Double immersion

[PRETEND SPARKS]

Hi guys wonder if anyone come across this one, got called to a cylinder with two 3kw elements in it, both fed from a 32a
breaker to two fused spurs with 13a protection. The shop owner says that one of the spurs banged and after this
neither element now works. Firstly thought that the supply was adequate and secondly can't understand both now not working??? Any ideas anyone. The cylinder is made by joule.

 

[Engineer54]

Why is it that electricians go to job's that are known to have a fault, without test equipment??

Even the best electrician in the country will be at a complete loss, without the appropriate test equipment to diagnose and locate the problem!!

 

[NickD]

No mate you ain't being thick prob not explaining very well but the the fcu's are both terminated correctly ie feed side etc load in load etc. n yea your right it's just a simple emersion circuit with two elements etc al have to check what readings are on element, was prob doubting myself slightly but the cable size ok n fcu's ok at 13a !!

I've got be be honest here then...not meaning to be nasty, but the critical importance of this client's system being worked on safely requires that I say this....if you aren't competent to work this one out for yourself you shouldn't be working on the system. It is an extremely simple setup. If you are competent to work it out for yourself but are asking because you don't have the readings yet, it ought to be obvious as part of that competence that it's no use to ask because without the readings it is utter speculation. Sorry but there it is.

 

[PRETEND SPARKS]

Yea yea your rite

 

[PRETEND SPARKS]

Yea looking at it it is a bit of a dumb post and as I have said, like you have too, a very simple circuit
I obviously should have took meter to test element but was on another job at the time and left it there. The worrying factor here is , as I am competent and I reiterate very competent the problem was all the terminations were correct the circuit correct but yet the FCU had blown ......... Al test it out in the morning

 

[Geordie Spark]

Why would you go to a fault without test equipment? If you can't tell us test results then the best you're going to get is guesswork and speculation.

And a certain amount of ridicule.

 

[NickD]

And a certain amount of ridicule.

But not too much.

 

[PRETEND SPARKS]

Anyway thanx for comments .......

 

[Badged01]

I like posts that have happy endings and everyone involved has been friendly to each other as the tale has unfolded

 

[snowhead]

I like posts that have happy endings and everyone involved has been friendly to each other as the tale has unfolded

I prefer the other sort.

The O.P of those posts WILL remember what was said, including don't waste time fault finding if you don't have test gear or vast experience of faults experience of fault finding that will lead you to the cause.

Rule 1; never believe the customer absolutely.
On this fault there is a lot of emphasis being put on the customer hearing 1 FCU bang.

 

[NickD]

I disagree. If you put people on the defensive by ripping them apart, you make it into a battle where they feel they will have lost face if they admit they're mistaken / didn't know what they were doing. If they can't make that admission to themselves that they need to learn, they won't, they'll just clam up or go into denial. If I've learned one thing in life it's that you don't turn something into a battle if you don't need to.

 

[Engineer54]

Well all credit to the OP in this instance, he fessed up without taking offence... Hopefully he'll remember not to leave his test equipment behind, the next time he goes out, to look for a customers fault!!! lol!!

 

[MDJ]

Sounds like the one element is off peak, so unless the op stands by it with his volt stick until after midnight due to the lack of test kit he will never know lol

 

[Engineer54]

Sounds like the one element is off peak, so unless the op stands by it with his volt stick until after midnight due to the lack of test kit he will never know lol

Not having much knowledge of present day off peak economy systems available in the UK these day's. But don't such systems still have a ''boost'' facility, that can be operated out of off peak times??

 

[NickD]

Not having much knowledge of present day off peak economy systems available in the UK these day's. But don't such systems still have a ''boost'' facility, that can be operated out of off peak times??

Sometimes. Depends on the time switch.

 

[PRETEND SPARKS]

Again thanx for comments however, I wasn't asking for you guys to tell me the resistance readings as obviously this is impossible it was a quick question to see if, for example some one had had problems with the cylinder elements before which was a common fault. I obviously posted my Q while not on the job but the message I got was-: we have got a major incident here the immersion has blown up so yea I was fast in my feet to get to job and consequently didn't take meter Also was the first post or Q I have posted ........