Why do they do it?

[tony.towa]

Was sent today to a large branch of a major retail chain where they had reported their outside lights at the loading bay were not working.

Got there to find to 70watt Mini SON fittings (with built in photo-cells) as they said, not working.

Looking at the building from the back the first fitting is on the right hand wall. Opening up the fitting there was no voltage at the connector block. Off to the switchroom to check the breaker. Nothing marked up on the board for outside lights and all the breakers on. Time to wander round the store to find the other dbs fed from the board. First one found, labelled Distribution board E - all breaker on and nothing for outside lights. Off on my wandering again - found db D same result as E. Wander again and ask a few questions dbs A B and C do not exist. Time to trace the cable.

Flex from fitting goes into conduit and down to an end box, choc block in there connecting to 1.5 T&E. Into the store, lift ceiling tile and find the cable. To cut a long story shot (thank goodness I hear you cry) source of cable eventually found on left hand wall, above ceiling, an unswitched FSU tapped of a final ring circuit. The fuse was blown. Replaced it changed the lamp, covered the sensor and the light came on.

Logic says the other fitting should be linked with this one. Why are things never logical. Changed lamp, no go. Got reflector out and saw the tell tail brown marks on the ballast.

Got a replacement fitting and pulled the fuse in the spur unit. Still 240volts at connector block in lamp. Followed conduit through store to switchroom and it terminated at the emergency lights test switch.

Switched the switch to test and no voltage at fitting (note to self must remember to tell manager next time I do this as 25% of shop floor lighting went off)

Changed the fitting and traced the feed to a maintaind unit over one of the storeroom exit doors.

We are not allowed to do "major work" without prior authorisation so took the feed from the fitting and extended it back to the original spur (as a temporay measure) to await authorisation to run a new circuit from one of the dbs.

Why the heck do people, who are "professional electricians" install things in this manner, especially when you consider the company concerned is a member of the NICEIC!!!!!

 

[EasyFox]

Gets right on my t*ts when you have to spend time tracing stuff like this.
Well done though.........................for plunging the site into 25% darkness sign of a good sparks not notifying the manager

 

[wayne]

i feel your pain

 

[theadept]

Your story bought a smile to my face. I worked for one of the largest commercial lighting firms in the country for many years. This standard of work was fairly common in my experience. I would love to know who you work for and what retail chain you were working in. From my experience there were a couple of chains that were renowned for being sh*$e. One in particular used to have at least one major electrical fire a year just in my area. Brilliant source of constant work though!

 

[wattsup]

Maybe it was bq or wickes or maybe tesco, all their sheds are wired on a 'budget'

Sainsbury have a good spec so do m&s

Tesco wiring = err, dodgy maths

 

[greekislandlover]

Nah - B&Q's main speciality in our local branch is killing customers with fork lifts. Too busy doing that to worry about having sub standard electrics. We were at our local branch once, and someone in the other aisle with a fork lift knocked a sofa off into our aisle. Thankfully nobody was near. It did happen again, but this time it landed on a customer and they died several days later. Not sure they are that bothered about customer safety still. All they have done is put up a warning notice that they use fork lift in opening hours.

Elf 'n' Safety - note:- Stop mucking about banning hanging baskets and changing Christmas to Winterval. Here is something that need your attention. Do something useful for a change.

 

[Shakey]

Nah - B&Q's main speciality in our local branch is killing customers with fork lifts. Too busy doing that to worry about having sub standard electrics. We were at our local branch once, and someone in the other aisle with a fork lift knocked a sofa off into our aisle. Thankfully nobody was near. It did happen again, but this time it landed on a customer and they died several days later. Not sure they are that bothered about customer safety still. All they have done is put up a warning notice that they use fork lift in opening hours.

Elf 'n' Safety - note:- Stop mucking about banning hanging baskets and changing Christmas to Winterval. Here is something that need your attention. Do something useful for a change.

talking about 'elf 'n' safety

I was sent by 'er indoors to Argos last Saturday to collect a load of bedroom units for the nipper. They consisted of toughened plate glass shelves with chrome supports, and there were three of them.

Argos is in the middle of town. Parks up, walks accross town to Argos, pays, and requests if i can collect them from the loading bays at the back door.

"sorry" says the doris on the counter "elf 'n safety have shut it for customers indefinetely"

"why?" says Shakey

"well someone could do themselves a mischief couldnt they? heavy boxes and all that"

But it seams elf 'n safety are quite happy to seem me make THREE ruddy trips accross the middle of town with a bast**d big bedroom unit on me shoulder

And i had to put the buggers up when i got home

 

[montybaber]

Not saying anything about the way this was wired (must have been a right pain in the arse) but feeding each light from a seperate spur (possibly even circuit) may be a good idea so all outside lights are not lost in the event of water ingress etc to one fitting.

Of course each spur should be in close proximity to each light and clearly dynotaped with breaker no/phase etc

Just a thought

 

[tony.towa]

Hi Monty,

Have put in a report to the customer, for work authorisation (Pain in the bum) suggesting running in new circuit from spare way on BD for outside lighting. Each outside light fitting will have an individual spur inside the property where the cable exits through the wall.

If only it had been done like this before it would have saved hours of cable tracing above suspended ceilings and through conduit and trunking.