Shower feed wired in wrong

[1stfix2ndfix]

I was wondering if anyone can answer this one for me. I'm an electricians mate, I did ask the guy I'm with but he couldn't give me an answer.

So after he changed the board and I did the bonding I get to go round testing. Whilst taking the zs of the shower I noticed immediately upon removing the over that the feed had been wired up wrong. The live was with the live but the neutral from the feed was wired up to the earth terminal/cable in the shower and likewise the earth from the feed was wired up to the neutral terminal and cable of the shower. Now spotting this I asked the customer who had wired this up as they have done it wrong and I was told the fire fitter lol. She then asked me why it had worked and was still working. I didn't really have a answer and nor did the guy I'm with if I'm honest so I'm just wondering if anyone knows the answer to that one. Was it unsafe and were they just lucky. I felt a right idiot not knowing the answer but hopefully next time I'll be able to fill em with confidence in my response

 

[1stfix2ndfix]

That could not have happened as the first thing he does is to cut into the tails and pop a rcd in the middle. If this trips out we know we've got problems. So that is weird either he didn't do it (not likely) or there's something else as the feed coming in was Deffinenty wired up l-l n-e and e-n.

 

[Plonker 3]

only way that would have been picked up is by opening the shower and doing a R1+R2 or just a R2. who does that for a board change?

What about a Zs?

 

[1stfix2ndfix]

Honestly mate no idea. Guessing water get inside the cover

 

[1stfix2ndfix]

Honestly mate no idea. Guessing water getting inside the cover

 

[Brightspark2]

but it should be picked up on the testing before the circuit is energised anyway.

Exactly, so what testing was done?

 

[trev]

That could not have happened as the first thing he does is to cut into the tails and pop a rcd in the middle. If this trips out we know we've got problems.

He does what? Is that his idea of pre change testing?

 

[Brightspark2]

That could not have happened as the first thing he does is to cut into the tails and pop a rcd in the middle. If this trips out we know we've got problems.

The plot thickens...

So before he changes the board he sticks an RCD inline with the tails and if this trips you know you have problems?...

ha ha no way!...is there no testing carried out?...(other than the bang test)

 

[Brightspark2]

He does what? Is that his idea of pre change testing?

Less words and you got there before me, you win this time....

 

[Brightspark2]

Honestly mate no idea. Guessing water get inside the cover

Water inside or an internal fault could cause an earth fault...

 

[1stfix2ndfix]

Testing seems to be cut into the tails and put a rcd in. If it trips then we've got problems if not good to go.

So I'm wondering should the rcd have picked up on this

What tests should of been done and what one would have shown me that the nutral and earth were mixed up in the shower unit before I even looked in there?

 

[telectrix]

even doing that bodge, the RCD would hold until the shower was turned on. :furious3:

 

[Silly Sausage]

Is your boss an ex darts player? :smilielol5:

 

[1stfix2ndfix]

Eye. And then take the main fuse out but I'll do that anyway @ trev.

 

[1stfix2ndfix]

Nice one getting more clued up by the minute

 

[telectrix]

Testing seems to be cut into the tails and put a rcd in. If it trips then we've got problems if not good to go.

So I'm wondering should the rcd have picked up on this

What tests should of been done and what one would have shown me that the nutral and earth were mixed up in the shower unit before I even looked in there?

no way of finding that fault without opening the shower unit apart from RCD tripping as soon as the shower was used. i've already said that if you read my previous posts.