Rubbish products/materials

[Big n Daft]

Right ho chaps and chapesses,
Its time rat out the rubbish. What have you used recently that has been complete and utter poo.
Lets start with anything that has Proteus on the label, and there is some completely useless swa cable out there as well. You know the stuff, its like a coiled spring sitting on the drum waiting to snare you at first pull.

 

[Rockingit]

This product was featured on Dragon's Den when it first came out and I seem to remember the quote "You kind of almost want your product to break occasionally" when addressing the size of the market. Guess this is why they sell spare magnets

I found a set in the bargain bin at a CEF a few weeks back for 50p....alright for pushing a bit of 10mm earth through a cavity wall but chuff all use for anything else.

 

[Bud1975]

I am just starting out and I am now too scared to buy anything after reading this post! Lol :willy_nilly:

CEF just gave me all their information on Proteus switchgear as I am looking to change my first consumer unit soon. After this post I may just use a different brand. Any thoughts from you guys on which split load CU make you would use first?

Regards, Bud1975

 

[High Tower]

I am just starting out and I am now too scared to buy anything after reading this post! Lol :willy_nilly:

CEF just gave me all their information on Proteus switchgear as I am looking to change my first consumer unit soon. After this post I may just use a different brand. Any thoughts from you guys on which split load CU make you would use first?

Regards, Bud1975

Hager Hager hager!!!

 

[telectrix]

I am just starting out and I am now too scared to buy anything after reading this post! Lol :willy_nilly:

CEF just gave me all their information on Proteus switchgear as I am looking to change my first consumer unit soon. After this post I may just use a different brand. Any thoughts from you guys on which split load CU make you would use first?

Regards, Bud1975

crabtree starbreaker or BG for cheaper alternative.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

Definately not MK Sentry, unless you have the time to be very carefull and a flat surface to fix to.

 

[Welchyboy]

crabtree starbreaker or BG for cheaper alternative.

Wylex/crabtree

Oh i had a drumm of that 2.5mm twin and earth with the sheath that wouldnt split from the insulation i bought it from toolstation, that will teach me! nightmare!, would of thrown it away a few years back

 

[somersetsparks]

Once had a drum of hideous 'early' lsf made by irish driver, not only did you risk breaking teeth/herneas stripping it, once it was installed it tested 0.00 mOhms neutral to earth. Turned out the earth was actually molded into the neutral for about 10' of the cable. Luckily it all ran in trunking down a corridor!

Agree with a lot of comments, especially about the glands and besa boxes had some recently that were so poorly cast they often snapped when trying to thread them onto a piece of tube, so much for malleable!
Even had some nasty conduit that nearly gave me a hernea trying to bend it, had to get an extension for the bender! think it was huble bas?

 

[Dcf]

Once had a drum of hideous 'early' lsf made by irish driver, not only did you risk breaking teeth/herneas stripping it, once it was installed it tested 0.00 mOhms neutral to earth. Turned out the earth was actually molded into the neutral for about 10' of the cable. Luckily it all ran in trunking down a corridor!

Agree with a lot of comments, especially about the glands and besa boxes had some recently that were so poorly cast they often snapped when trying to thread them onto a piece of tube, so much for malleable!
Even had some nasty conduit that nearly gave me a hernea trying to bend it, had to get an extension for the bender! think it was huble bas?

i worked on a 10 year old mk sentry board yesterday.what dream compared to the cack they make now.i also had bit of 25mm be conduit that king kong himself would struggle to put a 90 bend in. the seam was as hard as a coffin nail. hadn't had the bender out for a while and thought i was just weak!

 

[nick182]

Kewtech PAT adapter... i just think its pointless and a cheap fix to get a job done.. I really, really...... really hate it.

its rubbish.

 

[nick182]

Definately not MK Sentry, unless you have the time to be very carefull and a flat surface to fix to.

DOH!!! i just got one today.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Once had a drum of hideous 'early' lsf made by irish driver, not only did you risk breaking teeth/herneas stripping it, once it was installed it tested 0.00 mOhms neutral to earth. Turned out the earth was actually molded into the neutral for about 10' of the cable. Luckily it all ran in trunking down a corridor!

Agree with a lot of comments, especially about the glands and besa boxes had some recently that were so poorly cast they often snapped when trying to thread them onto a piece of tube, so much for malleable!
Even had some nasty conduit that nearly gave me a hernea trying to bend it, had to get an extension for the bender! think it was huble bas?

Theres a lot of ---- tube and pipe about though....i found this when i used to work in fabrications....wouldn`t bend right...full of hard spots see....

 

[electromonkey]

Any tool with the word SILVERLINE written on it should be avoided at all costs. Unless you like to buy cheap disposable tools everyday that is.

 

[Smugley]

This week I have mostly been frustrated by: towel rail controllers. You know the flex outlet plate with an on/off switch, heat level and boost button. Got one from electrifix. Took it back half an hour later cos it was a flimsy bit of [email protected] mains feed and output are meant to be connected to two tiny little terminal blocks which are soldered onto a printed circuit board, with no means of mechanical support other than two tiny dabs of solder. Circuit board not otherwise protected from cables in the backbox. Got one online as a replacement which was meant to be better (Tesla UK Ltd, but went to wire it up and the similar little terminal block just snapped off the PCB when I went to tighten the input conductors which were 1.5mm T+E. Was also surprised to note that what is meant to be a flex outlet has no cable restraint, meaning that a small tug on the flex will tear the terminal block off the PCB. These are about £45 each!!! How do they get away with making such rubbish! Surely any accessory plate with a flex outlet MUST have a cable restraint. Rant over.

 

[vernam616]

ASD mini piazza os light c/w photocell

Photocells are usless, been back to loads of jobs replacing them

Also hate them cavity boxes which dont snap in, the ones where the lugs pull towards you, best ones are the ones with yellow lugs

 

[somersetsparks]

Also hate them cavity boxes which dont snap in, the ones where the lugs pull towards you, best ones are the ones with yellow lugs

the ones with yellow lugs are fine for 1/2" plasterboard but worse the others are better for 15mm which they seem to use alot now.

 

[geordie]

BG consumer units total rubbish

 

[cadspark]

Anything made by Electrium.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

BG consumer units total rubbish

Not tried british general....just looked at em in catologues ...whats up with em?......

 

[telectrix]

BG consumer units total rubbish

iv'e used one. no trouble, and a decent looking unit. what don't you like about BG.?

 

[geordie]

front was a pain to try and get back on and not alot of space in the 15 way board .

 

[telectrix]

i agree the internal tails take up too much space. it's to allow for flexibility in configuring ther circuits. any board will be awkward to fit the cover if the wall is uneven and the case distorts. had it on wylex and crabtree. but for the priceof a hi integ. bd. BG are good value.

 

[Hawk81]

I have fitted a few BG boards and I personally think they ok. Well priced and not as flimsy as other boards.

 

[telectrix]

i have spoken to the local BG technical bod, who says that BG are happy to receive feedback frfom electricians on their products, and will try and implement any suggested improvements.

 

[WDMDL]

I used some BG Nexus accessories on a job last November and had numerous troubles getting the conductors of T&E to clamp in the terminals correctly - a single conductor folded over was fine but for the usual two or occasional three conductors in a terminal, at least one of them would end up at the side of the screw with a poor connection.
Part of the job was in plastic conduit and I'd used 6491X singles. I didn't have any problems with those.

 

[telectrix]

thus proving that the old stranded cable is superior to the solid crap we're forced to use today. bring back 7/029!

 

[Big n Daft]

Central heating "wiring centres".
A glorified empty box that takes choc bloc with no cable grips, utter rubbish.
Just dont bother, I always use an adaptable box with din rail and stuffers.
Why is heating equipment pants to work with? Because its designed for plumbers by plumbers.

 

[Big n Daft]

thus proving that the old stranded cable is superior to the solid crap we're forced to use today. bring back 7/029!

Old Fart:icon14:

 

[alex trician]

Thorsman press in gromets or they may have been called quick fit . Fitted quickly but fell out quicker.

 

[mr murdock]

10 way duel rcd BG board is very good value - nothing "British" about it though except the name -i hate tower PVC Tape as the quality seems to differ from good to toilet paper from month to month - use Niglon PVC tape once as an alternative .. never again

 

[Strima]

Tower cable clips, not the clips themselves but the nails that bend going into plywood. Maybe I should use a smaller hammer?

 

[johnboy6083]

A sledge was overkill mate!

 

[jase]

ANY insulation tape, used to be able to wrap insulation tape around a draw wire or rod nice and tight these days you stretch the tape a little bit and it just snaps!!

 

[Guitarist]

Bought a roll of insulation tape from s******x. Not sure what it was made from but breaks with a small amount of pressure. Never again.

 

[Guitarist]

ANY insulation tape, used to be able to wrap insulation tape around a draw wire or rod nice and tight these days you stretch the tape a little bit and it just snaps!!

I remember when wrapping tape was an artform. Could make it look like a well-gripped tennis racquet.

 

[stanleyblade]

Green and yellow insulation tape from sc.....x that tears along the green and yellow lines as you unroll it, oh and cheap / decafe coffee from customers. pretty sure that is worse than tape

Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk 2

 

[Guitarist]

Green and yellow insulation tape from sc.....x that tears along the green and yellow lines as you unroll it, oh and cheap / decafe coffee from customers. pretty sure that is worse than tape

Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk 2

Used some of that tape today. Nearly new and split like 20 year old masking tape.

 

[stanleyblade]

That's the one, excellent stuff if you need to make hi vis bandages for broken spiders leg , otherwise pants ,

Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk 2

 

[Dcf]

gewiss rotary isolators
absolute tosh
screwfix rawlplugs...used to b alright absolute rubbish now
GE dichroic lamps for use in fire rated down lights cheap nonsense had to change 10 for sylvania cool fit with a 60 mile round trip no probs since
aye standards are slipping alright

 

[Rappid]

Anything CED branded, chucked away a load of their conduit.

 

[nickblake]

decorative light fittings the terminal blocks are unbelivable ,M2 switches and sockets , all consumer units that have stretched link leads , square D MK rcbo's i hate the curly lead ,Tamilight light fitting so flimsy