Dodgy wiring???

[Dazzac]

Hello all,

Yesterday I was changing a plug socket in my bedroom. I turned off the electricity by the main switch and flicked off the MCB. Went to go and change the socket and got an electric shock!! After a few swear words I checked it with a tester and the bloody thing is still live!! Went back to the consumer unit and realised that there is a separate fuse box (the black one in picture) with 2 fuses in it. This can't being feeding all the sockets as most of the sockets are wired into the main consumer unit. I can't believe some electrician has wired this up like this. The fuses are not even labelled up. Don't have a clue what it is feeding except the socket i got zapped by. It is bloody lethal for certain. And also it didn't trip. Should it have done?
Is this kind of setup common in older houses? Lesson for me though is to check with a tester everytime even though i've switched the power off! Its obvious this setup needs to be changed but how can I check what else this old fuse box is powering?? Also aint got a clue what the RCD is for at the bottom?? Cheers D

 

[WarrenG]

Dazzac,

You answered your own question there with checking the to make sure it dead, a lesson I'm sure you will remember for next time.

We all laugh at the standard text when we were training but there is the method in the maddness!

I too fell for the 'yeah its all off' comment from a colleage many, many years back and it cost me a new pair of knipex after the bang and my colleage saying 'errr well apart from that one I guess'. I always check my myself these days!

Looks a bit of a strange set up there is the property a split into a flats? Looks like addition circuits have been added via addition fuseboards.

The circuits should all be labelled up and would be marked down on a PIR inspection.

Process of a limination I'm afraid to find out whats what, circuit by circuit.

Would suspect that more circuits were needed hence the black fuse board and then the seperate RCD protection has been added for a shower circuit or something simliar??

 

[12345aob]

My friend asked me to take a look at his kitchen sockets as he couldn't find the fuse that turns them off

I had a look and told him the bad news that that I can't find it either but the good news is he isn’t paying for his kitchen sockets! I love old flats.

 

[mpfisher@hotmai]

Did you remove the fuses 1 at a time to try and find the right fuse? Because if you did and 2 ring circuits were crossed, Removel of 1 fuse wouldnt kill the circuit


Mark

 

[mrloy99]

Did you remove the fuses 1 at a time to try and find the right fuse? Because if you did and 2 ring circuits were crossed, Removel of 1 fuse wouldnt kill the circuit


Mark

Came across the same scenario one time myself,scratching the head for ages......maybe another disadvantage for the use of ring circuits.

 

[Guest123]

I'm afraid I too have been the victim of the old "yeah it's off" routine.

Trouble was it was on a 600v system whilst subbing to network rail and I nearly died!!!!!!!! - burns, flash blindness and i had no feeling in my arm for a good few days.

Needless to say since that day I dont trust anyone but myself when isolating i check, check and check again.

 

[WarrenG]

I'm afraid I too have been the victim of the old "yeah it's off" routine.

Trouble was it was on a 600v system whilst subbing to network rail and I nearly died!!!!!!!! - burns, flash blindness and i had no feeling in my arm for a good few days.

Needless to say since that day I dont trust anyone but myself when isolating i check, check and check again.

Ouch!!

 

[12345aob]

Did you remove the fuses 1 at a time to try and find the right fuse? Because if you did and 2 ring circuits were crossed, Removel of 1 fuse wouldnt kill the circuit


Mark

No I just left my friend in his kitchen with my Martindale and went into the basement and turned the lot off- gave him a call on the mobile and told him to put the kettle on.

 

[alba]

seen it loads in old properties. Have just done a job were they had 2 boards and also a old switch fuse serving an installation in a house. I solved there problem with a periodic inspection, once installation was mapped out i then done away with redundant circuits and installed the rest on a new split rcd board. (labelled!).

 

[hasel5]

This could off been on old off peak board feeding storage htrs that have been removed and the spurs converted to sockets and the dual tarriff metering removed if a flat

 

[JulesHurley]

I'm sure every spark in the country should admit to not checking the circuit is dead. As said before, thats why side cutters are replaced.

The single RCD and MCB arrangement looks like an add on for smoke detectors. Usual council or landlord method, dont touch the existing, just tag another board in. The whole arrangement looks identical like one I had about a year ago, scary.

 

[Dazzac]

Thanks for all your replys people. The install is on my 3 bed house. I checked with a previous owner and said that it was to supply an old storage heater and had been changed to be be used as a separate socket like Hasel5 suggested. The RCD was installed as there was a stairlift previously. And yes it was previously a council house!!

 

[Had8Lives]

Could be any number of reasons why that socket was on the other fusebox. Looking at the age of the black fusebox it maybe that it was the original one and previous owner got halfway through rewiring the property. A Socket tester is very handy for checking if a socket is turned off when you're not sure what circuit it's on.

 

[matt20687]

to be honest if it was up to me i would have the consumer unit(s) changed into just one single box by a qualified electrician and then all of the circuits will have to be identified and labeled. Also you will get a certificate saying you are all safe etc!

 

[randyrat]

Mmm...if it's in yer own pad I think you should maybes be sorting it all out.....too many boards to shake a stick at....a good half day in the cupboard and you could make a world of difference to it.....