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 !

 

[keniff]

Imagine the scene,Friday afternoon about 3 oclock,office gets a call,a 2KW heater gone down in the securitys site office,(cant have the security guards getting cold,they wont be able to fall asleep)anyway i get the job to go and replace said heater,site was around an hours drive from where i was,i eventually get there report to site manager,then have to show my cscs and get inducted on site,all the usual rubbish.No risk assesment no method statement,site manager reluctantly lets me get to work,its around 5 oclock now and not even got my screwdriver out,site manager standing over me,i guess he wanted to go home,im rushing around like somebody possessed,isolate heater circuit and disconnect heater from SFU fit new heater to wall wire it up energise circuit test heater nothing aaaarrrrhhhh.Lots of colourful language by this stage,site managers pacing up and down,i ask him any chance of a brew. Well didnt get brew tested SFU,its not swiching no probs run to van get new SFU safely isolate again,but now have to dissconnect circuit cables,CPC and N touch taking out whole site,ask site agent for keys to CU,their on the way to liverpool,site sparks got them in his pocket.When a very angry site spark returned i set main switch and everything was fine.I left site at 19.30.The moral behind this story is rushing gets you nowhere fast.Istill didnt get a brew,but the guards were nice and warm.

So you have a working spare heater then lol!?!?

 

[terry5880]

not sure if on right place here but can anyone tell me the right fuse against the right wattage please

 

[Richard Burns]

not sure if on right place here but can anyone tell me the right fuse against the right wattage please

Not really the right place. If you mean for PAT testing then the recommendation is up to 700W 3A above 700W 13A; but follow the manufacturers instructions and computers/ vacuum cleaners often have a 5A fuse.

 

[terry5880]

ok thanks richard ive just started i was bought in to help fix the many broken laptops they got but now i been asked to do pat testing but there own guideline says upto 750watts 3amp 750 to 1200watt 5amp and above that is 13amp im sure that is wrong but if i just follow what they say then i cant get the blame

 

[Mr.Si]

Just been in Brittany last week, sadly faults that I don't have the power to rectify. Mind you, it is basically in Lanrelac, as farmy and rustic as you can get. Cartridge fuses for protection in the CU was all they had.
Most light fittings looked like this or worse... Those have seen some heat, that's for sure!



Secondly, on the border between Brittany and Normandy in a place called Dol, Out in the town centre walking around and I spot this in a Well with Metal Gauzes, hand is easily able to touch it...



French electrics scare me.

 

[micksparky]

Went to do an EICR a couple of weeks ago and found the whole extention and indoor pool/spa area wired like this.


She said the builder that wired it said he was also an electrician..... and he didn't need to give a EIC as it was only an extention not a new build.

 

[trev]

He probably didn't need to test it either since it was an extension, or maybe he just knew it was ok. Bloody shyster

 

[micksparky]

yes maybe he had a kind of e.s.p that rendered the need for testing unnecessary.

 

[trev]

I've worked with guys who have had that Mike. I wasn't blessed with it so I still prefer to spend the time with my test gear

 

[Silly Sausage]

What's the problem! The socket will be earthed via the screws and back box.......I don't think so.

 

[ayjay]

i worked /did my apprentiship for meggitt marsh, we used to install ringmains in steel conduit with no cpc
the earthing was reliant on the socket fixing screws only
if the earthing was crap we just went around tightening the 20mm bushes in the ko boxes!

 

[electrifix]

fitted a curtain pole at my own house...knew the fixing would be close to cable but decided... eeahh be reet! all was ok till my wife and i put the weight of the curtains on the pole... stood admiring them then my wife closed them and sparks flew from the metal pole and rings whooops!! ...if only we'd bought foil curtains!!! lol!!

 

[rich.250]

i worked /did my apprentiship for meggitt marsh, we used to install ringmains in steel conduit with no cpc
the earthing was reliant on the socket fixing screws only
if the earthing was crap we just went around tightening the 20mm bushes in the ko boxes!

Why did you not just tag from the back box to the socket faceplate??
You would still need to tag it despite it being 'effectively' earthed through the screws.....

 

[trev]

Why did you not just tag from the back box to the socket faceplate??
You would still need to tag it despite it being 'effectively' earthed through the screws.....

As long as there's a fixed lug you don't have to Rich. I was taught to take the cables to the terminal on the socket then a lead to the box and still do it to this day, for the amount of time it takes I deem it worthwhile but it's not a necessity.
Dog rough if you don't imho

 

[rich.250]

I know you can rely on it the other way round to earth a metal box but don't agree that you should have no cables in the earth terminals in a socket. As it wouldn't be installed to manufacturers instructions would it.....??
And I agree trev! Rough!
I thought if it had a terminal it should be connected to it? Will have a look for the reg I'm thinking of later