RFC jointed under the floor

[Englishman]

Went to a job Wednesday evening to an "earth neutral fault" to find a continuity between them of .12

Started taking sockets off and keep finding one cable at each outlet. Few boards up and start seeing junction boxes. With the customer knowing I'd be potentially pulling boards up all night, he told me he'd strip the carpets up (just bought the flat so not moved in) and locate all JBs under the floor. I'm then going back when I can access all connections.

Anyone ever come across anything like this? Never known a ring jointed under a floor with, in effect, spurs to each socket?

 

[Sintra]

Used to be common practice.

 

[kingeri]

As Sintra says, was a common method of installation back in the day. Never understood why, seems like extra work to me! I assume it isn't a recent installation?

 

[GLENNSPARK]

reminds me of this one time we went to this place....the owner wanted it all `tidying up`...lol..it was just joint boxes everyware...

the reason we christened it the `joint box house`...as in ...are we going to do some more at the joint box house today

 

[Englishman]

As Sintra says, was a common method of installation back in the day. Never understood why, seems like extra work to me! I assume it isn't a recent installation?

Nah, all tinned, stranded which was what, 60s? Just had previous sparks put new board in and it's obviously tripping rcd. Apparently, he doesn't have time to fix, and evidently didn't test beforehand, so I'm picking up the pieces. First time I've come across it, and as well as seeming odd, it's a complete pain in the arse to fault find.

 

[kingeri]

Could be more than one fault as well, if you're unlucky!

 

[Englishman]

Could be more than one fault as well, if you're unlucky!

Oh it wouldn't surprise me mate.

 

[brucelee]

Yes seen before had it at my bruvs last year also I just picture it like a spider with many legs lol

Pain in the --- as your step 2 and 3 readings arent what you expect them to be until it dawns on you that most sockets have one leg lol so spurred from hidden JBs

at least you can get to them I couldnt due to fitted wardrobes and fitted wooden flooring anyway after some tweaking Zs was fine I just made a note of it on cert as unconventional wiring methods used and JBs not accessible for I&T
If it had been upto me the floors would have been ripped up and rewired the lot

was probably originally done to save a bit of wire lol

 

[Richard Burns]

It is a simple and easy way of wiring a ring final circuit, lay a ring of cable around the house, then at any position you want a socket slap in a junction box and take a single cable to the outlet position.

Oh you then want to test it and make sure it is OK, well....

I had some fun doing an ECIR on a house like that, pretty much did the same, unconventional wiring method but safe to use.

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Nowt wrong with JBs.

Its just getting to them.


might not be a fault at a JB....

 

[7029 dave]

unconventional wiring method,(god I feel my age).That was part of the practical wiring syllabus in college back in the day!!.

 

[richy3333]

Nowt wrong with JBs.

Its just getting to them.


might not be a fault at a JB....

Until the terminations become loose and Mr melty comes a calling

 

[Robotstar5]

I had one where the lighting circuits appeared to have been wired with offcuts of T&E and a bucket of choccy blocks, the previous owner was a BT engineer so knew "all about electrics" ripped the lot out and started again.

 

[Englishman]

Nowt wrong with JBs.

Its just getting to them.


might not be a fault at a JB....

May well not be, but that has to be a first port of call. Neutral and earth are in contact somewhere, and it's highly likely that it's either at a jb or where the boards have been up.

As for getting to them, the customer doesn't want to pay me to search for them so he's doing it himself, I'm just rectifying, which is perfectly fine for me!

 

[brucelee]

I had one where the lighting circuits appeared to have been wired with offcuts of T&E and a bucket of choccy blocks, the previous owner was a BT engineer so knew "all about electrics" ripped the lot out and started again.

Had that also mate on a commercial premises open to the public small sections of various sizes connected together by mixture of chock blocks, JBs with no lids and within reach,all earths cut out some open to the elements inc rain all within reach of unsuspecting public which powered everything Socket outlets, Banks of flourescents Tube heaters the works
Replaced majority all on single phase 1 Main ccu supplying many others It was the usual they thought it was ok as it worked some of the time when the Fuses wernt blowing , CBs Glowing along with the cables didnt need the heaters they could have just used the cables as heaters lol Fuses with 6mm copper wire protecting 2.5mm T/E
just condemened the majority and had 3 Phase supply installed and repalced large amounts of T/E subs with SWA seperated Lighting from Power etc Installed waterproof sockets and switches as power washers were used daily turned out the old man who started the business had done it all
They must have got a load of off cuts free

God knows how it hadnt killed someone or burnt the place down