Yesterday’s callout - a close call

daveb · Mar 25, 2018

hi folks, thought I’d share this...

Called out to a customer of mine yesterday, said that her shower switch had been making a smell if shower had been on for 10mins. Went there expecting to be a loose neutral like I’ve seen before.

The shower was a 9.5kw that had been installed and once I looked into the circuit it was a 45 amp rewireable fuse with only a 6mm cable! Connections were tight after all but the neutral side was very very burned on the load side.

As a temporary fix, I changed out the wire for 30 amp wire in the short term. Explained this to the customer as I put an amp meter on and ran the shower as she’d had it set. It ran to 42 amps - and the fuse wire held up! Set her shower to medium setting and ran the meter again and was only pulling 23 Amps.

So, if there was ever a reason to explain to customers why to upgrade their boards from fuse wire - this is a good story right here. Very dangerous and could have been a fire.

Dillb · Mar 25, 2018

telectrix said:
screwfix open till 7.00pm.

There open til 8 pm now.

GBDamo · Mar 25, 2018

Interesting one this as I'm not sure how I'd proceed.

Probably have been to tell the customer that it is unsafe and not to use until put right and that a quote would be with them as soon as possible.

I would certainly have got this in writing and signed by the customer.

Disconnecting their shower is not really in my remit and leaves me open to accusations of attempting to obtain money by menaces or some such legal nonesense.

Altering, in any other way than correcting, the circuit puts me at the front of the responsibility queue being the person having touched it last so I wouldn't be doing that.

Sometimes it's best to do nothing no matter how well meaning.

Nigel · Mar 25, 2018

I think the Op has done all he can.

The customer is advised, hopefully in writing but at the end of the day it is not the ops property. It is the home owners.

As for BS3036 fuses. No way this complies once the correction factor is included.

daveb · Mar 25, 2018

Customer e mailed me back today and is going ahead with option of changing the whole consumer unit out - and replacing shower cable obviously.

And for the record - the customer was informed to leave the shower on the medium setting as part of the temporary fix last night and had explained the dangers.

Honestly - some people on these forums. Any chance to make themselves look all high and mighty at the drop of a hat.

And for the others - thanks for the feedback

dmxtothemax · Mar 25, 2018

We cannot totally idiot proof the whole world,
The customer knows the score,
And if they choose to do what they have been told NOT to ?
Then it is the customers responsibility.
A good workable compromise was reached
which resulted in the customer at least having some hot water.
it's called " Customer Service ".

Wonderwall · Mar 26, 2018

I think you have done the correct thing. I would assume it is the bad connection at the terminal which has caused this problem. Did you test the cable ? I would assume that once you had removed the damaged part , the cable would test ok?
Many showers , which have been replaced , are running on 6 mill cable , it may not be correct , but it is factual in my experience.
I have been to installs which showers are run from 2.5mm , and of course I have condemned them, but the cable , if truth be told is fine , as in , it still has all its properties in place when tested under 500 volts .

Percyprod · Mar 27, 2018

Any problem and you were the last person working on it, and knew it was unsafe. Remember with health and safety you are guilty until you can prove yourself innocent! As a matter of interest I quite often had to replace 60 or even 80 amp hrc main fuses when cooker fault blew 5hem instead of 30 amp rewireable