Handy notes to keep in phone

[Calebp43]

I have all the new brown books and other electrical books but I was thinking it might be a good idea to keep a note in my phone of things I'm probably gonna want to know/check frequently. I'm still an apprentice. Should be qualified this year... And I think this might be a good way to hammer down some important things. I also only really do domestic stuff so far.
I have so far written down the ccc of cables that we use a lot (with relevant methods) and the voltage drop equation with the pages. Also zones for drilling joists. Max ze types. Any recommendations for something handy I should note? Thanks in advance.

 

[goasis]

How your boss likes his tea...

That's a good idea though
Maybe some max disconnection times... a few key bs numbers (61008, 61009 etcetc) bathroom zones, rcd trip times...

 

[pc1966]

To some extent that is the purpose of the On-Site Guide, it has the 90% of stuff commonly used in it, for example, Table 7(i) for standard circuits, Table 7.1(ii) for common CCC, and Appendix B with disconnection Zs values.

I guess having stuff like that on your phone is handy, but a £300+ phone getting trashed is harder to bear then a £30 book!

However, having a cheap-ish phone for work is a very good idea as photos taken before/during/after any work can be so handy when writing up invoices and if any queries from EICR occur, etc. And the phone typically stores location and date in the photo files so easier to get the right ones to match.

 

[Calebp43]

How your boss likes his tea...

That's a good idea though
Maybe some max disconnection times... a few key bs numbers (61008, 61009 etcetc) bathroom zones, rcd trip times...

Haha I don't think I've ever actually made him a tea funnily enough! (He prefers coffee)
Okay after work I'll look into the bathroom zoning. I think I got rcd trip times stapled to the brain though
5x30ma should trip at 40ms or less
1x30ma should trip 200ms or less
1/2x30ma shouldn't trip!

 

[Calebp43]

To some extent that is the purpose of the On-Site Guide, it has the 90% of stuff commonly used in it, for example, Table 7(i) for standard circuits, Table 7.1(ii) for common CCC, and Appendix B with disconnection Zs values.

I guess having stuff like that on your phone is handy, but a £300+ phone getting trashed is harder to bear then a £30 book!

However, having a cheap-ish phone for work is a very good idea as photos taken before/during/after any work can be so handy when writing up invoices and if any queries from EICR occur, etc. And the phone typically stores location and date in the photo files so easier to get the right ones to match.

Yeah I do appreciate that's pretty much the point of the on site guide and that's with us everywhere. But there are some times I try to remember something quickly and the van is a while away or something. Would save 2 mins just for some of the important stuff!

 

[littlespark]

I hope whoever you work with doesn’t mind you looking at your phone all day. Some members on here have a negative view of “youngsters on their screens”

A phone is a tool now, same as any other.
Photos for job reporting, diary for time management… calculator… site radio… now on site guide! Great idea.

 

[Dustydazzler]

My wife works in the health and fitness game and she used to buy books, flyers, posters and tonnes of visual material ( I have a garage full of stuff ) but now everything is simply down loaded to her phone and tablet.
She now sends clients videos with training schedules and tutorial demos and doesn't even need to make a house call, they just pay her for a zoom call. £50 per hour. Started working this way in lockdown.

Maybe we could start doing tutorials to show how to change a board and send this to home owners with an invoice for £1000 without having to leave the comfort of our own bed They can ring me if they get stuck on something...

 

[littlespark]

Electrician working from home… I like it!

No tools, no van… just a webcam and decades of knowledge to pass onto a diy derek that doesn’t know how much those brown wires can sting!

 

[Dustydazzler]

Electrician working from home… I like it!

No tools, no van… just a webcam and decades of knowledge to pass onto a diy derek that doesn’t know how much those brown wires can sting!

With the price of petrol these days , giving a DIY tutorial or some sort of fault checking advice over a zoom call isn't a bad option imo

My wife can give 2 hr group yoga zoom classes from our back room and earn £800 in a day without stepping out the front door

 

[Dustydazzler]

It wouldn't surprise me in the coming years if someone like a Jordan from Artisan Electricians ( who is always looking for the next business opportunity ) started doing something like a proper charge-able online advice venture / Zoom walk-through calls for DIYers attempting their own re-wires etc etc

 

[goasis]

Haha I don't think I've ever actually made him a tea funnily enough! (He prefers coffee)
Okay after work I'll look into the bathroom zoning. I think I got rcd trip times stapled to the brain though
5x30ma should trip at 40ms or less
1x30ma should trip 200ms or less
1/2x30ma shouldn't trip!

Nice one!
Check the changes to rcd testing as a result of ammendment 2.
Keep up the good work!

 

[Dustydazzler]

Nice one!
Check the changes to rcd testing as a result of ammendment 2.
Keep up the good work!

There was rumblings that there will be no need to trip time RCDs and only require the functional test Via the test button ?

For the now you only need do the 1 x test and get 300ms or lower

No need to do 5 x or 1/2 any more

 

[goasis]

There was rumblings that there will be no need to trip time RCDs and only require the functional test Via the test button ?

For the now you only need do the 1 x test and get 300ms or lower

No need to do 5 x or 1/2 any more

No requirement for the x5 test now. What was the theory behind the x5 test anyway?

paraphrase "RCD'S used for additional protection are deemed to have been verified where an RCD disconnects at rated residual operating current (30ms) 300ms maximum"
For non delay types

 

[Dustydazzler]

No requirement for the x5 test now. What was the theory behind the x5 test anyway?

paraphrase "RCD'S used for additional protection are deemed to have been verified where an RCD disconnects at rated residual operating current (30ms) 300ms maximum"
For non delay types

No idea , it just seemed a random test for no apparent reason. Much like half of the old tick boxes just seemed pointless exercises

 

[timhoward]

Just an idea - you might want to look at the ProCerts Electrical Tools and Reference app. It isn't that expensive (£19). I've had it for 4 years now and since the day I bought it I've (generally) not needed the on site guide or regs with me. Of course occasionally situations appear which need the full regs but for most work the app reminds me of what I need.

Electrical Tools & Reference - Apps on Google Play

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The Electrical App for Electricians, Electrical Engineers and anyone working within the Electrical Industry. This Electrical Tools and Reference App is packed full of printable electrical charts & tables, multiple electrical calculators and electrical technical guides. APP MAIN SECTIONS: -...

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[pc1966]

No requirement for the x5 test now. What was the theory behind the x5 test anyway?

I am not sure, but possibly the old electro-mechanical sorts would take longer at low currents (the 300ms limit) but ought to be down to a short time at higher currents (where you are more likely to die), at least if not a "delay" type where 300ms is also a pass even then. So a test a 5*In would prove it worked fast / non-delay.

These days I think RCD will still trip without neutral (i.e. unpowered internal electronics) but don't know if that really would make it longer than the 10-40ms normally seen even at In testing.

If I have spare time and MTF kicking around I might try test that out,