8, 2012

telectrix said:
it's not that big. you know how these wide angle lenses distort--- make guys look like they got huge noses? well it's the same.

I dont need any help from wide angle lenses to make my nose look big. My 9 year old says it looks like the slope at Xcape in Castleford. I do however need a wide angle lense for something else.........or so the wife tells me...lol

Jay

telectrix · Jun 8, 2012

wife's glasses.....

Jay Sparks · Jun 8, 2012

Sorry tel, I seem to have turned your post into an "insult tels body parts" thread.

Jay

mickys86 · Jun 8, 2012

telectrix said:
shhh, it's not my thumb. it's my big toe.

My first reaction to the pic was that it can't be your big toe! Haha

Sam Pringle · Jun 8, 2012

I wonder if anyone can help me..? I have installed a new RCD board in a house that has wiring system of different ages (the guy was strongly opposed on the idea of a full rewire) the previous board being a random assortment of big old fused isolators for each circuit under his stairs. All the circuits held fine apart from the 3 rings. One of the legs for downstairs ring was wired in steel, could this cause a trip? Or am I likely looking for earth faults not picked up by his previous medieval protection?

New to this so apologies if this is in the wrong place, and thanks in advance for any help...

trev · Jun 8, 2012

You should have carried out an EICR before replacing the CU mate. This would have identified any faults beforehand.
When you say wired in steel what do you mean by that?
What test results were obtained for the RFCs?

Des 56 · Jun 8, 2012

a new RCD board in a house that has wiring system of different ages 

The only correlation between them that I can see, both the wiring system and tels big toe, both are ancient

Guitarist · Jun 8, 2012

Sam Pringle said:
I wonder if anyone can help me..? I have installed a new RCD board in a house that has wiring system of different ages (the guy was strongly opposed on the idea of a full rewire) the previous board being a random assortment of big old fused isolators for each circuit under his stairs. All the circuits held fine apart from the 3 rings. One of the legs for downstairs ring was wired in steel, could this cause a trip? Or am I likely looking for earth faults not picked up by his previous medieval protection?

New to this so apologies if this is in the wrong place, and thanks in advance for any help...

You would be better off starting a new thread for this one. Btw, are you an electrician?

Sam Pringle · Jun 8, 2012

Steel instead of copper in the t&e, I know now I probably should have tested first and to be honest I agreed to do the job as a favour for a friend and I'm starting to regret it, and yes I am an electrician I have spent my seven years on new build schools so my domestic fault finding ability is non existent.

Des 56 · Jun 8, 2012

Steel instead of copper in the t&e,

You may find the conductor would be tinned copper or alluminium rather than steel

trev · Jun 8, 2012

Fault finding in cables is fault finding in cables no matter where you carry it out mate, a methodical approach is all thats needed.
Steel T&E is something I have never seen in 29 years since I qualified, are you absolutely sure about that?
Once again, what test results did you get from your RFCs?

Des 56 · Jun 8, 2012

downstairs ring was wired in steel, could this cause a trip

?

Please explain your train of thought on this statement

telectrix · Jun 8, 2012

could trip over it, i suppose.

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mickys86

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trev

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Silly Sausage

SPARTYKUS

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mickys86

Sam Pringle

trev

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Sam Pringle

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trev

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