Some advice need for an emergency call out please

[Sav]

Hi everyone,
I just had my neighbour (3 doors away) come round and say that she has no sockets or heating at all !!

I went round and she has an MK board , so its main switch and lights up and down on the non RCD side, and on the RCD side its boiler, up / down sockets, kitchen sockets.

The RCD is on, but when testing at the bottom (busbar), no voltage at all !!

Tested on the mcb's (RCD side) and again no voltage !!! The RCD does trip when you press the test button.

I'm thing faulty RCD, so a quick look in my van and the RCD's that I have , have the L & N on the opposite sides, compared to the MK one.

I dont have a busbar that would be suitable for this, but I do have an MK main switch !!
So, I put the main switch on now (took RCD off), the L & N line up ok, as its MK and bingo, all is on and working !!

Did a measured ZS on sockets (0.31Ohms), and also ZE (0.13 TN-S).

I advised the neighbour that this is a temp fixture and I will get her an MK RCD first thing in the morning. I couldn't leave her without any power, as she has 2 newborn babies and needs sterilizer, fridge, sockets working.

Is that ok, do you think until the morning, or should I have left her without power until its fixed? Would you have done the same, given its 10.00pm on a Tuesday night !!

Thanks and regards,
Sav

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Sav, its an emergency repair, I think you did well. She won' t be mowing the lawn & chopping through the cable overnight.

 

[Top Cat]

Good for you pal, some will criticise but given the circumstances i would do the same. Probably would have put RCD with L & N reversed in first to see if it worked first. (i don't mean reversed polarity before anyone jumps!)

 

[jpm646]

Good for you pal, some will criticise but given the circumstances i would do the same. Probably would have put RCD with L & N reversed in first to see if it worked first. (i don't mean reversed polarity before anyone jumps!)

Yeh most do work either way round I've had to do this before and they work with no problems

 

[Sav]

I know what you mean about the RCD, but its that the prongs on the busbar would not have fitted correctly, plus I always change like for like (MK for Mk etc).
But thanks for all your help guys.
Best regards,
Sav

 

[Top Cat]

No probs!

 

[Guitarist]

You did what you felt you had to mate. Nobody can fault you for that. Just get it back on RCD asap...

 

[trev]

I think the correct course of action would have been to invite her and the children to your home for the night at which time you could have safely isolated her home thus eliminating any chance of shock or fire. You could have tucked them all up together in your bed and read them a story after which time you and your partner/wife/significant other could have slept in sleeping bags on the floor.

Seriously though mate you had no other choice to do what you did, I'm sure it'll all be sorted in the morning

 

[GLENNSPARK]

this is someone thinking on the spot....nice one mate...

 

[Top Cat]

this is someone thinking on the spot....nice one mate...

You mean Trev?