Tell us about your faults!

[ajpom1]

Called to a house with smoke coming from under the floor. The house had no earth and the customer had changed a socket and screwed into the line conductor. This had made all the earthing system live and the copper pipe under the floor was acting like a immersion heater.

 

[sedgy34]

I was called out to a property once the DB was burning away the Tennant reported the smell of burning plastic
It was the immersion and the fuse carrier had melted you could have lit a cigarette of it

 

[DNS]

I am due to install a new split load CU, at a neighbours house. After I saw where the CU is installed, in a small cupboard in the hallway. No regs when this was installed...?????

 

[rich.250]

I am due to install a new split load CU, at a neighbours house. After I saw where the CU is installed, in a small cupboard in the hallway. No regs when this was installed...?????View attachment 14559View attachment 14560

I think people are just ignorant!! Tbh.
I seen a new build last year with the db butted up against a gas meter.... Lol

 

[ayjay]

hi dns, is there any reg that says a db must be a ceartain distance from a gas meter?
the cables probably come in through the back, so you may have too fit the new db in the same place?

 

[DNS]

hi dns, is there any reg that says a db must be a ceartain distance from a gas meter?
the cables probably come in through the back, so you may have too fit the new db in the same place?

Yes in the regs it states that the incoming gas and incoming 240 supply have to be a minimum of 150mm apart. These are actually about 10mm. the wall that it is mounted on is the reverse of the garage, I will be pulling the cables back at least 600mm above the CU and draw them through the cavity wall, into the garage. Rear entry into the new CU, Nice and neat. No cables surface clipped. I do have OCD for neatness, lol

 

[ayjay]

thanks for that info dns,i,m still 16th but i,m getting the 17th soon and whatever else i need(i,m 59 btw so its annoying having to do this)
i,m not in the game at the moment--ive been repairing park-homes instead
andy

 

[Ohmyword]

thanks for that info dns,i,m still 16th but i,m getting the 17th soon and whatever else i need(i,m 59 btw so its annoying having to do this)
i,m not in the game at the moment--ive been repairing park-homes instead
andy

No doubt, that's an honest profession. :teeth_smile:

 

[ayjay]

went to a job years ago, it was an old bungalow, an eldrly couple lived there,
one of them got a belt when he/she touched the 2 taps in the kitchen(it had a butler sink)the wiring was ancient too -no bonding--
well wat happened was-- they bought a new elec shower- their grandson offered to install the supply,he spured it off of a 20a dp waterheater switch,in 2.5 twe, then up into the loft then he wrapped the cable round &round the pipe supplying the ballvalve over the water tank-then on thro the ceiling to the shower--
the cable overheated and melted , livening up the pipe(but not shorting)
the pipe wasn,t earthed anywhere, the incoming watermain was plastic
why he wrapped the cable around the pipe ill never know--
we didn,t mention this to the old couple as it would have caused a prob between them & g/son

 

[Strima]

I would have mentioned it, could have killed them.

 

[ayjay]

yeah strima,i know what your saying!
me and my mate went to the boss and told her the situation,
she said to keep it to ourselves--so we did
the firm got a rewire out of it!

 

[Strima]

Begs the question what else has he touched? Sounds like the sort of person that would tape cables to heating pipes to save a bit of hammering...

At least you made some money out of it.

 

[Robotstar5]

why he wrapped the cable around the pipe ill never know--

Maybe the loft was cold and it was trace heating?

 

[Robotstar5]

Some one bought in an infra red heater (car paint spot drier) to have the lamp replaced, I was more concerned about the lead!...



even the brass tips on the plug were worn round, I will be fitting a nice piece of blue arctic cable and a new plug before replacing the lamp.

It did have a PAT sticker, but couldn't make out the test date.

 

[Strima]

Just seen a 240/110v transformer delivered from a well known hire company with a cable looking a bit like that. Needless to say the driver was sent away with a flea in his ear...

 

[kingeri]

Found an unswitched FCU under the floorboards the other day. It was supplying a fan in the kitchen. Quality.

 

[scotsparky]

Well its a secure mechanical joint so doesnt have to be accessable! :49:

 

[DNS]

Well its a secure mechanical joint so doesnt have to be accessable! :49:

So what if the fuse blows? Or you want to isolate the fan ?

 

[kingeri]

The spark was obviously conscientious, he had written 'Fan Fuse' on floorboard above it.

 

[Ohmyword]

Got home 'earlyish' yesterday (Friday), to be greeted with the details of a 'lady in distress' only a few hundred yards 'up the road' from me. "No hot water". Thinking the obvious I ring her and explain that I will check it (the immersion), but if it needs replacing she will need a plumber.
Get shown to the airing cupb., mains pressure cylinder with immersion. Follow flex to partition wall, other side (landing) is a 20A. D.P. switch in the OFF position. I ask about this (being switched off) and she knows nothing of the switch, never used it........
Anyhow, I test at the head of the immersion. Everything working correctly, 'stat o.k., load test correct. So far - so good!
Looking further into things and because she knew nothing of the immersion switch I realised that, in the cylinder, there was a heating coil (from a boiler) with a cylinder 'stat.
She only has a programmable 'stat on the landing and one on the ground floor AND she explains that "the boiler is in the roof-space". There is NO 'central' programmer for the system. I discover that the fused spur (for the heating system) is the only control for the domestic hot water, ie. with switch ON - power is permanently direct to cylind. 'stat. Each 'room stat' controls a heating zone.
By turning 'off' the cylind. 'stat I hear a motorized valve 'spring back' - under the cupb. floor. I pull back the carpet and lift a 'trap' - there are the 3 motorized valves!
Deterrmining that each valve was being activated correctly by it's individual 'stat I thought it's time to have a look at the boiler. Up in the roof-space I go, and there it is. Flashing (warning) light and display showing .4 Bar water pressure. Obviously pressure too low to operate boiler.
Looking around the wall-hung boiler (and inside the casing) I can find NO water top-up 'link pipe'! Now I am stumped! Ring a heating engineer contact I know and he explains that the 'top-up link' could be in the airing cupb. or perhaps even the kitchen sink, and should have a pressure gauge by it.
Lo and behold, there it is...........in the airing cupb. Re-pressurise the system - turn back on the power - turn up the cylind. 'stat, valve opens and - hey presto - IT WORKS! Hot water circulating!
Try each of the two zones' programmable 'stats in sequence.............luvvly jubbly............now, at least 2 hours later, I am a central heating diagnoistic engineer :43: