Blown fuse and sparks

[N2ETC]

Question: when a traditional fuse blows would you expect sparks?

 

[bugsy]

depends on type of fuse - rewirable yes sometimes
Fully enclosed no not normally why whar's blown up?

 

[Phil]

the re wireable ones ? yeh i have seen them spark in the past when they blow. or a big nail when you pull them out after some plank has run out of fuse wire, then there is the old polo wrapper

 

[Des 56]

Whats a non traditional fuse then ?
Are you suggesting ironmongary?

 

[N2ETC]

Well whats happened is a socket was not connected ie the wires were just hanging out of the wall on a ring main and basically someone very silly turned the power on (by the way not me!) this blew the fuse which was one of the rewirable fuses. A bang went off and the fuse blew and sparks flew just wondered if sparks flying was normal

 

[bugsy]

This would'nt happen to be the socket you had a wiring problem with earlier would, it?

 

[Phil]

well whoever turned the supply on was lucky there was no pinkies on the end of the cables. was it the job in your other post about the faulty socket?

 

[Des 56]

Not guilty m'lord

You shall be hanged by the neck until you are d---

 

[N2ETC]

Yes this is the job from earlier it has turned into the job from hell! This is what happens when people think they can help! All I wanted to do was get some wire to re-wire the spur fit the socket turn back on the power and hopefully jobs sorted. But instead I have to chase around to find fuse wire, if I could have found the socket to which the spur came from and disconnected that then I would have put the power on and all would have been cool. I just didn't realise that they sparked I think the bloke had a massive shock himself, just a bit difficult to explain that because the cables weren't connected this is what caused the fuse to blow although I had told them to leave it alone!! suppose a lesson for me to take the fuse and keep it with me!!

 

[wattsup]

Well it's a good job part p is in place then, otherwise the world might have blown up

 

[Phil]

well what can we say? think it could be lesson learned for safe isolation and a bit of good luck that no one was injured.

 

[eskimo39]

You need to get some lock off devices. I never bothered with them but learnt the hard way last year. Told customer that I was turning his lighting circuit off to refit some rear security lights. Turned off power and then tested lights.... still live. Found out that they had been taken from the ring main via FSU so turned the upstairs ring off instead.

Halfway through fitting the lights got a shock which made me slide down my ladders, more of a comedy fall than anything serious. After going back round to the garage to check the breaker, was told by the old man that I must have accidently turned off his sockets and his wife wanted to watch tv in bed so he had saved me the bother and turned them back on himself.

I couldn't even be angry as it was my own fault.

 

[wattsup]

Sorry for the flippent reply.
Most likely the water supply pipe is live, did the guy turn on water while filling kettle. If he had one hand on kettle and one on tap and the other on coffes jar then this can create problems. In effect he has created a 3-phase supply, if two phases clash, hence big bango

 

[N2ETC]

Well as long as I have entertained after all I am blonde

Normally I'm very good with locking off and have some devices and I even put up signs but today just don't know what I was thinking and as I had the wires hanging out of the walls and was talking to the customer about the dodgy sockets and he could see that I was still busy also the fact that I had gone on about my concerns I really didn't think he would then go and turn the bloody thing on! But deffo one for the future to learn from and yes very lucky nobody was hurt.

 

[wattsup]

Hey N2...me too dropped a clanger (tho not as bad as yours -...a school, change light fittings in a classroom. Couldn't find supply point, hundreds of dis boards all over the place...anyhow no matter turn switch off, check no borrowed neutrals etc...
School empty no one in except me and a few admin staff. Gets going all fine...then needs some 4mm screws...off to van to get some.

Comes back 2-mins later, sees someone on computer in classroom, thinks nothin of it.

Yep knocked me off steps a good un...the guy came in switched lights on...my fault not his, but he was worried, I was a bit for a minute or so!