Today ended with a bang!

[ETradesmen]

Hey there, I don't normally post much on here but am always browsing through this forum as the topics are somewhat interesting.

Anyway, as per the title. I managed to end todays work with a BOOM!

I have been working on a complete refurbishment on a old 1920's terraced house. The property has a dedicated resin supply cable feeding a single phase meter which then feeds a consumer unit. After stripping out all the cables throughout the property only leaving a temporary socket, you would assume every cable in the house is dead, right? WRONG!!

Today I had to ease of a sheet of wood that the electrical cutout/meter was fixed to so that the plasterer could dry line/plaster the wall behind it. That was easy. He then came back to me and asked if this other cable sticking out of the wall also dead?, I went back to the cupboard to discover an old 6mm lead cable poking through the wall with the end taped up. I told the plasterer "Of course its dead, the only cables in this building that are live are the temporary sockets". As i finished the sentence I was already halfway though cutting the cable. Then BOOM!!!!!! The sound of a £30 pair side cutters turning to ash along with some fireworks for added effect.

After scratching my head and wondering how the hell the old cable could still be live I then ventured into next doors property...

After opening her electrical cupboard and letting out the smoke I had created, I spotted the old LEAD cable going into the suppliers side of her old cast iron fused live/neutral cut out. The funny thing is was that her house was still on so the smoke in the cupboard must of been the old lead cable turning to ash!!

I told the lady that she needs to call the electrical provider and for them to send out an engineer ASAP.

Ive never seen this is 16 years of my electrical profession, but apparently this is how properties were supplied pre 1950's.

The funny thing is that the neighbours electrical intake had a new meter and consumer yet noone had pointed this out to her!!

What a great way to end a weeks work

Mike

 

[Marvo]

I've had mains on coax too, as well as a bit of 4-core CW1293 phone cable run in through the front door frame from near the phone dropwire joint box. And a figure-8 bell wire that definitely went to an ordinary Friedland bell push (it was on the mains side of the tranny)....

I've see CAT5 cable and ripcord/speaker cable used as LV as well on a few occasions as well.

I think there's always going to be things that catch sparkies out even if they're following safe isolation procedures whether it be a hidden redundant supply that's still live, a supply that's crossed over from a different premises, an unexpected battery DC supply when you're testing for AC isolation or even a UPS that's hidden away somewhere. The problems are more common on control systems where there can be numerous points of isolation for a single panel as well as LV/ELV, AC/DC and modulated AC supplies from VFD's.

Most experienced electricians have developed a certain way of working and doing things in general that reduces the chances of them getting a shock in these cases, it's just little things but they make a big difference. In an ideal world you should never get a shock and you should never destroy your side cutters and that's certainly what we should all be striving for but in the real world, if you never get a shock and you need a new pair of sidecutters every couple of years I'd settle for that.

 

[robd]

I have seen the led sheethed 6mm used as a back to back feed of the supply in a semi detached, looked just like a bit of 6mm T&E just older and made of led, when I worked out what it was I phone UKPN and they didn't believe me for a while, guess there's not much of it about any more. They came out and dug from the road into the house, seemingly no trench, clever stuff!

 

[Deleted member 9648]

3 days ago I spent the night with a beautiful woman who I have been getting to know for a couple of months. We slept in the same bed so I thought 'eh up things are looking good'. Unfortunately sleeping and chatting were the only things that were permitted, along with the information that not much else would happen until we were married!!!!!:frown2:

The next morning I cut through a live wire as my mind was a long, long way away from were it should have been! :6:

Kick that one into touch mate, it's even less likely once you are married........:77:

 

[Kamikaze]

Just a quick update, power gen UK went to the property feeding both houses and had to evacuate the property.

Regards,

Mike

So the burning question is, did you offer the damsel in distress a roof over her head for the night, given that it was your fault she was evacuated?

 

[R G]

So the burning question is, did you offer the damsel in distress a roof over her head for the night, given that it was your fault she was evacuated?

Good point ; if he had offered her a roof maybe the day could have ended with a bang....

 

[Kamikaze]

Good point ; if he had offered her a roof maybe the day could have ended with a bang....

My money is on he offered his honour, she honoured his offer and all night long he was honour and offer.:biggrin:


I will get my coat...lol

 

[ruston]

Lol, you dug that one up. That used to be on the wall in one of my locals many years ago.

 

[ETradesmen]

Another quick update,

it it turned out the house that was feeding both properties is fed in a lead supply cable!

its strange as the house I'm working in has an old resin cable feeding the property.

so far the supply head has been replaced but the supply cable is still lead??

im guessing the cable is 1950's?

Its been left so im assuming it's not being changed anytime soon as it runs through her living room!

Mike

 

[MikeL1]

Gents, ALWAYS prove DEAD for yourself and prove DEAD to anyone else working with or you or alongside you.
Never assume, also always prove your tester before and after proving DEAD, may seem like overkill but may just save a life.

In a world where everyone wants a job completed at warp speed, puts all of us under pressure but take your time, and be SAFE.