changed a light and now it doesn't work????

[bk81]

Had an email from my wife, one of her friends husbands changed a light over and now it doesn't work. Dunno what people think sometimes, I can almost guarantee he mixed a neutral with sw/wire!

I wonder if people think, how hard can it be, electricians can do it?? lol

Anybody else get this?

 

[Bobbyh]

Usual case,they tell you they matched all the colours up haha

Usually get ' but that's the way it was wired before'

 

[Andy78]

Usually get ' but that's the way it was wired before'

Ahuh. Last one I had was with a neighbour a few weeks ago. Was moving out and had swapped his chrome switches for white plastic thus embuggering the operation of the two way switching.
"You'll have just got a couple of wires mixed up, gimme 2 minutes" I said
"No no no, I'm not having that. I know what I'm doing, all the wires are right, it's EXACTLY as it was"
"Did it work before?" I ventured
"Well...yeah"
"And does it work now?"
"Well no but...."
I sort of did enjoy making the pompous arse look a bit of a div in front of his missus. Especially as she had originally suggested he might have got the wires mistaken, and had her ear chewed off for it.

 

[ian.settle1]

had a call out about 9pm about on other side of London because the person changed a light in his daughters room and again put all black together and brown together

Mixture of new and old colours, is it singles?

 

[YoungBart]

I tend to avoid getting the family ringing up for jobs ever since I blew my gran's Electric fire up. (I wouldn't mind but all I did was swap the lamp like for like), So I dont get them jobs anymore...:uhoh2:

 

[Stroppy]

Good plan! I'll buy in a load of 110v lamps to try that myself. Thanks.

 

[ipf]

Long ago called to a 'c b tripping when I switch the light on' problem. Rewired the place a couple of years before. Found cable split with a jb feeding an extra light. Opened the jb to find no insulation whatsoever, just a copper mush.

 

[shanky887614]

Haha I get this too have to fix every ones pc/laptop cos they been watching adult movie's and not got loads of viruses haha

lol, usual problems.

antivirus bootcd fixes in 10mins or so, do they learn there lesson. no

 

[mark ju]

Had an email from my wife, one of her friends husbands changed a light over and now it doesn't work. Dunno what people think sometimes, I can almost guarantee he mixed a neutral with sw/wire!

I wonder if people think, how hard can it be, electricians can do it?? lol

Anybody else get this?

Used to get this a bit when I was involved in new build work few years back. Normally on a Friday afternoon. Site agent used to say, so and so's got a problem, none of their lights work. This normally in a large four bed-er, where 'uncle' who had once put a plug on some Christmas light felt suitably qualified to change EVERY light in the house.
I'd like to say 'if I had a tenner' for every light fitting where I had to bell out the black cores, but thinking back I probably did!
If it was not on a Friday afternoon then it was Monday morning. I'd get the call, and find they'd been in darkness most of the weekend.

 

[bk81]

Tried to talk the guy through it last night, but to no avail, going up after work tonight to sort it. Here's a quote for you "every wire in the house is going through this light, there's loads of 'em!"

I must've seemed like I was spying on him, asked him how many lights were coming off the switch then took a guess at 4 reds and blacks, only got it wrong cos there was a smokie! and I even took a guess at that, "how did you know that!?"

If it wasn't for them being friends with the missus and our kids being friends I'd be a lot more arsey about it, lol.

Sometimes I'd rather tell people I work for the DSS than a sparkie! lol

 

[Rampantchilli]

Take the money and run lol

my very first ever call out/foreigner was for my landlord when I was in digs as an apprentice, they had 4 lads staying there, all electrical apprentices, but they decided to change a light while we were out. Needless to say all reds together and all blacks together, and kaboom when they switched it on. Thankfully my old man is/was a spark and they ONLY useful bit of advice was about this, so I had it fixed in minutes, but the cheeky sod never gave me anything for it, not even extra food on me plate!

 

[Englishman]

Had a call out yesterday to a property that I'd done an eicr on 2 weeks ago, he finished moving in yesterday and apparently "no sockets were working". Thought it was odd as I'd had heaters on until just before I left, but I go along anyway, and it turns out that his fridge light wasn't working. That was it!

 

[craigday]

No just realised my mistake was black and red! Just came out naturally!

 

[Guitarist]

Had an email from my wife

That's what happens when you give them their own computer

 

[markc123]

Family + Electrics don't seem to mix do they.

I do things for family members ( not mentioning names ) and, it's normally after someone has attempted something and it doesn't work properly / if at all.

You get their, and you chat away pretending everythings alright and you're not pi$$ed off at all that someone is medalling incorrectly with the trade you love (because its family and you have to be all nicey-nice) and then leave their with no cash and knowing fine well you won't ever get paid.

Mini-rant over!

 

[bk81]

That's exactly it Mark! Glad I'm not the only one feeling like that!

Spent 2 hours fixing it last night because the guy couldn't make it, so there was me trying to second guess what he'd done. Then his father in law offers me £50 to fit the rest of the lights (5), nah you're all right mate. Was almost too hacked off to speak that I'd wasted my night for a favour, it's not even family or one of my friends, that's the worst!

Glad I got that off my chest! lol