Dodgy trade pictures for your amusement! - 1 Million Views!

[Intoelectrics]

how are you supposed to find the consumer unit in all that junk?


oh there it is. handy position for resetting breakers

I was thinking the same, wouldn't like to be clambering up to that, off one of those dodgy chairs, in the dark.

 

[telectrix]

I was thinking the same, wouldn't like to be clambering up to that, off one of those dodgy chairs, in the dark.

younotgot a snooker cue?

 

[Intoelectrics]

younotgot a snooker cue?

nah, but got a golf club, butt end for flicking up the breaker, head end for pressing the test button on the RCD.

 

[telectrix]

or using a 6 iron, whack the golf ball up onto the RCD test button. also checks the rigidity of the CU enclosure with all the misses.

 

[Dartlec]

Close, but that's not quite right....

 

[MrPupsi]

Couple of recent jobs

 

[stuarth]

2 bed 7 year old barn conversion wired by a "professional builders time served spark" every other light switch or lamp either had all the cpc's cut of or all but one, all switch's metal and obviously no fly lead.
took me 2 days to un pick the "work" and make the place safe, also the socket circuits were many and made no logical sense what so ever, so circuit 1 had 1 socket in the utility then 2 in a bedroom, the other 2 sockets in that bedroom came from a different circuit, 5 x neutrals in to a 3 way push connector apparently is a new standard?

 

[Mike Johnson]

What prison did the electrician serve his time in?

 

[stuarth]

What prison did the electrician serve his time in?

I don't know but he should be banged up somewhere

 

[timhoward]

 

[Pete999]

View attachment 85639

Nice plenty of fuel to propagate a fire.

 

[westward10]

Extension lead under a metal frame door only a matter of time before the live was damaged. Ironically it supplied an electronic temperature device for Covid testing to ensure safety of the staff.

 

[DPG]

Extension lead under a metal frame door only a matter of time before the live was damaged. Ironically it supplied an electronic temperature device for Covid testing to ensure safety of the staff.View attachment 85645

Ooh that's a good one

 

[westward10]

Looked okay until I pulled it through.

 

[telectrix]

Looked okay until I pulled it through.

had similar. bird looked OK when I pulled her, but in the cold light of day, I asked if her name was Worcester. another old boiler.

 

[DPG]

Looked okay until I pulled it through.

Did you PAT test it? ?

 

[telectrix]

Did you PAT test it? ?

I'd hammer it, not pat it.

 

[westward10]

Did you PAT test it? ?

In the bin now. Here is a dist board from the same site.

 

[telectrix]

Scouser would have that refurbished and on ebay for £300.

 

[DPG]

In the bin now. Here is a dist board from the same site.View attachment 85647

Was that outside?

 

[westward10]

Was that outside?

Near enough.

 

[westward10]

Same site testing this from some stairs someone built across the intake to a mezz level.

 

[DPG]

Were the metal stairs bonded? Only kidding, just thought I'd get a debate started!

 

[westward10]

They were actually although they probably don't need it. That MEM board and it's isolator have no earth connected but all tests out okay.

 

[DPG]

Cant believe they didn't at least cut a section out of that checker plate to allow access.

 

[Dustydazzler]

Scouser would have that refurbished and on ebay for £300.

Refurbished...nah

just sell it like that , will easily fetch £250 - £300 , people love the distressed look these days

 

[westward10]

Cant believe they didn't at least cut a section out of that checker plate to allow access.

You can get down there but you can't turn and the board is in your face.

 

[DPG]

Refurbished...nah

just sell it like that , will easily fetch £250 - £300 , people love the distressed look these days

Retro, vintage, barn find, previously loved.

Etc. Etc. It's all marketing these days rh.

 

[westward10]

Were the metal stairs bonded? Only kidding, just thought I'd get a debate started!

Don't mention broken PEN.

 

[DPG]

Don't mention broken PEN.

Never export TNCS to a metal stairway. Always TT it. Etc. Etc.

 

[Dustydazzler]

Retro, vintage, barn find, previously loved.

Etc. Etc. It's all marketing these days rh.

£50, 1 careful owner

"VINTAGE" WYLEX METAL CLAD 8-WAY METALCLAD CONSUMER UNIT & SOME FUSES AND BASES | eBay

These are Wylex BS3036 rewireable fuses. Removed from a working installation so could be good to re-use (subject to reg's). One small known fault - the screw for the plastic fuses cover is not holding, maybe wrong screw ?.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[DPG]

£50, 1 careful owner

"VINTAGE" WYLEX METAL CLAD 8-WAY METALCLAD CONSUMER UNIT & SOME FUSES AND BASES | eBay

These are Wylex BS3036 rewireable fuses. Removed from a working installation so could be good to re-use (subject to reg's). One small known fault - the screw for the plastic fuses cover is not holding, maybe wrong screw ?.

www.ebay.co.uk

Includes the fitted mains switch !! That's a clincher

 

[pc1966]

Same site testing this from some stairs someone built across the intake to a mezz level.

What are those supply cutout/fuse things at the bottom? They look pretty high current blocks but seems to be 25mm coming out to the handful of meters.

 

[westward10]

That is the service head. The MEM board is original and has a 60A switch fuse. There are multiple add-ons out of shot including off peak, one board has three different tariffs.

 

[Dartlec]

£50, 1 careful owner

"VINTAGE" WYLEX METAL CLAD 8-WAY METALCLAD CONSUMER UNIT & SOME FUSES AND BASES | eBay

These are Wylex BS3036 rewireable fuses. Removed from a working installation so could be good to re-use (subject to reg's). One small known fault - the screw for the plastic fuses cover is not holding, maybe wrong screw ?.

www.ebay.co.uk

There's 2 of those in the skip outside my house currently, free to anyone who wants them!

They missed a trick on the marketing there - forgot to add "Fire Rated"

 

[timhoward]

Never export TNCS to a metal stairway. Always TT it. Etc. Etc.

Stick a hot tub and an EV point on it, have a party....

 

[dodger421]

From my own “new to me” house, discovered while replacing and relocating the shower pump to a more accessible location.

Why even bother using a 4 terminal JB?

Bonus points for the not even coming close to a safe zone when dropping the white T+E (bottom wiring) down the stud wall to the pump under the floor!

In fairness this is probably one of the least dodgy things I’ve found since moving in, all of which is adding to the case for a sooner rather than later rewire.

 

[ipf]

There's 2 of those in the skip outside my house currently, free to anyone who wants them!

They missed a trick on the marketing there - forgot to add " Almost Fire Rated"

Corrected.
With a plastic fuse cover?.....come on!
Loads of them still in use.......
...so, what's all this 'vintage' stuff. You'd think they were from Edison/Tesla days.
I used to install them.? ?

 

[Lister1987]

There's 2 of those in the skip outside my house currently, free to anyone who wants them!

They missed a trick on the marketing there - forgot to add "Fire Rated"

If the shrouds and fuses are still there (and exotic i.e any other than white blue red) them I'll take them, you can keep the board ?

 

[telectrix]

If the shrouds and fuses are still there (and exotic i.e any other than white blue red) them I'll take them, you can keep the board ?

are you saying you want some wylex 3036 fuses etc.,like yellows and greens?

 

[LewisM]

 

[telectrix]

View attachment 85742
View attachment 85743

YUK>

 

[Mike Johnson]

Spot the station, not much of a chance with the current weather, but:

Time: Sat May 15 11:38 PM, Visible: 7 min, Max Height: 71°, Appears: 10° above WSW, Disappears: 10° above ENE

 

[dodger421]

A couple more from the house of little horrors;

So that’s how you join SWA and T+E! That’s the garage feed from the CU in 6mm T+E and I’d guess 2.5mm 2-core SWA going out the wall, dropping about 15cm to go under about 1m of mono-block before going up the garage wall about 15cm and through into the garage. At least the terrible join is hidden below the floor and inaccessible for inspection and testing.

That flex goes to the immersion heater and that’s the boiler return pipe going right across the middle. When we moved in I noticed the DP switch next to the timer was taped off by the previous owner but it wasn’t being used so I decided to leave investigating why for a while. Continuity testing the outgoing wiring from the timer gave odd readings and I noticed a tiny nick in the N insulation where the sheath was cut back which must have been touching the bare bit of CPC and tripping the RCD with the DP switch on. Not enough slack to pull through and reterminate so I need to replace the cable and thats when I saw the curse of the wet pants had struck again, although I think the electrician deserves an honourable mention for putting the down there in the first place.

Finally I have to give a mention to the much later wet pants who did the bathroom refurb but didn’t seal the new shower tray properly, rotting both the floorboard and joist beneath it. Bonus points for also knocking off the cistern overflow connection with the bracket he installed to support the floorboards he’d cut for access, which bracket has also rotted away because he didn’t seal the shower tray properly.

 

[SparkySy]

That really is a house of many horrors! ?
Quick sell it!!?

 

[DPG]

A couple more from the house of little horrors;

View attachment 85896
So that’s how you join SWA and T+E! That’s the garage feed from the CU in 6mm T+E and I’d guess 2.5mm 2-core SWA going out the wall, dropping about 15cm to go under about 1m of mono-block before going up the garage wall about 15cm and through into the garage. At least the terrible join is hidden below the floor and inaccessible for inspection and testing.

View attachment 85897
That flex goes to the immersion heater and that’s the boiler return pipe going right across the middle. When we moved in I noticed the DP switch next to the timer was taped off by the previous owner but it wasn’t being used so I decided to leave investigating why for a while. Continuity testing the outgoing wiring from the timer gave odd readings and I noticed a tiny nick in the N insulation where the sheath was cut back which must have been touching the bare bit of CPC and tripping the RCD with the DP switch on. Not enough slack to pull through and reterminate so I need to replace the cable and thats when I saw the curse of the wet pants had struck again, although I think the electrician deserves an honourable mention for putting the down there in the first place.

Finally I have to give a mention to the much later wet pants who did the bathroom refurb but didn’t seal the new shower tray properly, rotting both the floorboard and joist beneath it. Bonus points for also knocking off the cistern overflow connection with the bracket he installed to support the floorboards he’d cut for access, which bracket has also rotted away because he didn’t seal the shower tray properly.
View attachment 85898

That's an amazing set of photos!

 

[nicebutdim]

Makes me wonder if all the tradesmen my parents employed over the years have moved to Scotland.

 

[westward10]

Makes me wonder if all the tradesmen my parents employed over the years have moved to Scotland.

Now that did make me laugh??

 

[nicebutdim]

Now that did make me laugh??

I'd laugh too, if it wasn't for all the bodges left in their wake.

 

[richy3333]

Empty house on an EICR. Meter cupboard door was broken - clear hole in it. Neither the fuse nor the meter were sealed. Wish I hadn't looked ?