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chrisclose
just sat my FICA test and awaiting results so i thought i'd post an update on how it went..
Ring Circuit: As straight forward as it gets.. Wire in 2.5mm taking a feed to the dado socket and to the double socket and link between both, take a loop from the double to the adjacent single as a spur.
Change the fuse in the plugtop from a 13A to a 3A. If you need to know why that's required a quick calculation sorts that for you.. Heater rating is 115W so I=p/v...115/230 = 0.5A so no need for the 13A fuse.
Lighting Circuit:
2-way w/Intermediate and landlords over ride- So much easier than is made out to be.. Wire in 1.5mm as normally would for a 2 way circuit with intermediates and then take a link from one of the top connections in the key switch into the top of the intermediate switch and take a link from the bottom of the key switch into the other connection at the top of the intermediate so you're splitting your first two strappers which no matter what way the light switches are switched will split the supply for over-ride.
Also on this circuit is the emergency light with neon and key switch to simulate mains failure.. basically take a feed to the common in the test switch and link that with the FP already installed, take the neutral from the DB into the LED lamp and links with the FP and a link has to go between the test switch and the neon but that needs to be wired in BROWN!!
S.R.C.D Skt - wired as a normal socket would be (Radial)
Industrial Socket - Pre-wired in MICC, link phases from the TP+N Isolator into the Ind. Skt and take an earth from the metal box of the isolator into the socket.. no neutral.
Bonding -
2.5mm Crimped onto the trunking.
4mm Crimped onto the tray
10mm can be done two ways for the gas and water pipes... You can either take two separate ones and crimp each onto the bonding clamps or you can take a single 10mm from the DB to the pipes and link using an un-broken loop(basically take cable from the Db to the water pipe first but don't cut it, leave enough to go to the gas pipe and strip a section big enough to use and put the screw for the bonding clamp through the strands of cable onto the bonding clamp and then crimp the end of it onto the gas pipe)
Motor circuit - Sounds alot more daunting than it was, the drawing in the booth is more like dot to dot than a diagram but i've attached the drawing i done for the motor circuit before i sat the test.
Testing.. Pretty straight forward especially for me and i've never done testing a day in my life before the test. Read the OSG as often as you can to familiarize yourself with the order and procedures.. the guys know we don't do it alot and the guy i had encouraged me to keep looking at the book all he wanted to know is if i knew the order of tests and a basic knowledge of how to do them but he was opening the book to each test for me before i even attempted them incase i needed it but i was surprised by how well i knew the order and procedures without the book.
Fault Finding : Put into a separate booth with a buzzer set and told to find a fault on a particular circuit after he's simulated the fault on it.
In another booth you get told theres a fault with a circuit again but this time it's just visual inspection without a buzzer set (Fuse ratings etc)
Multiple choice paper varies in difficulty, i had quite a hard paper but i spoke to a guy who done it at the same time and his questions were well easier than mines.. most of mines came from the regs book.
Safe Isolation: Extremely straight forward, told to safely demonstrate isolation on whichever circuits he tells you but incase you lose your way, there's a huge big poster with the steps on the walls of each booth they put you in. JUST REMEMBER TO KEEP THE KEY!! He WILL ask for it, on more than one occasion!!
Ring Circuit: As straight forward as it gets.. Wire in 2.5mm taking a feed to the dado socket and to the double socket and link between both, take a loop from the double to the adjacent single as a spur.
Change the fuse in the plugtop from a 13A to a 3A. If you need to know why that's required a quick calculation sorts that for you.. Heater rating is 115W so I=p/v...115/230 = 0.5A so no need for the 13A fuse.
Lighting Circuit:
2-way w/Intermediate and landlords over ride- So much easier than is made out to be.. Wire in 1.5mm as normally would for a 2 way circuit with intermediates and then take a link from one of the top connections in the key switch into the top of the intermediate switch and take a link from the bottom of the key switch into the other connection at the top of the intermediate so you're splitting your first two strappers which no matter what way the light switches are switched will split the supply for over-ride.
Also on this circuit is the emergency light with neon and key switch to simulate mains failure.. basically take a feed to the common in the test switch and link that with the FP already installed, take the neutral from the DB into the LED lamp and links with the FP and a link has to go between the test switch and the neon but that needs to be wired in BROWN!!
S.R.C.D Skt - wired as a normal socket would be (Radial)
Industrial Socket - Pre-wired in MICC, link phases from the TP+N Isolator into the Ind. Skt and take an earth from the metal box of the isolator into the socket.. no neutral.
Bonding -
2.5mm Crimped onto the trunking.
4mm Crimped onto the tray
10mm can be done two ways for the gas and water pipes... You can either take two separate ones and crimp each onto the bonding clamps or you can take a single 10mm from the DB to the pipes and link using an un-broken loop(basically take cable from the Db to the water pipe first but don't cut it, leave enough to go to the gas pipe and strip a section big enough to use and put the screw for the bonding clamp through the strands of cable onto the bonding clamp and then crimp the end of it onto the gas pipe)
Motor circuit - Sounds alot more daunting than it was, the drawing in the booth is more like dot to dot than a diagram but i've attached the drawing i done for the motor circuit before i sat the test.
Testing.. Pretty straight forward especially for me and i've never done testing a day in my life before the test. Read the OSG as often as you can to familiarize yourself with the order and procedures.. the guys know we don't do it alot and the guy i had encouraged me to keep looking at the book all he wanted to know is if i knew the order of tests and a basic knowledge of how to do them but he was opening the book to each test for me before i even attempted them incase i needed it but i was surprised by how well i knew the order and procedures without the book.
Fault Finding : Put into a separate booth with a buzzer set and told to find a fault on a particular circuit after he's simulated the fault on it.
In another booth you get told theres a fault with a circuit again but this time it's just visual inspection without a buzzer set (Fuse ratings etc)
Multiple choice paper varies in difficulty, i had quite a hard paper but i spoke to a guy who done it at the same time and his questions were well easier than mines.. most of mines came from the regs book.
Safe Isolation: Extremely straight forward, told to safely demonstrate isolation on whichever circuits he tells you but incase you lose your way, there's a huge big poster with the steps on the walls of each booth they put you in. JUST REMEMBER TO KEEP THE KEY!! He WILL ask for it, on more than one occasion!!
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