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.

 

[Raptor0014]

Got a call out yesterday afternoon. Told electrics had tripped, turned back on and keeps tripping every few minutes so could I come and check as had no power to sockets, kitchen and half the house.

Arrived to find the following:

Basically the far right breaker was a 50A supply to a second DB for one half of the house (big old farmhouse) which includes a 10.5kw shower, sockets, immersion and lights. Also 2 x 32a socket circuits (one of which was the kitchen) a 20a socket circuit and 16a second immersion.

All hanging off a 63a RCD and the board had never been checked in the 18yrs since it was installed.

So I managed to give them some power back. But told them they need a new board now asap and a full EICR doing, as I wouldn’t change a board without doing it anyway (especially not on house where I’ve been called to a melted board) and investigation was needed to check why that 50A breaker had obviously also overheating given the melted plastic around the busbar connection.

 

[timhoward]

Received from customer:

Going to see it later today, apparently the fitting says "Made in West Germany" on it, so first question is how many others they have.
Second question is what that taped up wire is doing.

 

[pc1966]

apparently the fitting says "Made in West Germany" on it

Well that kind of dates it! When did they reunify, some time around 1990?

 

[timhoward]

Well that kind of dates it! When did they reunify, some time around 1990?

Yeah - the wall fell in Nov 1989. It's at least had a re-wire since.

 

[Bob Fleming]

Received from customer:

View attachment 94306

Going to see it later today, apparently the fitting says "Made in West Germany" on it, so first question is how many others they have.
Second question is what that taped up wire is doing.

Taped wire will be the permanent live for if this was to be an emergency light. Currently (hopefully!) choc-blocked and then taped.

 

[littlespark]

The Berlin Wall fell in ‘89 I think… all thanks to knight Rider himself, David Hasselhoff.

 

[pc1966]

The Berlin Wall fell in ‘89 I think… all thanks to knight Rider himself, David Hasselhoff.

One of my regrets was not going to the Pink Floyd concert in Berlin to mark that.

There was a minibus going from Dundee arranged by Groucho's (closed now, was 2nd hand record shop and outlet for local gig tickets) but various friend could'nd be bothered and I gave up on the idea.

 

[DPG]

One of my regrets was not going to the Pink Floyd concert in Berlin to mark that.

There was a minibus going from Dundee arranged by Groucho's (closed now, was 2nd hand record shop and outlet for local gig tickets) but various friend could'nd be bothered and I gave up on the idea.

You'd need to go for a week just to listen to one Pink Floyd song though!!

 

[littlespark]

I remember groucho’s!

The nightlife was varied when I lived up there.
No1’s, Deacon Brodies, O’Neills… student union, of course.
Mardi gras, fat sams, de’stihls….

That all stopped when we moved to the posh end of Carnoustie

 

[sarky spark]

Opening an external lighting joint box.

 

[James]

Opening an external lighting joint box.

Ahh, good old water powered lights. Always remember to drill a hole in the bottom of the box. If the water can’t flow the lights won’t work!

 

[MFS Electrical]

Opening an external lighting joint box.

Looks like a bit of a water feature you’ve got there

 

[MJPD29]

Shop in Dublin had refurb carried out end of last summer. New 35mm tails connected into old panel. Clearly someone didn't check their final connections. The same idiot also managed to break nearly every single cover on the terminals across every panel.

 

[JordyStepho]

Oh my gosh, some of these pics are insane, I would laugh if they weren't so terrifying!

 

[timhoward]

Opening an external lighting joint box.

You must have been like Billy the kid getting the camera out to catch that. Impressive. Or did you fill it up again for the photo?