For newbies and trainees!!!!!!!!!

[Octopus]

Yesterday I got an email from a friend of a friend asking me to come and look at a faulty shower isolator switch, so I duely popped in on my way home.

This is what I saw when I removed the switch from the wall:



Obviously before I took it off the wall I went to look at their shiney new CU (which had been installed as part of building works in the summer):




Hum, I'd like to see the certifcate I said:



and the schedule:





So what do you observe??

 

[Des 56]

I just had a quick look and those Europa rcbos (or at least the ones I could find) seem to be more in line with the cheapest I find for Mk at £20, (that is once the postage is added)

If the quality is there and they test Ok,I wonder if they fit MK boards ?

 

[Amp David]

These fir MK boards perfectly used loads of em, no issues what so ever.

MCG, CPN, CUDIS, RCBO; Merlin Gerin & Mem Circuit Breakers, Wylex & Volex

 

[stan794]

I went to a small job today for bathroom downlights , had a look for the CU and noticed a nice shiny new one, I open it up - a 10 way Wylex and this had replaced a 4 way Wylex rewirable. All sockets in 1 MCB & Cooker on one RCD, All lighting and Shower on the other, loads of room for expansion with 6 spare ways lol. I asked the customer if the chap had discussed separation of circuits etc etc and could i see the cert - her reply was no and what cert, nice one.

 

[Octopus]

Well based on some of the responses, when I had a few minutes this morning I called Napit to see what they would do - and from the luke warm response it would seem little.

Just got to decide now whether to send them the information I have!

 

[highspark]

Everybody know that these assessments are not thorough. There is clowns driving round my area with NAPIT stickers all over their vans and its not just NAPIT, the NICEIC have also got uncompetent drivel under their name aswell - it wacks me off completley. Heres me sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring and they are out rewiring houses. Because the unsuspecting customer cannot differenciate form a time served spark and a cowboy! They are not electricians!!! Thay have sat a few easy courses 17th Edition, 2392 etc. and have been allowed to called themselves electricians!

 

[Edd]

The 40A units are for 10mm cables for 1 x shower, 1 x oven and 1 x megga hob!

that fist photo def shows 6mm not 10? or hav i missed somthing

 

[DNS1]

What the hell has happened to that shower isolator?

Doesn't look like a 10mm to me and that line conductor looks burnt to buggery!

 

[highspark]

What the hell has happened to that shower isolator?Doesn't look like a 10mm to me and that line conductor looks burnt to buggery!

It may not have to be a 10mm...What makes you think that?

 

[DNS1]

It may not have to be a 10mm...What makes you think that?

My mistake, I looked the current capacity up in the OSG and thought 6mm wouldn't be enough. Must have been looking at the wrong column.

 

[DNS1]

Love that; do you think he actually measured anything?
Are the rings really wired in singles?

Out of interest, what makes you think that they are?

 

[jmusson1989]

I'm doing electrics at college, I've always been taught to put the highest breaker nearest the main breaker for example: |6amp|6amp|16amp|16amp|32amp|45amp|main breaker|

Doesn't it break any wiring regs not having them in that order? I was taught it's for safety, so higher breakers don't heat up or effect other smaller breakers and cause any nuisance tripping

 

[cablemonkey]

Dose nobody bother putting there circuits in order form the isolator any more?

 

[Mark_Burgess]

Out of interest, what makes you think that they are?

circuits 5 and 6 have Line and CPC as 2.5mm.

 

[lofty84]

Great post Murdoch wish there was more like this. Ive tried to reply loads and look at one pic at a time but when I move on to the next pic it just gets deleted which is proper annoying after 3 gos.

of the top of my head

pic 1 - exposed conductors - looks like they have cut the insualtion back to much on one of the line conductors and remedyed it with some black insulation tape -I can see some dust and particulates in there (it might matter?) - looks like a little bit of dammage on the neautral at the bottom but I cant see any exposed copper so its likely to just be how its been squashed up in its house

Pic 2 - well nothing is labeled and as others have said the mcbs have just been stuck in in any order again like others I was told to stick the biggest closeist sp?lol to the main switch. I cant see any RCDs on there either. Should there not be a rcd to protect the shower circuit at least.

ill have to go back and look at pics 3 and 4 and then come back with what im seeing

ps murdoch how much did he charge the customer for the instalation, and was the customer out or something when he did it.

hopefully after eveyone has made there observations we could have a post to summerise the problems in each picture.

makes me want to go out on myown even more seeing things like this

 

[Des 56]

I cant see any RCDs on there either. Should there not be a rcd to protect the shower circuit at least.

In the film the Lion king,when the lion couldn't see the image the Baboon said
Look closer