When electrics go wrong!!!

[Darkwood]

Just setting up a new sticky thread that unlike the dodgy trade pics thread is focused on showing the result of failures in electrical installations IE - damage caused which may be due to various reasons. Please do not post pics of poor workmanship if there is nothing else to show like the consequences, use the dodgy pics thread for that.

I will start off below with an example. I am hoping the fresh faced members and inexperienced can get a visual incite of what to expect when you come across such things and how to understand what has occured.

 

[DPG]

View attachment 84107
This DB has been here decades, then a few weeks back a smart meter got fitted, my guess is the oik who did the meter pulled the tails about and made a loose joint occur.

Tricky switching that one off !!

 

[pc1966]

That is a pretty impressive display of why CU installation has to be done right!

The old Wylex boards had double-screws on the main cables (tails) as far as I remember, so it takes that bit more than one mistake to go wrong.

 

[Dave OCD]

I bet you're spot on with that theory ! That would have been the new 'improved' Wylex back in the day with single screw main switch and neutral bar terminals....

 

[ipf]

The old Wylex boards had double-screws on the main cables (tails) as far as I remember, so it takes that bit more than one mistake to go wrong.

They had double screws on every connection except the earth bar, didn’t they.
Certainly reduced the chances of a connection problem more than some of today’s lovely jubblies.

 

[littlespark]

That would have been a fright at 11pm when the board went live.!

 

[pc1966]

They had double screws on every connection except the earth bar, didn’t they.
Certainly reduced the chances of a connection problem more than some of today’s lovely jubblies.

The double screws just seemed like such a good professional approach.

In the past, if extending a CPC with a choc-block I would have the two conductors passing each other inside so both of the choc's screws clamped both conductors.

The likes of spring-loaded Wagos ought to avoid the reliability issues of correct initial torque and loosening due to vibration or thermal cycling though.

 

[ipf]

That would have been a fright at 11pm when the board went live.!

The more screwing the merrier.....

The worst screw on those Wylex was the one holding the fuse cover, bleedin' awful git.

 

[telectrix]

The more screwing the merrier.....

The worst screw on those Wylex was the one holding the fuse cover, bleedin' awful git.

and the ones holding the fuse carriers.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

I realise these pictures aren't as spectacular as the others but they do show how powerful 230V can be. Plus it's a very real outcome if safe isolation isn't adhered to.

If a L-N or L-E short at 230v can take even a little chunk out of steel alloy, hardened with vanadium, then I hate to think what it would do to a persons hand/arm holding a pair of non VDE pliers.

These are my (now spare) side cutters after I cut through a live cable some years ago (whilst my mind was busy elsewhere, thinking about a difficult relationship with a gorgeous yet crazy woman.). We must keep our minds on the job!

 

[Darkwood]

My snips are like that, first time in 15yrs I cut a live cable.. I rigged up a colour change LED GU10 on a flex & plug to show a customer what I was fitting, the lamp comes with colour change remote control, they were suitably impressed so as they were near the socket I asked them to power it down....

I didn't realise the remote had a lamp on/off option which rather than unplug it they simply sent an off signal, me unaware it was still plugged in cut the flex and my snips have a similar hole, it was just one of those oversights but the silver lining is the little hole is the right size for stripping 2.5 cores

 

[pc1966]

If it is "show and tell with tools" (no sniggering at the back please!) then my confession for today is this:

Happened around 1978 when carelessly working on a "live chassis" valve radio. Some of damage was filled off (oddly staying cleaner than the rest of the pliers over the years).

Pliers were a set of 3 (cutters, combination pliers, and the long-nose ones above) that my mother got from Kays Catalogue as a Xmas present for me around 1970, made in Sheffield.

 

[telectrix]

some time ago, my lad aged 20, cut a live 6mm T/E. plumber told him it was disconnected/dead.

lesson no.1. never trust a wet-pants.

 

[James]

some time ago, my lad aged 20, cut a live 6mm T/E. plumber told him it was disconnected/dead.

lesson no.1. never trust a wet-pants.

Never trust ANYONE

it’s not dead until you have confirmed it yourself.

years ago, it was not unusual to send an apprentice (one that was a bit to sure of themselves) to just cut out that old light feed.

sometimes they would be handed an old pair of cutters from the spark in charge, or if they had been a pita all day then the apprentices own set of shiny new cutters would be used.

the practical demonstration of failure to check for dead is a memory that stays with them for a long time, especially if they have just destroyed a pair of new cutters that cost half of last weeks wages

although it was relatively common many years ago, I don’t think it would ever have been allowed to happen.
these days I think It would be looked upon as bullying our little snowflakes.

 

[littlespark]

its not bullying.... its ignoring the health and safety procedures that have been put there to protect you and your workmates.

to put the poor lad into danger knowingly could lead to claims of historical abuse. I'd watch your back if i were you.

Theyre catching all sorts of historical misdemeanors nowadays from racism and sexism... so i wouldnt be surprised if apprentice baiting became the next big thing?

 

[brianmoooore]

Learnt my lesson years ago in a garage/workshop, attached to a house, but with no internal doorway.
Garage had its own submain and CU,0 is that the original light feed from the house which I had duly switched off to isolate.
What I didn't realise (but soon would) is that the original light feed from the house, (from before submain and CU days) was still connected to a couple of lights, and hadn't been transferred to the new CU.