Tell us about your faults!

[kung]

Hi ALL
Just thought id put this one up for all those faults we find.
heres one to kick it off !
Domestic RCD tripped and wouldnt reset cause was a blown low energy light bulb.
There you go now for yours !

 

[marcusone]

A bit OFF THE WALL !

Hi All

Just had to pop this photo up. Found this morning. Main incomer, meters etc, supplying 4 flats.

Mark

 

[Jurassic Sparks]

Re: Tell us about your faults !

wow
that took some real thought to make a mess like that
I wonder what the rest of the building is like!!!

 

[brucelee]

Re: Tell us about your faults !

top job eh mate
did you just put a very large red sticker saying complete fail
or a large yellowand black one saying its knackered lol

 

[marcusone]

Re: Tell us about your faults !

Scary thing is the whole lot has fallen off the wall and is hanging on the incoming service. The service is almost completely bent back on itself.

Horrified to find that there wasn't a mixed wiring colours label either

 

[james hanley]

Re: Tell us about your faults !

here s one customer says her kitchen lights keeps blowing bulbs out ,i have checked the load seems fine ,this happens every couple of weeks occasionally main rcd trips the whole house power off too any advice ?

 

[ringer]

Re: Tell us about your faults !

This thread is for showing bad situations we have found so we can all be amazed at the stupid things some so-called electricians do. If you want help with diagnosis of a particular fault you would be better off starting a new thread.

 

[james hanley]

Re: Tell us about your faults !

i am just new to this forum so i don t know where you post a new thread but hey thanks for your help

 

[telectrix]

Re: Tell us about your faults !

couple of years ago, went to a new build estate. all houses ( about 30 of 'em) had intruder alarms fitted as they were built, all by the same alarm company. the actual alarm wiring appeared fine with one exception on all houses. the donkeys had wired from a 6A MCB direct to the alarm panel in 6core alarm cable!!! they had doubled up on the cores, praps they were concerned with volt drop

 

[TPES]

The other trades I were working with today starting shouting "sparky.... Powers tripped out"

So I went to investigate and found this, didn't even trip the fuse in the extension real, just blown a big hole in the flex!

 

[Kamikaze]

Re: Tell us about your faults !

I once got called out to a shower problem. The client had a quote from the distribution network operator of £500 to install a shower supply and decided that what would be best in this situation was to disconnect those green and yellow wires which were attached to the water stop tap and gas meter pipes and re-route them to the shower because and this were his words and not mine “They weren’t doing anything!”. And then was astounded that it still wouldn’t work. Living proof that evolution can go in reverse.

 

[Burnt Fingers]

Re: Tell us about your faults !

This job is at a hotel, where some Lithuanian handymen have moved three consumer units, and probably the service heads. I'm impressed that the place has not burned so far, but not so impressed regarding the number of crimps I am about to order... close up of jointing system with tape is particularly sick. Close up of service head is lovely too.

 

[Lofty]

Re: Tell us about your faults !

Yep that's about right for Eastern European sparks. Went to a rewire that they did once. Everything wired in 3 core & E including the ring, well it was a ring once but they decided that two radials of the one MCB would be better and whilst we're at it lets leave the ring ends bare in the loft. 6.6kW hob wired of the ring in guess wahat , yep 3 core and earth. Also no earths connected anywhere and half the sockets wired L-N reversed. Lights taken directly, well diagonally from a socket to the switch. Shower pump left on the ceiling plasterboard and a fan wired in but no ducting at all. CU left hanging on the wall with one fixing screw.

Cheers,
Lofty.

 

[adavis]

Re: Tell us about your faults !

The result of someone not tightening up the screw on the RCD to the bus bar enough.
Customer reported occasional random RCD trips but only called when they noticed a buzzing from the CU
the bus bar has gone a nice silver colour on the end and when i removed it it is properly fried. View attachment 3045View attachment 3046

 

[Colour Republic]

Re: Tell us about your faults !

I have one ear bigger than the other, my parents don't, i'm just wondering if any of you have any ideas?

p.s. Don't ban me for randomness, i'm going to start a serious question in a minute!

 

[Jurassic Sparks]

Re: Tell us about your faults !

I was happily working away in a kitchen today, fitting some new units and a bit of tiling ( i do other work as well) when the neighbour calls round, seems she was told that I am an electrician, could I take a quick look at the adjoining house she has just bought!!
sure says I
its a newish house 12 years old, coming out of the wall is a 4 way extension lead?
go the other side and its in the bathroom??
it then enters another wall into the back of a spur????
the spur at ground level is fused at 13 amps, a little unusual, but its marked shower!!!
yep the shower is fed from a fused spur on the ring main
I thent ake a look at the newly fitted shower room (polish builders)
the shower is a 9Kw wired in 1.5mm flex
there is an exposed light fitting inside zone 1 and below 2.25
weird or what
then I try the shower switch mounted on the ceiling only to find its a 6A light switch!!!!!!
so I pull the fuse out and tell her not to use it
then I check the origional bathroom
once again its been tiled nicely all very flash
another electric shower has been fitted, wired through a 6 a light switch to the ring main? WTF
the origional pull cord is by the side of the shower and below 2.25
the light fitting is exposed and in Zone 2
and it gets worse
low voltage lights badly fitted with no hoods
and then I check the C/U
its an old one with a 100A main isolator a 6A mcb for lights a 32A MCB for the cooker and a 32A MCB for the ring
thats it
it seems the house was tarted up for sale by the owner and they used Polish tradesman
it had been on the market a while and this lady had just purchased it as ready to rent out??
I then checked the smoke detectors
they are overdue for replacement as the built in batteries fail after 10 years
seems Part P is not seeping through In Tewkesbury
I left the lady to go and speak to the estate agent, frankly I would not like to be on the end of that conversation
I will take a few pictures when I go back to rewire the house