Magic switch

[Newbyspark]

Has anyone else come across what the police called a magic switch. A friend who rented out his flat found one when he evicted tenant who was growing special plants. I won't say how they done it, but they bypassed the meter and put in a normal light switch in between meter and cu so could choose when to have meter reading electric. Until you took front off the cu you wouldn't even notice it.

 

[Pete999]

Pictures?

 

[Newbyspark]

Mate took some, I'll get them off him.

 

[Corpy76]

When you say a light switch do you mean a 6 amp switch? On a full flat with grow lights etc!

 

[Corpy76]

I have seen one at a farm that previous tenant had used for growing it was on a 3 phase and about 10m of 25mm tails going to a single phase cu with 2 main switches one at each end! Turn one off and the other one on and bingo at the other end it came out do a block before the distributor cut out and was difficult to spot. The thing is the doggy supply and the real supply where on different phases so if both where switched on at the same time bang!

 

[KAS1]

Magic mushrooms, I think they need magic switches

 

[Guest111]

I've seen several ways of doing it,but won't go into the hows and whys on here.

 

[Newbyspark]

As far as I could see from the pictures he showed me yep a normal switch. The earth bar was connected to the neutral at main switch, then only a 2.5 mm cable was going to switch with main neutral also going to switch. Didn't get to see it first hand. Don't know how it didn't blow.

 

[PEG]

Round our way,they just come off tails by self-tapping a link direct to cable,presumably with an insulated cordless...Also the dudes in the "plant" job,don't switch meter as if the meter reader is in the building,the meter is NOT what he will be noticing...

 

[Newbyspark]

Finally got picture

 

[telectrix]

wonder what muppet fitted that. it's a bloody abortion. and i don't mean the bypass, the whole CU is a mess.

 

[jimjimjim]

Jesus, that looks dodgy as hell.

Jim

 

[Richard Burns]

Another accident waiting to happen

 

[Geordie Spark]

wonder what muppet fitted that. It's a bloody abortion. And i don't mean the bypass, the whole cu is a mess.

electrical trainee??

 

[MDJ]

I have seen much worse than that, okay it is pretty carp, especially as all cabling is crimped with yellow lugs regardless of the conductor size lol, but although tatty, I would say it was just carp and no more, I am suprised you guys have not seen anything worse than that, one board I looked at once had 18" of slack on every conductor and the cover would bearly fit lol, this comment does not include the appalling neutral conductor crimped from a 25 mm2 down to a 2.5 though lmao hilarious

 

[Deleted member 72666]

wonder what muppet fitted that. it's a bloody abortion. and i don't mean the bypass, the whole CU is a mess.

I was just thinking the same.

 

[Deleted member 72666]

I have seen much worse than that, okay it is pretty carp, especially as all cabling is crimped with yellow lugs regardless of the conductor size lol, but although tatty, I would say it was just carp and no more, I am suprised you guys have not seen anything worse than that, one board I looked at once had 18" of slack on every conductor and the cover would bearly fit lol

Ha ha, perhaps he was planning on replacing it again lol.

 

[MDJ]

Ha ha, perhaps he was planning on replacing it again lol.

lol, probably, looking at the db again here I am amazed the earth is in that neutral terminal mind, pretty crazy really, must be bob from the pub who fitted it.

 

[jay sean]

That DB looks like an 'upgrade' for the council/local HA

 

[Corpy76]

I'm not quite seeing how that is bypassing the meter.