Danger of death

[richardg]

Good evening gentleman I would like you all to feast your eyes on this stunning photo sent to me last night by a potential customer. The client in question asked for a Consumer unit change and informed me a days work is required. After a quiet discussion, the owner mentioned the last electrician retired half way through the job and left half of the ring main circuits dead (nice guy) At the moment the house has extensions lying all over the floors of his 17th century cottage!

The owner mentioned the shower MCB keeps overloading as the fuse board is so old - how old would you all agree this board is?

With such a sad state of affairs I have given the owner some long distance safety advice ( DO NOT TOUCH THAT BOARD ) without a doubt in my short career that is the most dangerous board I've ever seen. ( DANGER OF DEATH ):81:

Going to inform the owner a full EICR is required before any work is carried out. If the board is this bad I shudder to think what the rest of the house looks like.
Will keep you all updated when I visit the property next month, I'm sure more juicy photos will follow )​

 

[Sintra]

I've seen a hell of a lot worse TBH.

 

[Deleted member 9648]

I've seen a hell of a lot worse TBH.

Me too......apart from the fact that the cover is missing exposing live parts it looks like an awful lot of everyday installations.

 

[ste77]

looks like the house from hell...

 

[tony mc]

What did the other electrian do just remove the cover of the CU and disconnect a leg of the RFC.

It does't look that bad once you tidy everything up and make space for a new board and do something with the alarm cables!

At least it has 3871 push botton carriers so its been updated a little.

I can't seem to see a earth & it looks like a TT.

 

[Richard Burns]

Looks like a fairly standard domestic mess, thought he cover missing is a bit OTT.
I would say that it was originally 1960s upgraded in the 70s / 80s looks like the main RCD is newer but not much, as tony mc says looks like a TT but I cannot see where the earth goes.
Not really much room for a new board in the space available might still have to have two smaller boards unless you can spread out a bit.
Pity about the previous electricians work, that needs sorting as soon as, but he may just have come across too many problems. I would say two days one to check everything out and one to fix the board.

 

[Des 56]

It is certainly dramatic and a warning to any customers who request extra work,it is not as straightforward as a death sentence,but it certainly should make the customer wake up to the situation


I am as you may guess talking about the opening post,the installation on the other hand is at a standard that is seen in numerous properties

 

[Essexboy7]

To be honest mate although that is indeed a horror it is nowhere near the top of the list of the worst i have seen by a long way

 

[Engineer54]

The owner mentioned the shower MCB keeps overloading as the fuse board is so old - how old would you all agree this board is?



​

That looks like a standard Wylex 6 way 3036 CU. been around since the 50's. Looks as if been uprated to include the later MCB's. Similar CU's are still available from Wylex. Actually state of the art in their time, a vast improvement over the older ceramic rewirable fuses boards they replaced!! Literary millions of these CU boards are still giving service in both domestic and commercial installation!! Though they will still have the front cover in place!!! lol!!!

 

[ses]

I have seen far far worse as well
If the cover was not missing as already said it would be no different than any other old instalation
Walk into most old offices in london and you can see lots worse

I did an eicr on a window factory a couple of years ago and that was danger of death they had 3 phase circuits with twisted together connections not taped up
Live cables hanging from ceiling unterminated
Unearth metal trunking with exposed conductors inside

And check this consumer unit from a doctors

 

[ses]

 

[ses]

Or this one

 

[Deleted member 9648]

The joys of RCBO's......once had to change a faulty RCBO in a crabtree loadstar DB...20 module,all 18 ways fitted with RCBO's. Never ever seen such a tightly packed space.

 

[Fin170]

From the top of my head for wylexs

White/smoke cream with plastic back 90s-early 80s
White/smoke cream with wooden back late 60s to 80s
Bakelite 50s to late 60s

Think the bakelite and white ones were sold side by side for a while but I'm sure somebody has a more accurate guess than me

There is also the bell and mem ones you occasionally find, however both were built to a far better standard than anything wylex ever made. The 1950s editions I've taken out looked brand new even next to the 90s wylex equivalents

 

[Edd]

......

 

[Hiddo]

I've seen a hell of a lot worse TBH.

It's a bad one but you will see worse than that on your travels for sure.

 

[kjshier]

Looks normal to me. lol

 

[trev]

What's wrong with you lot? Nowt the matter wi them thar consumee units.
YYyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhaaaaaaaaaa

 

[Darkwood]

Re' op's pic... yes i think your a little OTT with regards the condition just from a picture point of view and as you will learn you will find alot worse on your travels... i did note the segregation failure of the alarm cables and the cables from the consumer unit ...tut tut and i bet that was an alarm company who fitted them as they are the worse for breaking this rule!

 

[vxwestie]

You got an awful lot more to see if thats the worse you've seen...
If that frightens you, never, never go anywhere near a farm! lol