Dodgy trade pictures for your amusement! - 1 Million Views!

[nicebutdim]

Never seen SY with correct colours, only ever numbered black cores.

I guess those SY nerds have every conceivable option, along with a wide range of stuffing glands to push it through.

 

[freddo]

i think the finish is "dirty" with an overtone of cat.
how people prepare food where animals have been walking around has always baffled me.

I remember the time we replaced all the sockets above the kitchen worktops with IP rated ones as the cats kept peeing on them which tripped the RCD.

 

[davesparks]

Never seen SY with correct colours, only ever numbered black cores.

Whats not correct about numbered cores?

 

[James]

@LewisM ,

I think they are LAP accessories, I've had to fit them in the past (customer supplied). They look to be a near perfect match of the current ones but having just looked, I'm not sure that finish/insert combination is still available.

Edit: If I had to have a punt on the finish name, I'd go for polished black nickel with black inserts, which I vaguely recall seeing in the catalogues a few years ago, but as I say, I've just had a look and it doesn't appear they have a suitable match currently.

I nearly said Screwfix but wasn’t sure enough.

 

[Dustydazzler]

As SY is a signal cable / control cable numbers cores is the correct procedure

 

[ipf]

I remember the time we replaced all the sockets above the kitchen worktops with IP rated ones as the cats kept peeing on them which tripped the RCD.

Direct wet contact might make 'em jump a bit. I wonder if a 30mA device would be enough to save 'em?
I've seen and heard of a few different animals come to electrical grief in the past......but never a puddy cat.

 

[freddo]

Direct wet contact might make 'em jump a bit. I wonder if a 30mA device would be enough to save 'em?
I've seen and heard of a few different animals come to electrical grief in the past......but never a puddy cat.

I don't know but as we were leaving a cat with diarrhoea was sat on the dining table relieving its bowels onto the carpet below.

​

 

[ipf]

I don't know but as we were leaving a cat with diarrhoea was sat on the dining table relieving its bowels onto the carpet below.

​

Lovely!
Sounds like members of the England football team playing their dressing room games twenty odd years ago...

 

[Moley]

I don't know but as we were leaving a cat with diarrhoea was sat on the dining table relieving its bowels onto the carpet below.

Were you wearing your mask at the time? Perhaps you just scared the ---- out of the poor cat

 

[freddo]

Were you wearing your mask at the time? Perhaps you just scared the ---- out of the poor cat

My regular face will do that...

 

[Mike Johnson]

Don't you guys know anything, Cats have VDE feet, in days of old they where worshiped as Gods and still remember that.

 

[oscar21]

More crazy going on toady, recently we did some work in a one bedroom flat (fire damage), the damage was in the kitchen, hall and bathroom only, the bderoom and living room were fine.

The original cabling was from the 70's, we used to call it aircon cable (maybe it was used on air conditioning units), its like a thick black sleeve with singles inside it, almost like an oversized T&E cable but the idea was you could pull new wires through it at a later date, it even had a bit where you could nail through it to attach it. All these cables was buried in the solid floors and ceilings so there wasn't much you could do with it.

So the only way it could be re-wired was to batten down the ceiling and run the cables in that space which we had to do, I said look, this place needs a complete re-wire, if you batten and board the living room and bedroom I can do a complete re-wire and do away with the old wires completely but they wouldn't have it so I had to try and adapt what was there with copious amounts of wagos and boxes, didn't like doing it at all. we first fixed and left it a few weeks. When we returned today to 2nds fix what we had done this is what the living room and bedroom looked like.

Before the padsaw

After the padsaw

Mental.

 

[nicebutdim]

In use until a couple of hours ago.

 

[brianmoooore]

View attachment 112235
View attachment 112236


In use until a couple of hours ago.

Pretty much the norm in older farm outbuildings. I could have taken hundreds of pics like this over the last few decades.

 

[nicebutdim]

Pretty much the norm in older farm outbuildings. I could have taken hundreds of pics like this over the last few decades.

That's exactly where it was. If I'd been able to post uncropped images you could have seen how everything around this was absolutely soaked from rain leaking in, yet through sheer blind luck (and certainly not design) both junction and lamp holder remained dry. Power (with not insubstantial draw) and lights running off about 80m of 2.5 T&E, with the whole lot fed from a 13A plug.

 

[richy3333]

Found in hot water tank cupboard recently. SWA is a 60m(ish) run to a second building.

 

[GBDamo]

Found in hot water tank cupboard recently. SWA is a 60m(ish) run to a second building.

View attachment 112264

£10 for a galv box, lug and a gland.

Even ScewStation carry the parts to do this properly, no excuses.

 

[bill01803]

Cables doesn’t look very big for a 60m run!

 

[ipf]

£10 for a galv box, lug and a gland.

Even ScewStation carry the parts to do this properly, no excuses.

I think what you're indicating would be foreign news to them.

A little too much knowledge springs to mind.............again!

 

[LewisM]

No Sharpie no problem

 

[pirate]

Just for fun...my very first attempt at using LEDs...I took an old iMac. stripped the innards out of it, put the driver inside the body, led the mains out through an existing aperture with a grommet in it, added a double pole inline switch, stuck the LED tape on the bezel, having routed it through the base...and hey presto! A swivelling, titlting, make -up mirror...mirror courtesy of Ikea for £1.50...
OK, it's not perfect, but a fun project that took just over 2 hours to make. Shoot me down if you like! It was fun to make, and the next one will be much better!

 

[nicebutdim]

That'll make life so much easier for you

 

[mainline]

That'll make life so much easier for you

And would have at least doubled the £1.50

 

[Dan]

Just this one thread alone has 876,000 views!!

OMFG!

The work is laughable, but the numbers are awesome.

 

[Nobby Nobbs]

On my way out of a small business park the other day and noticed this, I think new cabinets might be a good idea, the site owner probably doesn't realise that they are their responsibility.

 

[pc1966]

I think new cabinets might be a good idea, the site owner probably doesn't realise that they are their responsibility.

Good point, but how does one go about changing a cabinet that the DNO's cutout & meter is in?

I guess it might be possible to cut away the old box and fit a new one "around" the kit with a gaping hole in the bottom to clear stuff, but the only proper solution is going to involve the DNO replacing the cutout, and the meter supplier re-doing their bit, etc. An no power during the operation of course, which becomes an issue of they both of them can't complete both jobs on the same day.

 

[SJD]

I've changed a meter box with a cut-out in: the DNO turned up, disconnected the supply cable (taped a boot over the end and left if flapping about), then sat and watched while I changed the box, then reconnected the cable in the new box. They waited till I arrived to start disconnecting. I did feel a bit self-conscious being watched, but I think they (2 guys, in separate vans) were not in any hurry!

 

[Nobby Nobbs]

Good point, but how does one go about changing a cabinet that the DNO's cutout & meter is in?

I guess it might be possible to cut away the old box and fit a new one "around" the kit with a gaping hole in the bottom to clear stuff, but the only proper solution is going to involve the DNO replacing the cutout, and the meter supplier re-doing their bit, etc. An no power during the operation of course, which becomes an issue of they both of them can't complete both jobs on the same day.

 

[Nobby Nobbs]

DNO and Energy Provider need co-ordination to minimise downtime.
I would recommend enclosing all 3 cabinets, above and to the sides at least, to protect from UV etc after replacement.

 

[mainline]

A simple downlight change always ends up taking hours.

 

[DPG]

A simple downlight change always ends up taking hours.

View attachment 112419

What's the tub and saucer all about?

 

[Moley]

What's the tub and saucer all about?

Mouse / rat poison ??

 

[mainline]

What's the tub and saucer all about?

Poison lots of it.

 

[nicebutdim]

Most kids leave out bisuits and some milk.

 

[Simon47]

On my way out of a small business park the other day and noticed this, I think new cabinets might be a good idea ...

Given how "electricity and water don't mix", it's surprising how often you see open boxes like that and apparently little or no problems.

 

[LewisM]

Given how "electricity and water don't mix", it's surprising how often you see open boxes like that and apparently little or no problems.

As long as water has a way out then it doesn't seem to be too much of an issue

 

[LewisM]

Somebody had change an actuator and somehow routed the cable in the worst way possible through the seat track so when the seat was used in full motion the cable was damaged, pulled and ripped the plug and receptacle out of the actuator

 

[Mikegh]

 

[Mikegh]

 

[Mike Johnson]

View attachment 112523

When will people learn, that ladder is upside down.

 

[Mikegh]

Not trade but too funny to pass up

 

[Mikegh]

When will people learn, that ladder is upside down.

Has he worked everything out that the ladder can't fail

I wouldn't think so

 

[MaintenanceSpark]

Adding a socket in my Daughters bedroom, had no end to end continuity on the line conductors.

After some fault finding, I found the cause. Just butted up together and taped!

I joined the line conductor with a Wago and also put a grommet in the back box.

 

[mainline]

Adding a socket in my Daughters bedroom, had no end to end continuity on the line conductors.

After some fault finding, I found the cause. Just butted up together and taped!

I joined the line conductor with a Wago and also put a grommet in the back box.

I prefer to use the wago 2773 push fit in that scenario as there is no chance of the levers being pushed up when the socket is fitted.

​

 

[MaintenanceSpark]

I prefer to use the wago 2773 push fit in that scenario as there is no chance of the levers being pushed up when the socket is fitted.

​

Never thought about that. Thanks for the tip Mainline.

 

[brianmoooore]

. Just butted up together and taped!

I suspect that at some point the insulation had been damaged where the break is and the exposed copper shorted to a sharp edge on the back box or an earth strap on the back of the socket, blowing a sizeable chunk of the copper away. This had been taped up as a repair to the insulation, but the weakened wire has subsequently broken inside the tape.

 

[freddo]

First day back to work in 2024 and it's started already. Thank goodness this is all being demolished.

Junction box as found, lid missing, metal box not earthed, neutrals from multiple lighting circuits mixed up, wiring extended via front of box. flexible conduit poked into female adaptors.

This total mess was behind the plasterboard. Someone actually installed this. Very little in the zones, singles unprotected all over the place. The whole building is wired like this in flexible conduit buried wherever.

A closer look.

I didn't photograph all the live cables with taped up ends, or any of the twist and tape cable joints.

 

[mainline]

First day back to work in 2024 and it's started already. Thank goodness this is all being demolished.

Junction box as found, lid missing, metal box not earthed, neutrals from multiple lighting circuits mixed up, wiring extended via front of box. flexible conduit poked into female adaptors.
View attachment 112580
This total mess was behind the plasterboard. Someone actually installed this. Very little in the zones, singles unprotected all over the place. The whole building is wired like this in flexible conduit buried wherever.
View attachment 112578

A closer look.
View attachment 112579
I didn't photograph all the live cables with taped up ends, or any of the twist and tape cable joints.

There was probably a time when someone thought it was a job well done and beyond the minimum requirements.

 

[nicebutdim]

Not often someone makes so much effort to do things abysmally.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Looks like different teams to me, why would someone start to use flexible conduit with glands and then not finish the job properly, or am I being over optimistic.