Mistakes you have made

[James]

Just thought I would put a thread up to admit to some of our mistakes.

Like uncoiling a run of twin and earth off the side of the reel and finding out it has become a tangled mess.

Wiring a motor up so it turns into a large lump of mixed metal scrap.

Many years ago when I knew I was perfect, I have made both of these mistakes and more.
Anyone got some good tales to tell?

 

[littlespark]

I must be too careful.
I have never managed to evacuate a factory, or wipeout a third of a housing estate.
Any mistakes I made have come with personal injury, and not to anyone else....

But 2 legs through a ceiling either side of the joist is hard to beat.
I did roughly the same as a little kid.... but swap “joist” with “barbed wire fence”

 

[richy3333]

@littlespark ouch!! Bet your eyes watered ?

 

[littlespark]

@littlespark ouch!! Bet your eyes watered ?

The fence was only 2’ high. At the time I Must have had a 25” inside leg measurement. Took a scratch from about the knee, Up my inner thigh to just short of serious

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

Chasing a wall out when doing a partial rewire and the brick came loose. Chasing away it fell through in to next doors bedroom... Peered through to find the brick on the tiled floor. It was thankfully owned by the same customer who was converting both to hmos. He found it hilarious. Didn't mind as plasterer was booked and next door was being done following week anyway.

 

[suffolkspark]

Was once re terminating 25mm tails on a domestic property as they had about 2 inches the red and black showing where they entered 100A blocks, anyway the property had 2 phases and N and about 4 boards as it had storage heaters and a small office in an outbuilding, I managed to mix up the tails and connect L & N for a submain board to L1 & L2, I dont know how but no computers were harmed, but the fluorescent lights made the loudest GRRROANNN I've ever heard!!! Blew a small glass fuse in the security alarm panel but everything else was fine!

 

[pc1966]

I look back on that incident and shudder, It could of done for me and no good the investigation finding poor/non existent safe isolation training and lack of correct test equipment.

That tale is one that every apprentice or DIY-er should read. There is a good reason for voltage testers being used for that job!

Thankfully my multimeter mishaps have simply blown the amp-range fuse once or twice which hardly merits a mention here.

 

[James]

I think many of us when we were a bit younger and more gung ho, have made mistakes involving safe isolation.

it is easy to think of it as a chore when you are starting out in the field of electricity.
once you have seen one of the following happen to yourself or others you start to take it more seriously.

wrecking a perfectly good set of side cutters
destroying the end of a screwdriver
having a drill bit disintegrate before your very eyes
falling off a ladder from direct contact
burning your finger tip from direct contact
being given cpr and surviving
having your face burned from a large arc flash
being set on fire
being given cpr and NOT surviving.

its like working with poisonous snakes, become complacent and you will regret it.

to any of the DIY or Trainee members, these are the real consequences of making mistakes with electricity. It has no morels, and takes no prisoners.

 

[littlespark]

Everyone makes mistakes.... that’s why we have a 4 year apprenticeship and not, say, 5 week crash course.


A few weeks ago it was time for blood donors. Usual place, usual travelling team of nurses down from Edinburgh.
However, this time I got a young lad.... quite chatty. Everything fine until he says “ give me a second, I need to call someone over.... I’m not allowed to do the needle bit on my own yet”



So, over comes the senior nurse..... Turns out they can do it on their own, after 30 tries.

“Tries”!



“so how many has he done?” Says I

“6”




It took 3 plasters to stop the flow of blood.... the second one going DIRECTLY over the first.... like that was going to help!

good job I don’t feel faint at these things.

 

[telectrix]

Everyone makes mistakes.... that’s why we have a 4 year apprenticeship and not, say, 5 week crash course.


A few weeks ago it was time for blood donors. Usual place, usual travelling team of nurses down from Edinburgh.
However, this time I got a young lad.... quite chatty. Everything fine until he says “ give me a second, I need to call someone over.... I’m not allowed to do the needle bit on my own yet”



So, over comes the senior nurse..... Turns out they can do it on their own, after 30 tries.

“Tries”!



“so how many has he done?” Says I

“6”




It took 3 plasters to stop the flow of blood.... the second one going DIRECTLY over the first.... like that was going to help!

good job I don’t feel faint at these things.

that would freak me out totally. i need a sedative for a blood test.

 

[Let me think]

Everyone makes mistakes.... that’s why we have a 4 year apprenticeship and not, say, 5 week crash course.


A few weeks ago it was time for blood donors. Usual place, usual travelling team of nurses down from Edinburgh.
However, this time I got a young lad.... quite chatty. Everything fine until he says “ give me a second, I need to call someone over.... I’m not allowed to do the needle bit on my own yet”



So, over comes the senior nurse..... Turns out they can do it on their own, after 30 tries.

“Tries”!



“so how many has he done?” Says I

“6”




It took 3 plasters to stop the flow of blood.... the second one going DIRECTLY over the first.... like that was going to help!

good job I don’t feel faint at these things.

He's now up to seven, thanks to you (only 23 more time to get it prefect)

 

[telectrix]

having a drill bit disintegrate before your very eyes
gawd, reminds me of one of mine. 30 years ago, new years day, fitting an alarm system.
drilling through front doot architrave with a 8mm long bit for door contact. straight through incoming lead sheathed supply cable which was buried in wall behind said archtrave. 4 vans and 6 blokes from EMEB turn up. dug out drive, cut cable jointed new 5m of concentric. got a bill for £3K , disputed it as the cable should not have been there. apparently it was originally surface and house owner had plastered it in, so i bounced it back to him. never knew if he had to pay out or not.

 

[Let me think]

having a drill bit disintegrate before your very eyes
gawd, reminds me of one of mine. 30 years ago, new years day, fitting an alarm system.
drilling through front doot architrave with a 8mm long bit for door contact. straight through incoming lead sheathed supply cable which was buried in wall behind said archtrave. 4 vans and 6 blokes from EMEB turn up. dug out drive, cut cable jointed new 5m of concentric. got a bill for £3K , disputed it as the cable should not have been there. apparently it was originally surface and house owner had plastered it in, so i bounced it back to him. never knew if he had to pay out or not.

Luck you're still here - Like the rest of us.

BTW I've always found the easiest way to find a 'rogue' cable(s) outside of prescribed wiring zones is is to drill where in theory they shouldn't be.....for whatever reason they like to be exactly where folks want to put up shelves and/or pictures.

Hence I like the look of no nails for picture kits. Still to try them.