Just goes to show you that assumption is the mother of all cock ups and a potential death.
I am quite ---- about isolation, I always test conductors even if the power is off, borrowed Neutrals and all that. Yesterday I made an assumption, and it could have landed me in a box. This was the situation..
Fault finding a PIR stating:- circuit 7, 3 cables bunched in to a 32A breaker, unable to obtain an IR on this circuit.
So main switch off, front off the CU, lo and behold 2x 2.5 solid PVC + 1x 2.5 stranded PVC, well that's a bit naughty for a kick off, presented with this and knowing the history of the previous heating arrangements in the building I assumed RFC = 2x 2.5 PVC and the stranded off to a old spur somewhere, so pulled the stranded L/N/E out the board cut them off square , power back on checked every socket in the building all working, luverly jubbly I thought that was nice easy fix, so I start teasing the stranded forward to deal with them and get a tingle of the N FK that ain't right, so tester out 230v on L/N L/E **** I thought, so delved in to hell hole cellar, to find this stranded went down then came back up from a JB, tucked behind the bus bar and cover another stranded in chockys joining to a piece of PVC solid which then went back down the trunking in to the cellar. So I either have an interconnection, or someone has extended the stranded ring 2.5 with solid 2.5 or a double feed to the circuit, anyway that's my problem to solve ( But interested to hear your theories ).
The point of this post was to remind you never assume anything, except that all conductors are Live until proved otherwise, is it worth risking your life for the two minutes it takes you grab the tester ? I didn't take a risk I made a mistake, that mistake was making an assumption, an assumption that could of got me killed..Be careful out there.
I am quite ---- about isolation, I always test conductors even if the power is off, borrowed Neutrals and all that. Yesterday I made an assumption, and it could have landed me in a box. This was the situation..
Fault finding a PIR stating:- circuit 7, 3 cables bunched in to a 32A breaker, unable to obtain an IR on this circuit.
So main switch off, front off the CU, lo and behold 2x 2.5 solid PVC + 1x 2.5 stranded PVC, well that's a bit naughty for a kick off, presented with this and knowing the history of the previous heating arrangements in the building I assumed RFC = 2x 2.5 PVC and the stranded off to a old spur somewhere, so pulled the stranded L/N/E out the board cut them off square , power back on checked every socket in the building all working, luverly jubbly I thought that was nice easy fix, so I start teasing the stranded forward to deal with them and get a tingle of the N FK that ain't right, so tester out 230v on L/N L/E **** I thought, so delved in to hell hole cellar, to find this stranded went down then came back up from a JB, tucked behind the bus bar and cover another stranded in chockys joining to a piece of PVC solid which then went back down the trunking in to the cellar. So I either have an interconnection, or someone has extended the stranded ring 2.5 with solid 2.5 or a double feed to the circuit, anyway that's my problem to solve ( But interested to hear your theories ).
The point of this post was to remind you never assume anything, except that all conductors are Live until proved otherwise, is it worth risking your life for the two minutes it takes you grab the tester ? I didn't take a risk I made a mistake, that mistake was making an assumption, an assumption that could of got me killed..Be careful out there.
