When electrics go wrong!!!

[Mike Johnson]

@Raptor0014 Surge protected, but not Muppet protected, the fish smell is quite distinctive with out the visual aids.

 

[Mike Johnson]

You guys have seen this before, but thought it was worth posting again, the smell in the room was a very distinctive fish smell, it comes from running two 3Kw fires off the same double socket, neither the MCB or RCD reacted to the overload, just got very smelly in the room.

 

[Raptor0014]

You guys have seen this before, but thought it was worth posting again, the smell in the room was a very distinctive fish smell, it comes from running two 3Kw fires off the same double socket, neither the MCB or RCD reacted to the overload, just got very smelly in the room.


View attachment 93240

That’s quite concerning that neither protective measure reacted to that.

Then again if nothing created a short then it’s a failure of the socket. Especially if it was connected to a 32a MCB as 26a it would be happy with. Guessing the materials in the socket weren’t rated to withstand 26a for that long.

 

[UKMeterman]

You guys have seen this before, but thought it was worth posting again, the smell in the room was a very distinctive fish smell, it comes from running two 3Kw fires off the same double socket, neither the MCB or RCD reacted to the overload, just got very smelly in the room.


View attachment 93240

Is that one of the ones with lever contacts, rather than screws?

 

[Mike Johnson]

Is that one of the ones with lever contacts, rather than screws?

Yes, it's French Legrand socket off a 20amp MCB.

 

[UKMeterman]

Me thinks I want to stick to crabtree...

 

[Mike Johnson]

The socket was Legrand, but the MCB and feeding RCD where both Hager and both tested out as per the specifications for them, I can only think that the fan and thermostat's for the heaters did not come on at the same time consistently, so an intermittent accumulative overload over a long period.

 

[pc1966]

The socket was Legrand, but the MCB and feeding RCD where both Hager and both tested out as per the specifications for them, I can only think that the fan and thermostat's for the heaters did not come on at the same time consistently, so an intermittent accumulative overload over a long period.

The back plate looks a bit corroded, maybe contacts were a bit tarnished as well?

In any case a 30% overload (26A on 20A rating) is not likely to trip a MCB but would definitely be considered unacceptable design practice. I guess the approval of double sockets was kind of based on the assumption you would not have two max loads on the same one...

 

[Mike Johnson]

The corrosion is quite normal on the ground floor of an old French farm house, no DPC or DPM so walls are always damp, if does not seem to bother the French,

Believe it or not they where not on each socket, but supplied off an extension lead onto lefthand outlet, oh can I say receptacle.

 

[pc1966]

Believe it or not they where not on each socket, but supplied off an extension lead onto lefthand outlet, oh can I say receptacle.

Well they can't really complain about the socket in that case being poorly made as it was clearly overloaded by 160%.

Now if only the French had a 13A fuse in the plug...

 

[Raptor0014]

Got a call out yesterday afternoon. Told electrics had tripped, turned back on and keeps tripping every few minutes so could I come and check as had no power to sockets, kitchen and half the house.

Arrived to find the following:

Basically the far right breaker was a 50A supply to a second DB for one half of the house (big old farmhouse) which includes a 10.5kw shower, sockets, immersion and lights. Also 2 x 32a socket circuits (one of which was the kitchen) a 20a socket circuit and 16a second immersion.

All hanging off a 63a RCD and the board had never been checked in the 18yrs since it was installed.

So I managed to give them some power back. But told them they need a new board now asap and a full EICR doing, as I wouldn’t change a board without doing it anyway (especially not on house where I’ve been called to a melted board) and investigation was needed to check why that 50A breaker had obviously also overheating given the melted plastic around the busbar connection.

 

[timhoward]

Received from customer:

Going to see it later today, apparently the fitting says "Made in West Germany" on it, so first question is how many others they have.
Second question is what that taped up wire is doing.

 

[pc1966]

apparently the fitting says "Made in West Germany" on it

Well that kind of dates it! When did they reunify, some time around 1990?

 

[timhoward]

Well that kind of dates it! When did they reunify, some time around 1990?

Yeah - the wall fell in Nov 1989. It's at least had a re-wire since.

 

[Bob Fleming]

Received from customer:

View attachment 94306

Going to see it later today, apparently the fitting says "Made in West Germany" on it, so first question is how many others they have.
Second question is what that taped up wire is doing.

Taped wire will be the permanent live for if this was to be an emergency light. Currently (hopefully!) choc-blocked and then taped.

 

[littlespark]

The Berlin Wall fell in ‘89 I think… all thanks to knight Rider himself, David Hasselhoff.

 

[pc1966]

The Berlin Wall fell in ‘89 I think… all thanks to knight Rider himself, David Hasselhoff.

One of my regrets was not going to the Pink Floyd concert in Berlin to mark that.

There was a minibus going from Dundee arranged by Groucho's (closed now, was 2nd hand record shop and outlet for local gig tickets) but various friend could'nd be bothered and I gave up on the idea.

 

[DPG]

One of my regrets was not going to the Pink Floyd concert in Berlin to mark that.

There was a minibus going from Dundee arranged by Groucho's (closed now, was 2nd hand record shop and outlet for local gig tickets) but various friend could'nd be bothered and I gave up on the idea.

You'd need to go for a week just to listen to one Pink Floyd song though!!

 

[littlespark]

I remember groucho’s!

The nightlife was varied when I lived up there.
No1’s, Deacon Brodies, O’Neills… student union, of course.
Mardi gras, fat sams, de’stihls….

That all stopped when we moved to the posh end of Carnoustie

 

[sarky spark]

Opening an external lighting joint box.

 

[James]

Opening an external lighting joint box.

Ahh, good old water powered lights. Always remember to drill a hole in the bottom of the box. If the water can’t flow the lights won’t work!

 

[MFS Electrical]

Opening an external lighting joint box.

Looks like a bit of a water feature you’ve got there

 

[MJPD29]

Shop in Dublin had refurb carried out end of last summer. New 35mm tails connected into old panel. Clearly someone didn't check their final connections. The same idiot also managed to break nearly every single cover on the terminals across every panel.

 

[JordyStepho]

Oh my gosh, some of these pics are insane, I would laugh if they weren't so terrifying!

 

[timhoward]

Opening an external lighting joint box.

You must have been like Billy the kid getting the camera out to catch that. Impressive. Or did you fill it up again for the photo?

 

[littlespark]

You must have been like Billy the kid getting the camera out to catch that. Impressive. Or did you fill it up again for the photo?

Good point. You’de think the water would be running brown with rust.
Someone else is pouring a bottle of clear water in the top.

 

[Micktw68]

EON Meter monkeys strike again. Morrison call out guy said incoming live and Neutral we’re both loose.
Managed to bang out the 100A service fuse.

 

[freddo]

Opening an external lighting joint box.

Street light column in someone's garden.

Sorry for vertical filming, it was the phones fault.

 

[Stevie g]

Call out to loss of power on house ring main, further conversation with owner , they had various sockets lowered from switch height to low level downstairs only a month back by a electrician, said electrician as been back to find the cause but had to leave without solving issue. Although he did disconnect the live and neutrals from fuse board so he got some power back on . That was 3 weeks ago. Said Rfc controls the combi so no heating/hot water and extension leads to various rooms to keep going.
After few tests got open circuit on neutrals and neutral live earth faults. After a bit of bashing nice new painted and fresh plastered walls where the old sockets used to be .Found 4 joints in wall in wagos taped up behind channel. One burnt out giving me the short and another poor joint giving me the open circuit. Ko boxes fitted and blank plates over top new joints.

 

[timhoward]

Hmm. Reckon that needs a look at….



Of course it would be wired in and out with conduit so not the quickest to change.

 

[Simon47]

Could be worse, could be all metal conduit, threaded into the fittings, and needing half a mile* of other stuff removing before you get back to that one. Of course, I'm guessing they've used male adapters rather than female adapters with bushes.

* Exaggerated for effect.

 

[timhoward]

Could be worse, could be all metal conduit, threaded into the fittings, and needing half a mile* of other stuff removing before you get back to that one. Of course, I'm guessing they've used male adapters rather than female adapters with bushes.

* Exaggerated for effect.

In this case it's male adaptors with lock rings both sides and there's another 5 of these fittings 2m apart probably all connected the same way, with singles for another lighting circuit running uninterrupted through all of it....
But yes, at least it isn't galv....!

 

[freddo]

Lucky. We were recently working on an installation in PVC conduit, no adaptors used, just a plastic lock ring glued on to the conduit either side of the boxes/trunking.

 

[nicebutdim]

In this case it's male adaptors with lock rings both sides and there's another 5 of these fittings 2m apart probably all connected the same way, with singles for another lighting circuit running uninterrupted through all of it....
But yes, at least it isn't galv....!

Male pvc adapters are terrible. Badly designed with terrible lock rings and, for the most part, much less practical than their female counterparts. I dislike them intensely.

 

[giladabush]

I have a similar pair of strippers.

 

[timhoward]

LED tube…..

 

[pirate]

DED tube!
Not enough characters...
So, Mickey Mouse...

 

[littlespark]

Mickey Mouse?

Oh I get it….
“It Disney work”

 

[pirate]

A Scottish thing!
Plus my original post didn't have enough "characters" so i added Mickey...
Humour makes the day go better!

 

[ipf]

Male pvc adapters are terrible. Badly designed with terrible lock rings and, for the most part, much less practical than their female counterparts. I dislike them intensely.

I have a similar pair of strippers.

I think you two better meet up......for a chat, of course...