Tell us about your faults!

[Stroppy]

Heheh, I 'dropped the bomb' in a customers house during the week (after Wednesday night's curry club), then they unexpectedly returned at lunchtime. My, it ponged...

This was the same place where in the loft I found a bulge in the fibreglass insulation which covered a melted plastic flower pot on top of an old spotlight. That did its job, then...

 

[STONEZZZ]

Re: Tell us about your faults !

Central heating programmer tripping main 30ma R.C.D

 

[Outspoken]

I could list all my faults, but perhaps I should just give you the ex-wife's phone number as I am sure she has them written down somewhere

 

[Andy78]

Had a good un the other day. Tracing a fault on a socket ring, we were belling each leg out, line to cpc, to determine which cable went where. One piece only had continuity when my mate bounced up and down on the floor a metre away from the socket. Cable had been trapped between the floor board and a hot pipe.


After a few more faults were found and fixed, I connected into the new CU I had fitted after refusing to connect into this lash-up of a board that was in originally.



It did have a cover, but all the breakers were held in by the busbar connection alone. They were just flapping about with no way to hold them in apart from the cover.
In the second picture you can see the busbar hacked to fit into the terminal, and the piece of degraded plastic strip, no more than 0.5mm thick that separated the neutral bar from touching the busbar.

 

[Graeme Harrold]

After hunting down a lighting neutral fault, it was traced back to the CU....joy of joys when I opened it up....

https://www.dropbox.com/s/o6jhnmryuqag2jt/2013-04-25%2010.40.55.jpg

 

[Outspoken]

After hunting down a lighting neutral fault, it was traced back to the CU....joy of joys when I opened it up....

https://www.dropbox.com/s/o6jhnmryuqag2jt/2013-04-25%2010.40.55.jpg

Don't you just love those really professional installs!!

 

[Graeme Harrold]

And it was a professional install by a large local contractor. Its like the guy pulled the odds and ends from the bottom of his box and threw them in, closed the lid and hoped for the best. This was only done 3 years ago, uncertified and blatantly dangerous......Still got to find where the 6mm cooker is joined to the 2.5!!!

 

[mselect]

Re: Tell us about your faults !

I got called to a house to rectify a cooker circuit that had tripped and stopped working. Traced the fault all the way back to inside to cooker only to find an electrocuted mouse between live and earth.........nice!

Believe it or not...This is quite a common one!

 

[Thefailsafe2012]

Only a minor one, testing a small proteus cu. the RCD wasn't tripping on the tests, so checked the test button on the front. Out of some form of instinct I opted to use my flat screwdriver as opposed to my finger. And boy was I glad when instead of tripping like it should, it went bang and filled the air with putrid smoke! Ugh! It'd been tested a year before and couldn't have been older than 3 years!

 

[Kate]

I've had that instinct loads...I call it my 'lucky' ! Maybe it's a sparky thing?? I had it just this morning!!

 

[Thefailsafe2012]

I've had that instinct loads...I call it my 'lucky' ! Maybe it's a sparky thing?? I had it just this morning!!

I think it was from all the proteus slamming that goes on here I didn't want to be anywhere near it haha!

 

[Kate]

I've never heard anything about proteus...although I've only ever come across two...ones in my own house. Is it that bad?? I remember I had to go on a major hunt to get a replacement MCB.

 

[MDJ]

I've never heard anything about proteus...although I've only ever come across two...ones in my own house. Is it that bad?? I remember I had to go on a major hunt to get a replacement MCB.

Standard kit from CEF Kate

 

[Outspoken]

Kate, try this LINK

(Viewer discretion advised, you may see things that frighten and cause you professional stress)

And for those afflicted with the rubbish above, there is a foundation to support you HERE

(Note, the above is a joke and in no way meant to mock those with a very unpleasant genetic defect that I would not wish on my worst enemy)

 

[Silly Sausage]

I'm ashamed to say, I fitted a Proteus CU once! :-(

 

[jeffelectric]

red tape means live

Been to look at this extension being built on the side of old house, house has the service cable overhead from next door,now the service cable is just hanging ,builders working around it. Looked in fuse box red tape on wire is live

 

[Engineer54]

Well i'll give the builders their due here, they have used decent sized joists in the construction!! lol!!

If you take this job on, see if the overhead supply has been PME'd!! It looks as if it has been PME'd, but no sign of the usual DNO PME sticker, so maybe a DIY arrangement!! lol!!

 

[Outspoken]

I'm ashamed to say, I fitted a Proteus CU once! :-(

That is a despicable admission to make in public Archy, you...you...you.. (I'm struggling here) ...you PLUMBER!!

Muhahahaha

 

[jeffelectric]

got a good Zs at the socket.
don't know how the dno are going to bring in another service cable to the new extension house

 

[rustynails]

Came across this today, spot the fault.

 

[ringer]

Non-RCD circuits are reversed polarity

 

[JIM4179]

Re: Tell us about your faults !

Brilliant

Here is one of mine called to house with a split load fuse board RCD keeps tripping out 6 s/o later found a large slug in the back of the s/o NICE

 

[Stroppy]

Non-RCD circuits are reversed polarity

Back to the halcyon days of fused neutrals!

 

[Redvanman]

Called out to a fault on gflr sockets keeped tripping rcd
Previous electrician !! Installed a surface mounted plastic socket outside obviously couldn't get a proper one so mounted it inside a ice cream tub screwed to the wall
It even had the Lyons maid label still on it
Wish I took a picture now

 

[Stroppy]

Haha! Love it!

 

[Graeme Harrold]

At least I use Ben & Jerry tubs as a minimum....better IP rating than Lyons.....

 

[flukey]

talking about enclosure, what do you think of this one found on Saturday lol not sure where the installer is gonna put his sandwiches now :smilewinkgrin:

 

[Outspoken]

Came across this today, spot the fault.

View attachment 18939

Faults:

1. Live side of main switch appears connected to the Non-RCD Neutral bar
2. Non-RCD Neutral incomer appears connected to the outgoing bar feeding the "live side" of the MCB's giving reversed polarity
3. 32A Non-RCD MCB with what appears to be a 6mm² core as the feed core is in the wrong location on the bus bar, should be installed BEFORE the lower rated circuits. (Should this not be on the RCD side??)
4. Incorrect sleeving used on come cpc cores (at least they are sleeved in something that cannot be confused with a L or N conductor though!)
5. Solid Core CPS's (also likely neutrals) on some circuits are appear twisted together

The worst one is clearly the very dangerous reversed polarity...

 

[langie15]

Anybody can they decide on this been to an installation in a caravan, they complain of a meter reading turn of all circuits from DB undo meter cover and see the meter still turns baffling I know, so upon closer inspection I see signs of an overload on live and neutral cables black,bubbling marks, etc do you think this could cause the meter to give a faulty reading due to increased resistance.?

 

[flukey]

managed to upload the pics to go with earlier post now

 

[willf]

Anybody can they decide on this been to an installation in a caravan, they complain of a meter reading turn of all circuits from DB undo meter cover and see the meter still turns baffling I know, so upon closer inspection I see signs of an overload on live and neutral cables black,bubbling marks, etc do you think this could cause the meter to give a faulty reading due to increased resistance.?

I=V/R so it's possible to draw more current and affect the meter reading. Whether this would be noticed before the cables burst into flames is doubtful in my opinion.

 

[Stroppy]

I don't have a BGB to hand with CCC's in, but I'm fairly sure a 3 kilowatt immersion heater wants a bit more than 1.0mm2 flex? In my experience 1.5 or 2.5 is normal.

 

[Doomed]

Testing in rented flats.
Fuseboard for flat turned off for dead tests.
Socket in lounge had two ext. leads plugged in to it with TV, Hi Fi and bits plugged in it, so I thought check this socket out first, 2 lots of T+E, but one 2.5 one 1.0.
Something makes me start worrying, put probes on socket and its live.
Socket fed from flat below lighting circuit.

 

[dan86]

Testing in rented flats.
Fuseboard for flat turned off for dead tests.
Socket in lounge had two ext. leads plugged in to it with TV, Hi Fi and bits plugged in it, so I thought check this socket out first, 2 lots of T+E, but one 2.5 one 1.0.
Something makes me start worrying, put probes on socket and its live.
Socket fed from flat below lighting circuit.

if I lived there, I'd be plugging as much as I could into that socket to save on me bills!

 

[ayjay]

if I lived there, I'd be plugging as much as I could into that socket to save on me bills!

so dan, in your reckoning its ok to sh-t on other people by stealing their power?

 

[willf]

I think Dan was joking. But he is from Scotland

 

[dan86]

Cheers willf. glad someone understood I was joking...

 

[ayjay]

sorry dan

 

[gutterball]

reminds me of a hmo property i was testing one time. big house converted in to 4 flats. the 2 living room and one bed room sockets were still on the ring from the flat next door. the students had trailing leads joined together spread out all over the place plugged in to them.

 

[Kate]

Got asked to look at a friend of a friends landing light yesterday. Was told it hadn't been working for about 4 years. Before I get there I'm thinking all the things it could be. Get there, it's over the stairs, awkward to get to..thinking might just be easier when it comes to it to jump up in loft rewire and reposition to over the actual landing.
Start off, I flick on the switch and use my voltstick on the pendant flex...it's live!!! Get a lamp out of the car and try it...it worked!!
Customer spent 4 years using plugged in fairy lights and all it needed was a new bulb!! Easiest money I've ever made!

 

[dan86]

Got asked to look at a friend of a friends landing light yesterday. Was told it hadn't been working for about 4 years. Before I get there I'm thinking all the things it could be. Get there, it's over the stairs, awkward to get to..thinking might just be easier when it comes to it to jump up in loft rewire and reposition to over the actual landing.
Start off, I flick on the switch and use my voltstick on the pendant flex...it's live!!! Get a lamp out of the car and try it...it worked!!
Customer spent 4 years using plugged in fairy lights and all it needed was a new bulb!! Easiest money I've ever made!

that's actually insane. did you even charge em? not sure I'd have bothered tbh.
imagine a light that works, one day stops and instantly assuming they need an electrician.
surely EVeryones initial reaction would just be to replace the lamp?!

 

[Kate]

I did another small job there too, and had to drive 40mins to get there, 40mins back. Did feel guilty charging but got to make a living.

4years without a light!! She said she did try a new lamp when it first 'broke' whether that's true and they brought a duffer I don't know!!! 4 years though! Took all my will power and energy not to laugh, held it together until I got in my car!!

 

[dan86]

Fair doos. another job and 80 min round trip.
let's hope this lamp doesn't blow in a hurry!

 

[Kate]

Hahaha think she knows...hope she wouldn't do it twice!! Need to learn not to say ill do a job before finding out where it is!

 

[markc123]

that's actually insane. did you even charge em? not sure I'd have bothered tbh.
imagine a light that works, one day stops and instantly assuming they need an electrician.
surely EVeryones initial reaction would just be to replace the lamp?!

Too right, you've gotta charge it's a hard world out there at the moment, and freebies (for me anyway) are starting to become a thing of the past...

It's not your fault that the client can't be arsed to replace the lamp first to check lol.

 

[dan86]

Slightly off topic here, but since we're on the subject- how many of you actually do freebies..?

 

[Kate]

She didn't even hesitate when asked price or giving me the money! She's thinking of replacing all kitchen electrics for fancy metal fronts and wants me to go do that in next couple weeks too!

 

[dan86]

few wee jobs from them then. nice!

 

[Kate]

Slightly off topic here, but since we're on the subject- how many of you actually do freebies..?

Freebies at extremely close family members houses, bfs house, bfs parents house..that's it for me.

 

[dan86]

Presumably you charge for materials at least...