- Reaction score
- 1,050
Admittedly this job was a little while ago but I've not found the time to get on here recently, I know, I know
Before we go any further ill say this to anyone reading this thinking they can do work themselves it's probably not a good a idea If you don't know what you are doing, and even if you think you do why risk it? Electricity is very very dangerous and should be treated with the respect it deserves, there is a reason why it takes 4 years to become a spark !!!
So I'm Up at a job when i notice something looking a bit iffy inside the DB the top of the RCD is a bit melted, so grabs the customer, tells them about it and advises that they should replace it and the neutral cable while they're at it.
Heres the back story:
The customer had not long moved in and had a guy out to "sort out" some problems in their kitchen. The guy they got was advertising on gumtree first thought that ran through my mind was oh, ok here we go. To be fair to the customer having to find a tradesman for the first time ever must be a completely daunting task so i could understand why they may use gumtree.
I did inform the customer of the benefits of hiring a fully qualified electrician and how to go about finding out if they are one or are actually just dave down the pub looking for beer tokens.
So this guy, lets call him dodgy davie so I don't get sued replaces some cable in the kitchen and replaces the "faulty" 32A MCB with a 40A for the kitchen ring and while he's in the board decides he is going to remove the RCD perfect puts its all together everythings hunky dory and working (apart from the 40A breaker but we shall let that slide maybe he was coming back within the week) Except, it isn't the looney didn't back the cage terminal of the incoming neutral out far enough to get the cable back in, and so tightened it without actually terminating the cable. So this particular RCD connected by a mere few arcing strands is powering the kitchen ring the cooker the upstairs lights and the shower. the cable must have been glowing !!!!
And the customer had young children.
Needless to say if the customer hadn't of requested the job this may not have been found and could have resulted in a house fire. And very likely a few fatalities.
so I've said it before and ill say it again, call in a pro is saving a few quid really worth your life?
Before we go any further ill say this to anyone reading this thinking they can do work themselves it's probably not a good a idea If you don't know what you are doing, and even if you think you do why risk it? Electricity is very very dangerous and should be treated with the respect it deserves, there is a reason why it takes 4 years to become a spark !!!
So I'm Up at a job when i notice something looking a bit iffy inside the DB the top of the RCD is a bit melted, so grabs the customer, tells them about it and advises that they should replace it and the neutral cable while they're at it.
Heres the back story:
The customer had not long moved in and had a guy out to "sort out" some problems in their kitchen. The guy they got was advertising on gumtree
first thought that ran through my mind was oh, ok here we go. To be fair to the customer having to find a tradesman for the first time ever must be a completely daunting task so i could understand why they may use gumtree.I did inform the customer of the benefits of hiring a fully qualified electrician and how to go about finding out if they are one or are actually just dave down the pub looking for beer tokens.
So this guy, lets call him dodgy davie so I don't get sued
replaces some cable in the kitchen and replaces the "faulty" 32A MCB with a 40A for the kitchen ring and while he's in the board decides he is going to remove the RCD perfect puts its all together everythings hunky dory and working (apart from the 40A breaker but we shall let that slide maybe he was coming back within the week) Except, it isn't the looney didn't back the cage terminal of the incoming neutral out far enough to get the cable back in, and so tightened it without actually terminating the cable. So this particular RCD connected by a mere few arcing strands is powering the kitchen ring the cooker the upstairs lights and the shower. the cable must have been glowing !!!!And the customer had young children.
Needless to say if the customer hadn't of requested the job this may not have been found and could have resulted in a house fire. And very likely a few fatalities.
so I've said it before and ill say it again, call in a pro is saving a few quid really worth your life?
