Before you change a distribution board

[MDJ]

Disconnect the wiring from the existing "fuse box" go around the house and unplug everything, and I mean everything from the socket outlets, remove all light bulbs from lights and ensure all switches are on. Then remove a IR tester from your tool kit and send 500 volts down all cables which have been disconnected from the "fuse box" send the voltage between cores of the individual cables. For example if you have a twin and earth which was the supply to the lighting circuit and it has a red, black and a bare core then put one prong on the red and the other on the bare core and send 500 volts down it, then do the same between the black core and the bare core, then between the red and black cores. This will let you know if there are any problems which may inhibit the new RCDs in the new Distribution board you have bought from holding in. You would carry out this basic test on all cables, which includes cooker and sockets as well as immersion heater and so on and so on, ensuring nothing is connected to any cables anywhere and all cables as mentioned are completely disconnected from the "fuse box".

Once this basic task has been carried out you will know whether an issue or two may be evident, the new distribution board is still in the new shiny box at this time by the side of your tools and has not even been removed from the new shiny box it is in. If you have found a problem you can then tell the customer before anything else happens what the issue is and how it need to be rectified etc. If there are costs involved you can inform the customer before changing the fuse box" and they can then decide whether to allow you to continue or to tell you to just leave things as they were before you entered the premises.

This way at worst you would have lost an hour or two on site but no more and it is very likely 9 times out of ten should there be an issue the customer will give you permission to carry on and you would have gained more justified work legally which will get you credit and respect and indeed future work, thats the basics, once this is out of the way providing you get permission to continue if problems are found you can then continue to replace the "fuse box" and test all circuits on completion properly and to the book which you paid up to 6k for on the course you learned from. The tests I mentioned are the very minimal basics just to try to see if an issue is evident on existing circuitry, there is a lot more which could be said so over to the others here to chip in and take this basic working method further. Please understand it is essential that a proper set of test instruments are used which have been confirmed as accurate, the scheme you have paid into will be able to advise you about test kits.

 

[Silly Sausage]

And your point is? :smilielol5:

 

[Bobster]

I'd test for borrowed neutrals on the lighting circuits as well.

 

[Plonker 3]

I think that should be done on a pre job survey, yes it may take a hour or 2 to complete. But you can then inform them of any unforseen problems. You dont have to tell the customer what you have found, just that there are things that need rectifying before you are happy to do the work.

Recommending a EICR at this point would the best option as you will then have alot better idea of the faults and the cost to repair them. Better for the customer to have spent £200 or so on this, than £300 on a DB that wont work because you didn't carry out any basic work beforehand.

 

[MDJ]

I'd test for borrowed neutrals on the lighting circuits as well.

A very good point Rob, over to you to explain that to the enthusiasts here mate, very good point fella.

 

[MDJ]

I think that should be done on a pre job survey, yes it may take a hour or 2 to complete. But you can then inform them of any unforseen problems. You dont have to tell the customer what you have found, just that there are things that need rectifying before you are happy to do the work.

Recommending a EICR at this point would the best option as you will then have alot better idea of the faults and the cost to repair them. Better for the customer to have spent £200 or so on this, than £300 on a DB that wont work because you didn't carry out any basic work beforehand.

agreed, however It doesn't happen that way they just turn up and change the board, my comments are bearing that in mind, your right but only a spark would do it that way not an enthusiast which this thread is aimed at.

 

[Plonker 3]

Well more fool them if they can not be bothered to take a couple of hours out there day. I have won several jobs in the past because I spent some time doing some free testing on the property, my price wasnt the cheapest but I was willing to give up some of my time just so the job could be done correctly.

 

[MDJ]

Well more fool them if they can not be bothered to take a couple of hours out there day. I have won several jobs in the past because I spent some time doing some free testing on the property, my price wasnt the cheapest but I was willing to give up some of my time just so the job could be done correctly.

Yes but you are an experienced qualified electrician, this is for new 17 dayers who get into difficulty, please bear that in mind.

 

[Geordie Spark]

I think I would check the customer's bank balance and blood pressure too.

 

[Plonker 3]

Are you starting to sympathize with them?
Or just trying to avoid another ban because of them ?

 

[MDJ]

Are you starting to sympathize with them?
Or just trying to avoid another ban because of them ?

LOL, I am trying to help the poor unsuspecting OAPs out there who may end up with no power overnight haha, anyway Bugger off :lips:

 

[Plonker 3]

You do realize these Electrical Trainee have to recover the course fees some how lol

 

[Bobster]

Switch all the lights on, switch the breakers off, disconnect the neutrals and then measure between them with your I.R tester @250v, lamps in fittings.

If you want a solid test, try R1+Rn. Like the R1+R2 test (where you bridge L and PE at the CU and go around with a continuity meter), but bridge L and N at the CU instead (disconnecting N from the N bar, so it's connected ONLY to it's own circuit's L). If you get open circuit at a light fitting (with switch closed) then the N has gone astray.

 

[MDJ]

You do realize these Electrical Trainee have to recover the course fees some how lol

. :rofl::rofl:

 

[Geordie Spark]

Where's the OP gone lads???

 

[MDJ]

I am just about to go and look at a Job, please feel free to crash this thread, if only one DIYer reads the OP one old aged pensioner may not get fleeced, i will be back later for some more fun and laughs

 

[Silly Sausage]

I am just about to go and look at a Job, please feel free to crash this thread, if only one DIYer reads the OP one old aged pensioner may not get fleeced, i will be back later for some more fun and laughs

Fair enough, but where are you going to stop with your free online training?!

 

[ian.settle1]

Why whats wrong with just going in and replacing the DB without doing any testing before?

 

[MDJ]

Fair enough, but where are you going to stop with your free online training?!

rollocks

 

[Hawkmoon]

Switch all the lights on, switch the breakers off, disconnect the neutrals and then measure between them with your I.R tester @250v, lamps in fittings.

If you want a solid test, try R1+Rn. Like the R1+R2 test (where you bridge L and PE at the CU and go around with a continuity meter), but bridge L and N at the CU instead (disconnecting N from the N bar, so it's connected ONLY to it's own circuit's L). If you get open circuit at a light fitting (with switch closed) then the N has gone astray.

Another way to do this - Clamp ammeter to neutral of one lighting circuit (dead) while other lighting circuit is live with ALL lights on - if you show a current on the 'dead' neutral then switch lights off in turn to id (normally landing)