3 quick questions

[iamelectric]

anyone know why its always the neutral that burns out on 45a DP shower switches?

isolated a circuit the other day and confirmed it dead with meter but when i put my volt-stick to it it still glowed up?

when doing a house rewire how do you rewire the kitchen?

 

[uksparks]

What do you mean how do you rewire the kitchen... Bit obvious isn't it, pull cupboards off where needed or drill through the wall, pull tiles off etc...

 

[danzor]

Never trust a volt stick.

 

[Andy78]

All volt sticks need regular calibration with an appropriate 2 1/2 lb calibration tool.

 

[ArseyDee]

1. Not sure
2. Never use a volt stick 'cos they're ****e
3. With cable

 

[uksparks]

Volt sticks have their uses, admittedly not exactly an approved device, but it does get used at times when chopping into a circuit midway and nothing to stick probes on. I know I shouldn't rely on it like that, but at times, it's handy in a semi dangerous way.

 

[Richard Burns]

anyone know why its always the neutral that burns out on 45a DP shower switches?

isolated a circuit the other day and confirmed it dead with meter but when i put my volt-stick to it it still glowed up?

when doing a house rewire how do you rewire the kitchen?

neutral burns out on 45a DP shower switches, just because you feel it should be the line and so do not notice when it is the line. Also I tend to feel that because there is no voltage on the neutral it is not considered so important and not tightened correctly.

volt-stick still glowed because they are over sensitive and may pick up induced voltage or low voltage as full power

With a rewire you have the option to design it how you want, e.g dedicated ring(s) or multiple radials. Just make sure it has the capacity for all those power hungry appliances.

 

[ArseyDee]

neutral burns out on 45a DP shower switches, just because you feel it should be the line and so do not notice when it is the line. Also I tend to feel that because there is no voltage on the neutral it is not considered so important and not tightened correctly.

volt-stick still glowed because they are over sensitive and may pick up induced voltage or low voltage as full power

With a rewire you have the option to design it how you want, e.g dedicated ring(s) or multiple radials. Just make sure it has the capacity for all those power hungry appliances.

Far too sensible for 23:15

 

[Richard Burns]

True, Oh King, Live forever.

 

[Andy78]

Volt sticks have their uses, admittedly not exactly an approved device, but it does get used at times when chopping into a circuit midway and nothing to stick probes on. I know I shouldn't rely on it like that, but at times, it's handy in a semi dangerous way.

I did exactly this once. Not to worry though as those cutters were blunt anyway and I much prefer the new pair I had to buy.

Volt sticks test for live, not dead.

 

[Silly Sausage]

What do you mean how do you rewire the kitchen...

He's Scottish, 16mm to the deep fat fryer.

 

[ArseyDee]

I did exactly this once. Not to worry though as those cutters were blunt anyway and I much prefer the new pair I had to buy.

Volt sticks test for live, not dead.

Yep. If it indicates live; assume live. If it indicates dead; assume live until tested with an 'approved' voltage indicator.

 

[overskilled]

3) depends on the clients budget
- Last one tight budget, gas hob etc and old dear living alone so single kitchen ring, FCUs / DP switches above the worktop and unswitched sockets below.
Did it in crabtree as most of the existing accessories were crabtree, knowing then what I know now, I would have done it all in MK accessories as Crabtree SFCUs do my head in, at least one of the screws can be a pig to get access to.
Boiler was on its own circuit though (repurposed the old cooker feed (house now all gas)) so that if the kitchen ring tripped out then she wouldn't be without heating.

Ideal world:
Fridge/freezer on its own RCBO radial circuit.
Washing machine and dryer either sharing a circuit or on separate RCBO radials. (as I find the latter 2 are ones that usually go wrong in kitchens and the first one costs you money if the power fails...)

 

[Hawkmoon]

Yep. If it indicates live; assume live. If it indicates dead; assume live until tested with an 'approved' voltage indicator.

I've rarely used volt sticks but this is obviously good advice, one question though....


How do volt sticks distinguish between live and neutral? (I am presuming that unlike neon screwdrivers, current does not flow through the user).

 

[overskilled]

Interestingly the local dno method of checking for dead / live is 2 diff volt sticks....

 

[Hawkmoon]

Interestingly the local dno method of checking for dead / live is 2 diff volt sticks....

I suppose as long as they are not used to 'prove' isolation then they have their uses - eg circuit identification.

 

[Guest111]

maybe the neutral burning issue is to do with the current being affected by a resistive load in some way,a bit like when you get a belt on a lighting circuit,it,s always worse off a neutral coming from a florry fitting than it is off the live feeding it.

 

[MDJ]

anyone know why its always the neutral that burns out on 45a DP shower switches?

isolated a circuit the other day and confirmed it dead with meter but when i put my volt-stick to it it still glowed up?

when doing a house rewire how do you rewire the kitchen?

(1) It isn't, thats a Myth
(2) Rub a volt stick on your arm and it will light up
(3) 5 circuits, one for appliances, one for general sockets, one for the heat alarm, one for the oven and one for the lighting if there are a lot of spot lights required

 

[Knobhead]

I collected up all the volt sticks at our company and threw them in the furnace. People who should know better were relying on them.

 

[7029 dave]

volt sticks do have their use's, but get the more expensive one's that are desensitized. (approx. £90)