Some people dont care...

Eddiesparks · Dec 10, 2013

Got a call from a landlady saying that in one of her properties the board keep tripping every time the light switch in master bedroom is switched on I get there and find fire rated downlights absolutely encased in installation charring everywhere cable is brittle as anything. Improvised earth too. I find the dead short so breaker holds but even then it meggers out at 0.27 SL-E!!

Some installers are stupid? I couldnt sleep doing stuff like that.

To my surprise when i tell landlady she asks for a quote to rewire lights. I nearly choked. You normally dont hear anything from them ever again after telling them news like that!

[ElectriciansForums.net] Some people dont care...

Hawkmoon · Dec 10, 2013

This looks like loose connection rather than heat from fitting - just goes to show how fires can start when choccys are not enclosed

Eddiesparks · Dec 10, 2013

Every single one was like this, cable charred. Is that really a loose fitting?

Hawkmoon · Dec 10, 2013

Eddiesparks said:
Every single one was like this, cable charred. Is that really a loose fitting?

If you have a number of them exactly the same then that is odd

Also it looks like a sledge hammer was used to 'cut' the holes in the ceiling lol

Eddiesparks · Dec 10, 2013

Yeah or a butchers cleaver. It was knackered when i got there

plugsandsparks · Dec 10, 2013

Some heat damage:

telectrix · Dec 10, 2013

YUK> some people just ain't got a clue.

MDJ · Dec 10, 2013

Apart from a crap job the insulation is the main problem, fibre glass wrapped around the lights and no air around them, a fire waiting to happen, I actually blame builders for that, I bet the loft was insulated after the lights were bodged (whoops installed)

Andy78 · Dec 10, 2013

The tenant of this shop called me after a few "pops and fizzles" after installing class 1 fittings onto three lighting points that all looked like this.
The landlords son, "a sparks" had added lights and switches onto this circuit the week previous. Would have loved to have seen his IR results, the wiring just fell apart.

Paul.M · Dec 10, 2013

This is my own house. Only been in for 3 years (25w GU10 on a tranny)

All terminations was good (this was not the only one btw, it was just the first before they all got changed). No insulation at all, an air brick about 4ft away so well ventilated and no reason why it/they should be melting? This is the reason why I only use Wago's. I've never seen a Wago melted or burnt out. It's worth the extra cost.

VoltzElectrical · Dec 10, 2013

Not really related, but I walked down my lane a month or so back and found a sparky mate of mine doing some work in a shed outbuilding used for storing food out the back of a restaurant.

We had a chat and I took this socket off him and have been meaning to post it here for a while.

Example of a poor quality socket? It didn't result in an actual fire, but my god.. the stink!

My fingers still smell from taking the photos!

SPARTYKUS · Dec 10, 2013

Paul.M said:
This is my own house. Only been in for 3 years (25w GU10 on a tranny)

View attachment 21686

All terminations was good (this was not the only one btw, it was just the first before they all got changed). No insulation at all, an air brick about 4ft away so well ventilated and no reason why it/they should be melting? This is the reason why I only use Wago's. I've never seen a Wago melted or burnt out. It's worth the extra cost.

Yo Paul

I dunno - I saw that and thought "CUs" - big choccy blocks, but we all still use them...?