Tell us about your faults!

[GT1]

Client today wanted outside halogen security light replaced for new one from DIY shed.
Got to job old one stripped off wall ready.
However:
There was 1 permanent live.
One switched live from sw inside kitchen.
One green/yellow
One other unlabelled/coloured wire.
Easy peasy methinks must be the neutral.
Put 240 test lamp across perm live and mystery wire. We have light. Sorted.
Halfway thru client says no no. Those two are connected together, otherwise kitchen lights don't work!
Sure enough that was the case. ?
Turns out the house used to belong to ex BT guy. And has lots and lots of "additions".
He must ran the neutral the earth because there was none. I ended running one from the light to a nearby lighting point.
I'm baffled as to how I can get my test lamp to light across two wires.
Then have to connect them together to make rest of the circuit work !!

By the way I'm assuming that the guy has made his own tncs as there was continuity between earth and neutral wherever I tested !!

 

[prospark]

had a good one today,light in bin room of block of flats to replace because olf flouro not working,found s/l at switch live with switch off and 120volts across s/l and so called neutral,yet light worked intermittantly,That was because women in ground floor flat kept switching her light in comunal hall outside her flat on and off.Takes down light fitting to find no earth to fitting,1 red wire to brown of light and 1 black wire to red as well,then 1 black wire to blue of light(been fitted by a neigbour over 12mths ago! Oh and just to finish polarity on Es lampholder wrong.Recconnected 2 blacks to blue and red to brown and earthed light fitting,including heat resist sleeving. DIY electricians!!!!!!!!
I'm a spark "get me outa here"

 

[Vincent_H]

Hi I am looking for a bit of help I replaced my old ceiling Rose with a new light fitting yesterday wired it all correctly or so I thought as the light comes on and off, I added a dimmer switch but when I switch my bathroom light on my bedroom light turns on also. The dimmer switch when turned off from my bedroom make my bathroom fan come on. It has left me a bit baffled.

 

[Ohmyword]

Hi I am looking for a bit of help I replaced my old ceiling Rose with a new light fitting yesterday wired it all correctly or so I thought as the light comes on and off, I added a dimmer switch but when I switch my bathroom light on my bedroom light turns on also. The dimmer switch when turned off from my bedroom make my bathroom fan come on. It has left me a bit baffled.

Baffled???
You and me both!
!st question would be; did it all work 'correctly' before connecting the "dimmer switch"?
If so, and to prove this, refit the old switch and try out the lighting circuit, making sure all points (and fan) operate correctly.
If not; then I recommend removing (or at least get to connections of) "new light fitting" and start 'ringing out' and confirming what cables you have there (and what they are i.e. feeds in, feeds looped on, switch wire, etc.).

 

[Vincent_H]

It all worked fine before putting the dimmer on it was once I put the dimmer on it all went topsy turvy! It is old wiring for the old light fitting so I isolated the reds as per the instructions and put all the wires where I thought they should be I blew the switch so I had to change the wires about and put them correctly with the help of my neighbour then it all worked, I then added the dimmer switch then that is when the problem happened with the bathroom fan and bathroom shaving light!

 

[HandySparks]

Unless you're experienced, I recon this one's too difficult to do over the internet. Get an electrician in. If you say where you are, someone on here may well get in touch. Alternatively, search this thread:
http://www.electriciansforums.net/e...lectricians-your-area-local-electricians.html

 

[Vincent_H]

With a bit of faffing about and some help from my neighbour who is competent and has his part p we are now in business!!! Happy days!
The problem lied with whoever wired up the bathroom light with the fan and shaver too a feed from my bedroom rather than the landing light not marking up what all the wires were so it was a case of working out what the bathroom wires were and to distinguish what was sw and live. I am at the early stages of training as an electrician myself so as this caused my neighbour to be confused this was obviously something that was a bit complex for me to work out by myself. Thank you for taking the time to Offer your suggestions and advice.

 

[Knobhead]

Just back from call out and was faced with this....

View attachment 9750View attachment 9751View attachment 9752

Main fuse had blown right out the cut out.... leaving the fuse carrier pins still in there !!

Different one for me.

Worked along side DNO chaps - removed anything the customers side that had got fire/heat damaged, done all my checks to make sure everything internally ok.

New cut out unit installed ----> power back on (minus a couple of fire damaged circuits + mini CU for shower)

Back Monday to re-do the rest.

DNO said to send them the bill as it was a faulty cut out.

Very lucky customer, this could have a been a lot lot worst, fire brigade turned up but luckily it had gone out in time

Hope you don’t mind but I’ve added your pics to my “BACK MUSEUM” of what can go wrong.

 

[Jel]

Re: Tell us about your faults !

Has this happened to anyone?
A friend of mine was doing a CU change and this what remains of a 16A mcb feeding a radial
Brand was wylex, all connections checked beforehand

There was a fault on Wylex breakers a little while ago and that is what was happening with them. Had a recall letter after i installed one asking for any MCB's with a certain code to be removed sent back and changed.

 

[sythai]

Hope you don’t mind but I’ve added your pics to my “BACK MUSEUM” of what can go wrong.

No thats fine..... no problem there

 

[balbecdaze]

I'm new, but it doesn't excuse this fault ... just took receipt of my new clamp meter, I like new toys. So I clamp around the flex to my computer - 0.00V! 0.00A! Had to google how to use a clamp meter. I am a muppet!

 

[spaldingsparks]

Here we go again fishy smell reported after tennant in rented house used the shower, ok so its not the first time but this time it was almost really serious wooden backed brown 6 way Wylex board mounted 2"(50mm) down from the Kitchen ceiling which is covered in thoes crap polystyreen tiles The 6mm T/E cable had been added later and was in the furthest way from the switch run surface out of the board up towards the tile and it was well burnt to within 20mm of the tiles as on other occasions the BURK who instaled the 9kw shower had fitted it to a 30Amp rewirable fuse (3036) and the board cannot cope! so one lucky disabled lady as she was not harmed nice new DB now and the Landlord has at last had a full PIR/EIT&R even though he refused before!!

 

[spaldingsparks]

At least you did'nt have far to go to google it:28:

 

[mikeohms]

MCB won't stay up meaning a short circuit in the system: it turns out after fault finding that the connector block on the recessed downlight was sitting on top of the light fitting inside the ceiling. The resulting heat melted the plastic connector block and the cable started burning out resulting in the short circuit.

So boys when installing downlight make sure all connection and material inside ceiling is moved clear of the vent on top of the firerated downlight. Although its call fire rated downlight dosn't mean it can't result in fire under certain conditions - follow manufactres space allowance around the fire rated recessed downlight. The house could have been easily burned down. An RCD could have ealily picked this fault up earlier had it been installaed.
And for property owners still using the old rewirable fuse board without RCD protection a couple of pounds to make safer you investiment is worth a try - change your old fuse board to a new RCD protection one

CIVIL Electrical Services
www.CIVIL-Electrical.co.uk
02088441490

 

[hermetic]

Heres a couple from the old days,
Old farmhosue downstairs light would not switch off, Rentokil have been in upstairs (woodworm treatment) and nailed a switch wire. Went upstairs, lifted the carpets and checked the nail heads with a neon, took about 5 mins to find it, pulled it, lifted the board, repaired the cable, and out the door.
Large pub restaraunt with all electric (3 phase) kitchen installed by myself. Get a nice pat on the back from YEB (local supply authority) for near perfect phase balancing, and go home happy. About 6-30pm on the opening night I get a frantic call "all the powers gone off"!!! get there to find that the YEB have not tightened the tails into the meters properly, and the ends are burnt off. Rip of all seals, pull the cutpouts, and in 20 mins its all back on and working. then I rang emergency engineering at YEB and had a very interesting and colourfull conversation with them...................

 

[Gerry24]

Checked a plastic enclosure today that is serving as a junction box for swa cable to take power to a greenhouse and a shed. The cables have been nicely terminated with outdoor rated glands at the plastic box. But only 2 core cable and no earth strap between banjos so earth stops at the plastic box. Apparently been this way since it was installed 10 years ago.

 

[djo2904]

Re: Tell us about your faults !

This is a new installation the electrical contractor moved the electrical meter without permission, there was a large bang the same night, and british gas were called out in an emergency call out to fit a new meter, the contractors gave a NICEIC electrical installation certificate of compliance, you can easily place your hands directly into the consumer unit and there are 2 x 1" x 2" holes on the left hand and right hand side of the casing, the contractors are saying it is not their problem but the councils, in the mean time the broken cupboard door has left this dangerous consumer unit open for my 2 year old nephew to access, any advice please, seems a serious health and safety issue to me, but council have stated its safe and all the components inside the unit are completely insulated, does not look like that to me, Thank you for any advice in advance cheers

 

[Engineer54]

From just a quick look, ....There should be no gaps left in the enclosure, The conduit fill of the white conduit coming in looks very much to me over filled, also looks to me as if there must be a slot along the top of this CU that shouldn't be there, to allow these cables access into the CU. The correct access is via the back of this CU. I wouldn't say that this installation meets with manufacturers instructions, or to BS7671 ... We'll see what others have to say here ...lol!!!

It's not what i would call a very professionally installed CU, not by any stretch of the imagination...lol!! So what did BG say about the meter being repositioned without approval??

 

[djo2904]

British Gas said there was no way they should have moved the meter, but have done nothing they replaced it with a new one, I have spoken directly with British Gas who confirmed it was moved illegally, but would not discuss it further, I had a meeting with the contractors manager, he said it was all passed and was fine, I did point out it may have been ok'ed by someone but whoever gave the go ahead was obviously wrong and from what I could see if this is the correct CU for the job or cupboard then there is a serious design fault and at very least some form of grommit (black rubber thingies) should be added... the top of the CU goes all the way back, so you can stick your hands all the way in, but apparently this is quite safe because apparently all components inside this CU are insulated you should see the state of the rest of work its possibly the worst Ive ever seen and from so called builders of the year 2 years running!!! ha

 

[telectrix]

you should not be able to insert anything larger than one of phil taylor's dart points, let alone a finger.