Dodgy trade pictures for your amusement! - 1 Million Views!

[Darkwood]

Right ... Just been nudged to set this up by Paul.M and sounds a good idea following recent threads I've done in the Arms..

Rules....No Offensive material... edit if required before posting as this is the public arena.
Anything to do with the trade or in and around it ...H&S pic's welcome.



I've posted this a few times and this is at a mates house following a kitchen refirb several yrs ago. mg_smile:

 

[Teddy Lop]

A colleague found this during a PAT on a builders welder back in 2012, the white cable was on the welder
View attachment 119267

Initially he was just going to change the blue socket (wrong gender) on the welder to a plug and put the blue socket on the black cable, however the white cableView attachment 119268

The full extent of it wasn't found until I exercised a screwdriver:
Blue socket wired incorrectly (L= blue, E= brown N & earth not connected) and no cord grip, yellow plug altered to fit into the blue, yellow socket (used as a join) no cord grip, 13A plug not sleeved and what doesn't show in the pics is the black rubber cable was brittle and cracking (perished).
However the yellow cable was almost pristine and repaired as a 110 extension.
View attachment 119269
Oh and of course the user didn't think there was anything wrong with it other than sometimes tripping breakers, but the boss apparently gave him grief

A colleague of mine on the leccy board put a 13a plug and socket in the middle of his board-issue 110v extension, thereby making it dual-function! he was well impressed with it...

 

[Teddy Lop]

After being called out for a reported electricity failure, the DNO cut this (rental) off citing an illegal connection and demanding a new duct/cable to the street, the service head and meter look to have been moved and probably not by them, so may be a separate issue.

No idea what to make of this - kitchen wiring was probably tripping the RCD but I can't understand quite how you arrive here whether your plan is to steal electric or circumvent the RCD.

Landlord completely ignorant, says it was all in the hands of the agent.

 

[mainline]

Been in service like this for a few years and that's the living room

 

[littlespark]

Its fine.... theres an NIC sticker on it

 

[mainline]

Same place. I've started to remove a few bits

 

[happysteve]

• "If I put a new plug on, do you think the washing machine will be alright?"
• "Put it this way: I wouldn't."

Zs @ socket 0.41Ω (so Ipf ~560A). Tripped the B32 MCB when it went, but not the upstream BS4293 RCD.

Stank.

 

[James]

I bet the wash machine is fine, looks like an overheating fuse / plug.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Is that a track or crack across the other outlet?

 

[happysteve]

I bet the wash machine is fine, looks like an overheating fuse / plug.

Well, I guess technically you're right... the fuse did overheat... things do tend to get hot when they... EXPLODE!!!
This was a very sudden failure (loud enough that the client heard it go from upstairs). I have seen first hand the result of an overheating fuse in a moulded plug... this ain't it

Is that a track or crack across the other outlet?

Good spot, but no... that's just a mucky spider's web

 

[Simon47]

Well, I guess technically you're right... the fuse did overheat... things do tend to get hot when they... EXPLODE!!!
This was a very sudden failure (loud enough that the client heard it go from upstairs). I have seen first hand the result of an overheating fuse in a moulded plug... this ain't it

I suspect that the "explosion" was merely the finale of a process that started with an overheating fuse. I hypothesise :
Fuse gets too warm for "whatever reason". As a result of that, contact degrades, increasing resistance, increasing heat generation. At some point, things start to degrade and surfaces of the plug & socket get coated in breakdown products.
Eventually, the coating triggers flashover - at which point a current limited only by the supply loop impedance drives a plasma arc until the OCD trips and cuts off the power.
The power dissipated in the arc will be substantial. Quick estimate suggests a few tens of kW - that's going to make a big bang.

 

[James]

Well, I guess technically you're right... the fuse did overheat... things do tend to get hot when they... EXPLODE!!!
This was a very sudden failure (loud enough that the client heard it go from upstairs). I have seen first hand the result of an overheating fuse in a moulded plug... this ain't it

View attachment 119595

Good spot, but no... that's just a mucky spider's web

View attachment 119597

Bet you a beer that if you put a new plug on it and pat test it, all will be fine.