Rogue Traders

Gavin A · Apr 11, 2013

markc123 said:
This is maybe a nasty thing to say - but im glad its just not us domestic/comercial sparks that see the DIY monstrositys and you solar lads get it aswell

we do our fair share of bonding gas and water coz the last spark / kitchen fitter couldn't be arsed, sorting out the lack of an earth at all coz the water company has replaced the mains pipes with plastic and not thought it necessary to tell any of the houses that were relying on those pipes for earthing (which is a good proportion of Leeds houses IME) etc. I love the ones where the spark has run the earth bonding cable to the location of the sink / boiler left it for the kitchen fitter / gas boys to fit to the pipe when the install their kit, but they obviously thought bonding worked well enough as long as the cable was within site of the pipe it was bonding to, no need to actually clamp it to the pipe or anything.

We just also get the job of sorting out the roofers bodges as well.... then with the solar water heating side we sometimes have the joy of fixing the mess a swimming pool installer / bodger had made of a £100k pool... and that british gas had made of fitting a boiler 15 years ago with the sodding heating pump pumping the wrong way round the circuit causing the boiler to cycle hot/col/hot/cold like it was on the menopause... and the customer to wonder why their systems was rubbish and cost them a fortune......... right old can of worms that one.

keeps us on our toes though eh.

Geordie Spark · Apr 11, 2013

Gavin A said:
we do our fair share of bonding gas and water coz the last spark / kitchen fitter couldn't be arsed, sorting out the lack of an earth at all coz the water company has replaced the mains pipes with plastic and not thought it necessary to tell any of the houses that were relying on those pipes for earthing (which is a good proportion of Leeds houses IME) etc. I love the ones where the spark has run the earth bonding cable to the location of the sink / boiler left it for the kitchen fitter / gas boys to fit to the pipe when the install their kit, but they obviously thought bonding worked well enough as long as the cable was within site of the pipe it was bonding to, no need to actually clamp it to the pipe or anything.

We just also get the job of sorting out the roofers bodges as well.... then with the solar water heating side we sometimes have the joy of fixing the mess a swimming pool installer / bodger had made of a £100k pool... and that british gas had made of fitting a boiler 15 years ago with the sodding heating pump pumping the wrong way round the circuit causing the boiler to cycle hot/col/hot/cold like it was on the menopause... and the customer to wonder why their systems was rubbish and cost them a fortune......... right old can of worms that one.

keeps us on our toes though eh.

Oh aye ............ there's nowt worse than being stuck with an old boiler on the menopause. :38:

SolarCity · Apr 11, 2013

I've driven past this beauty a few times and had to find it on Street View so that I could post it here.

The panels protrude past the ridge by at least 100mm and the bottom clearly passes the gutter. The forces exerted on the roof in heavy winds must be utterly immense - particularly as this is in a very high wind area.

I wouldn't be surprised if Sedgy has driven past this a few times.

moggy1968 · Apr 11, 2013

British Gas had been in a few days earlier fitting a new gas meter and installing this new feed.This customer asked me for a quote for a board change, I suggested she got BG back!!

Geordie Spark · Apr 11, 2013

SolarCity said:
View attachment 18462

I've driven past this beauty a few times and had to find it on Street View so that I could post it here.

The panels protrude past the ridge by at least 100mm and the bottom clearly passes the gutter. The forces exerted on the roof in heavy winds must be utterly immense - particularly as this is in a very high wind area.

I wouldn't be surprised if Sedgy has driven past this a few times.

Looks like a good idea to me ..... it stops the leaves from getting in & blocking the gutter.

Geordie Spark · Apr 11, 2013

moggy1968 said:
View attachment 18463 View attachment 18464British Gas had been in a few days earlier fitting a new gas meter and installing this new feed.This customer asked me for a quote for a board change, I suggested she got BG back!!

Class .... pure class.

I particularly liked the use of yellow tape to identify it as a Gas Pipe.

moggy1968 · Apr 11, 2013

is that what that is, I thought is was to protect it from electrical shorts:clown:

SolarCity · Apr 11, 2013

moggy1968 said:
View attachment 18463 View attachment 18464British Gas had been in a few days earlier fitting a new gas meter and installing this new feed.This customer asked me for a quote for a board change, I suggested she got BG back!!

Absolutely staggering!

Geordie Spark · Apr 11, 2013

moggy1968 said:
is that what that is, I thought is was to protect it from electrical shorts:clown:

Well in this instance it's serving a dual purpose.

Guitarist · Apr 11, 2013

moggy1968 said:
View attachment 18463 View attachment 18464British Gas had been in a few days earlier fitting a new gas meter and installing this new feed.This customer asked me for a quote for a board change, I suggested she got BG back!!

Now this one really needs sending to BG, plus CC to your local MP

Geordie Spark · Apr 11, 2013

Do any of you lads know about or remember Redifusion?

It was cable radio and then cable television here in Geordieland in the 1950s & 60s and involved large black cables strung at eaves height between all the houses on estates. The cables then ran down the walls & then through them into the living room where there was a large rotary selector switch which you used to select which radio station you wanted to listen to or which of the two TV channels you wanted to watch. From this selector switch was run a wire into the back of a modified TV set.

Anyway, this bloke wanted his TV at the opposite side of the room and the Redifusion gadgee came to extend and re-route the cable from the switch to the TV in its new location. He did this by clipping the cable straight along the wall about 3 feet from the floor and straight across the French Windows ......

trev · Apr 11, 2013

Aye, I remember them. Me folks rented one of their tellys for years.

Geordie Spark · Apr 11, 2013

trev said:
Aye, I remember them. Me folks rented one of their tellys for years.

Aye, me Granny did an' all.

When I was working for a builder in the 1990s I took a great delight in ripping down the old disused cables & junction boxes that were still stuck on the flats we were renovating.

It's surprising to see how much of that stuff is still around considering it hasn't been in use since the 70s.

I've often thought that Granada must be kicking themselves. They bought Redifusion and closed it down. Years afterwards, United Artistes (later Telewest and now Virgin Media) arrived on the scene and introduced ........... Cable Television !!!!

Granada had it all on a plate - the infrastructure and customers everything they needed - All they had to do was upgrade it but they let it go.

Earthstore · Apr 11, 2013

moggy1968 said:
View attachment 18463 View attachment 18464British Gas had been in a few days earlier fitting a new gas meter and installing this new feed.This customer asked me for a quote for a board change, I suggested she got BG back!!

Would that be the same BG that advertise on the telly for plumbing,wiring,insulation,
Cooking the tea, making the beds, digging the garden, and getting any of your pets in the family way.
Me thinks they should get their own house in order first.
Did make me smile though...

Geordie Spark · Apr 11, 2013

Earthstore said:
Would that be the same BG that advertise on the telly for plumbing,wiring,insulation,
Cooking the tea, making the beds, digging the garden, and getting any of your pets in the family way.
Me thinks they should get their own house in order first.
Did make me smile though...

Yup ..... the very same.

Rogue Traders

Gavin A

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Geordie Spark

SolarCity

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moggy1968

Geordie Spark

Geordie Spark

moggy1968

SolarCity

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Geordie Spark

Guitarist

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Geordie Spark

trev

Geordie Spark

Earthstore

Geordie Spark

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