Tell us about your faults!

[Knobhead]

yes Tony my mate got a -------ing doing same on Blackpool prom with bicarb I think it was, got fed up of them trying to knick his chips,apparently they are a protected species,the gulls not the chips lol

That will just cure the seagull’s indigestion from eating the chips!
Carbide is a bit more spectacular (explosive)! Just watch out for the flying debris, makes a right mess on your jacket.

 

[willf]

Another DIY mess. The architrave switch is running the cupboard lights fed off the socket next to it. Neutral connections in CU barely hand tight and only one leg of the ring connected. The other leg is in the JB outside of the board. Guess he didn't know where it went, lol. Loads of other probs, too many to list.

 

[kung]

See what you mean buddy ! also like termination of what looks like a 10 in pic 2 and where the heck is that single from the unswitched double going ?

 

[willf]

See what you mean buddy ! also like termination of what looks like a 10 in pic 2 and where the heck is that single from the unswitched double going ?

That 10mm was going direct to a shower. When I say direct I mean straight to the shower with no isolator!! The cable out of the unswitched socket was feeding some other cupboard lights, nice!

 

[kung]

Very nice !

 

[garysparky1]

Re: Tell us about your faults !

I was doing an IR test and could'nt get a high read checked around and i had'nt taken out the outside light bulb schoolboy error!

 

[ash_s3]

Re: Tell us about your faults !

Couple of photos off the phone ive taken over the last couple of months, some proper shoddy work.

£10.7M Council offices, built in 2004 - this is exactly as i found it!

£28M Theatre built in 2009

Removed one light fitting to find all this behind

Removed one 2G socket to find about 4ft of singles in the wall cavity

No cover over terminals in ceiling void, Cord grip not used, CPC not connected!

FP200 dogged into a 13A plugtop, cord grip had caused L and CPC to short. FP200 fed a 2G socket!!

£3M Fire HQ refurbishment - Found this in trunking!

 

[GT1]

I take it the overheated neutral in number seven is the shower..!
lol

 

[Robospark]

Re: Tell us about your faults !

How about this one - Got a call from a guy complaining that when he had a shower, one of his rings on his cooker started to glow!!!

After a bit of poking about found that the neutral in the main switch was open circuit when the switch was on! And that the cooker ring had an earth fault when switched on - in fact I also found earth faults at two switches as well. Both heating up!

So the earth faults were providing a return path for the whole installation. Mucho dangerous!

 

[Guest111]

worked for a company doing lofts and went to a job where one of the lads(not a spark) had wired the loft light into a jb and when he switched it on the florry strobed, he also found the bathroom light glowed dimly but when you turned bathroom light on loft light went out, he was convinced wrongly that it was a fault with existing wiring,.took me about 2 mins to work out what he had done.answers on a postcard please lol.

 

[rich.250]

Two lives to light. No neutral. Seen it done by so called 'sparks' I used to work with lol.

 

[Guest111]

Two lives to light. No neutral. Seen it done by so called 'sparks' I used to work with lol.

yep the prat had picked a red and a black,only prob was it was a live and switch wire!

 

[Ohmyword]

worked for a company doing lofts and went to a job where one of the lads(not a spark) had wired the loft light into a jb and when he switched it on the florry strobed, he also found the bathroom light glowed dimly but when you turned bathroom light on loft light went out, he was convinced wrongly that it was a fault with existing wiring,.took me about 2 mins to work out what he had done.answers on a postcard please lol.

It is 'nice' when you (easily) sort someting like that out and can smuggly call 'the lad' a right muppet!

 

[amlu]

went to give a quote for a 3 bedroom rewire. turned out that its a 3 bedroom, with extension at the back and a newly built loft extension. customer wanted to have 3 power showers installed there. 2 were already in, ending in a fuseboard with 10mm tails. one plugged together with a ring circuit. customer wanted some parts of the install be left alone, all work to be done in 4 days, and lots of haggling over the price. I walked off at the end.

 

[leejcooper]

Hi. Am after some advice if possible please.

Have moved into an old victorian house and am currently refurbishing it bit by bit. Have included some photo's of what the CU and main fuse are like at the moment. Not a pretty site!! The CU is halfway up the wall but the RCD for it is under the stairs fed by a 10mm cable from the cupboard which is 6 feet away on the other side of the wall. God knows why it is like this!

Am looking at upgrading the electrics to a new split board but just wondering what the best way to go about it would be? I am currently taking a testing and inspection course so that i can sign off my own work but would like any advice if possible.

Thanks

 

[Engineer54]

As far as the replacement CU is concerned save both your money and time buying a complete CU, just remove the existing MCB's and go all RCBO!! This is a far,far better option than any other RCD configuration CU!!! These dual RCD CU's can be nothing but a heap of trouble when a fault occurs...

 

[DNS]

I have recently rewired a four bedroom house for a friends parents. One the first inspection visit, I went into the attic, "Throw down the cable with the plug on it" I was asked. I passed it down, stupidly now I know. He proceeded to plug it into a socket outlet on the landing. Swiched on, and hey presto we have lights in the attic.......... After no more than 20 seconds, I shouted "Switch the socket off" I came down, unplugged it and told him never to plug that in again. "why" he asked, "We've always used that for the lights up there". I proceeded to open the plug firstly, 13 amp fuse....... secondly, other end of the flex, another plug containing 13 amp fuse. This plug was plugged into a socket screwed upside down on a roof truss. And to top it all off, this provided the power to two 100watt bulbs in the attic. But the cable running to these lights was speaker wire. It was still hot when I had removed it and showed him......"Thats all I had and its worked fine for years" he said. "I think you have just been very lucky I replied" The jobs finished now and everythings safe and up to regs. He now is the proud owner of a totally rewired house and two energy saving lights in the attic running of the upstairs lighting circuit and operated by a pull cord switch which you operate when the hatch is open. The earth wire attached to the TNS supply was only 4mm and there was no other earthing accept for the cpcs in the cable. I have found that many people think/assume that if the electric works and the telly switches on ok, everythings ok. Especially the older generation.

 

[Knobhead]

Have included some photo's of what the CU and main fuse are like at the moment. Not a pretty site!! The CU is halfway up the wall but the RCD for it is under the stairs fed by a 10mm cable from the cupboard which is 6 feet away on the other side of the wall. God knows why it is like this!
QUOTE]

I’d get the gravity checked out first, there seems to be a temporal anomaly.

As E54 says fit RCBO’s, do some tidying up and all should be good. Eeerr correction a lot of tidying up. I’ve corrected the anomaly before I put my neck out. where’s the T+E go that’s in the Henley?
I wouldn’t sling that board out if you can get RCBO’s for it.

 

[HandySparks]

What's the means of earthing? Looks like it might be a TN-S system, but not an arrangement that I've seen before. Have you measured the Ze? (Maybe not if you're still doing the course.)

If you go for RCBOs (which, I agree, would be good), whether you keep the existing CU or not isn't much of a consideration. A new enclosure with main switch will be about the price of one RCBO, although there'll be the time taken to do the swap.

Where are you located? England or Wales, or elsewhere? ie does Part-P apply where you are?

 

[leejcooper]

Thanks for all your replies

Sorry photo's upside down!!!

have already brought the CU when i moved in too long ago to take back. Was looking at moving the CU next to the meter as need to box in the wall where it currently sits.
No have not carried out any testing yet but am expecting problems when i do.
Am located in England so come under Part P
The T+E goes to the RCD under the stairs in the hall, forgot the photo, which then supplies the CU so meggar mess.

 

[hydeselec]

Got called out to a job, lights flickering like something out of a film...

Problem ... Gardner had gone hit the incomer with a spade and never told a sole

 

[sedgy34]

had rcd tripping the socket box was earthed and the wall was damp

 

[Strima]

Finally got round to lifting the landing carpet in our new house to paint the skirts and fix the ever present squeaky floorboard when this caught my eye:



0.5mm stranded flex wrapped around the central heating pipes. It's part of the downstairs light loop above the kitchen which has been modified somewhat then just taped up and left. Needless to say it is much safer now.

Gives me an excuse to the the bedroom floor now and have a look, might as well fit some downlighters in the kitchen whilst I'm there as 'I don't know what the rest of the circuit is like dear wife!!!'. I knew I could get rid of the crappy mini GU10 light bar we have...

 

[DaveyD]

Finally got round to lifting the landing carpet in our new house to paint the skirts and fix the ever present squeaky floorboard when this caught my eye:

View attachment 11792View attachment 11793

0.5mm stranded flex wrapped around the central heating pipes. It's part of the downstairs light loop above the kitchen which has been modified somewhat then just taped up and left. Needless to say it is much safer now.

Gives me an excuse to the the bedroom floor now and have a look, might as well fit some downlighters in the kitchen whilst I'm there as 'I don't know what the rest of the circuit is like dear wife!!!'. I knew I could get rid of the crappy mini GU10 light bar we have...

Nice! Glad to see you practice safe isolation in picture two

 

[Strima]

Nice! Glad to see you practice safe isolation in picture two

Snips are insulated for a reason... :devilish:

 

[jpm646]

Went to a job the other day coz the outside socket wasn't working strangely I seen fp200 going to the socket that I thought was strange then I uncovered a new type ov underground j/b ha ha a black bag and 15 amp connector

 

[plugsandsparks]

Guys need some advice / ideas...
Background:- I have installed a new TP board off a 200A breaker from the MDB. I was doing some load checks so i could advise the client how much capacity is remaining for new machines and i though i would clamp test the earth to see if there was any activity, when i saw a couple of amps i got a bit distressed so went back to the MDB and clamped the main earth connection from MET to MDB and was reading 14amps - uck a duck i thought whats going on here, anyway with the help of my brother we did some tests in a short time when the factory was quiet.
1. Incoming supply 400A neutral off armourings
2. Incoming supply has separate about 16sqmm earth cable disappearing down into the entry point, not visible outside so not sure if it goes to an earth rod or back to substation.
3. Readings from MET to MDB 14 amps
4. Readings from incoming earth cable was just 1.7mA
5. 10 DBS in total - isolated 9 with no impact on readings.
6. Last DB 12 way was running office computers so did not isolate it but switch off non essential breakers leaving 4 lighting breakers and 2 socket breakers.
7. Switched all all lighting and current dropped dramatically to around 2 amps.
8. Double checked line and neutral loads to this DB and they did show a roughtly 14A difference.
9. Removed the earth connection from MDB to MET but no lights went out and no voltage was present between MET and earth tail from MDB
10. No DBs appear to be cross bonded

At this point i ran out of time and had to put all everything back together but i was left with a couple of thoughts
1. The factory lighting consists of 35-40 6ft double fluorescents of the old switched start type - parasitic loss ????
2. Some of the lights are wired incorrectly neutral to earth but still manage to find a circuit off the strutural steel work when i disconnected the earth that was carrying the current.

Appreciate any thoughts guys, i had to work fast to get the tests done in the time available and have probably missed something perhaps obvious..

 

[smunton]

Reading about all these absolute idiotic mistakes makes me terrified to ever call in someone. ._____.

 

[mickys86]

Reading about all these absolute idiotic mistakes makes me terrified to ever call in someone. ._____.

Biggest Problem is that they aren't mistakes. some people just don't know what they are doing. A lot of it is probably DIY merchants

 

[Plonker 3]

Just returned from a job where the customer had some living room lights fitted, after they had been fitted the bathroom light would only work once the living room lights were on. So sparky who did job came back to repair problem. Left and the bathroom light didn't work at all now.

I turn up look in lounge light and there was cable just taped up behind fittitng. Tested bathroom light and no neutral at it. So reconnected cable in other light fitting and all working fine. Can only think the bathroom room light was getting a neutral from the lounge light fitting live so was disconnected.

 

[Jezsmith720]

I am fully domesticly qualified to 2382 & 2392 , can do periodics and also took a pat testing course

 

[Jezsmith720]

And looking for further on site experience, but isnt everyone :/

 

[Robinwood]

cHANGE OF MY FB PROFILE

 

[nominal voltage]

Re: Tell us about your faults !

As far as I know a static caravan should have it's own earth supply ie a TT connection.

 

[stanleyblade]

Saw this today in the outside toilet, 2.5 t+e neatly bent round a 28mm gas pipe,
Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk 2

 

[stanleyblade]

Muppet, forgot to inc picture

Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk 2

 

[Strima]

Saw this today in the outside toilet, 2.5 t+e neatly bent round a 28mm gas pipe,
Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk 2

Looks like the favoured system of lets lay the cable out then think about the routes after it's gone through several walls and joists followed by the age old phrases of 'bollox' and 'that'll do'.

 

[stanleyblade]

It's a great idea using the gas main to form the bend radius, why Didn I think of that , will look minimum up in osg and see if there is equivalent size in coppet for future jobs

 

[DNS]

A Garage extension I recently put some sockets and light in, had a JB with armoured cable going to it for the shed in the garden. On inspection, it turned out to be three phase armoured cable with the yellow used as the earth, the black used as the neutral and the red and BLUE both used as a live. none of the wires were sleeved with any colour. When I asked the customer when and who, wired the shed. "A friend who is site electrician. 16 months ago" came the reply. Frightening really, what some people do.

 

[Acer]

in 2004 I was asked to install lighting and power in and on a large steel framed open sided farm building....usually I would have used plastic tube and singles but on this occasion opted to use multi core armoured as it would be quicker to install than tube...the job dragged on ,then was delayed for lambing and during this period the harmonisation of colour codes came into effect..this was a nightmare when it came to connection time as I now had brown, blue, black, white etc plus red, black, blue and yellow...all of which had to be allocated to various roles.....so allocating blue to a live role is not unusual.
As long as the conductor is properly marked, in this case with red tape...

 

[DNS]

in 2004 I was asked to install lighting and power in and on a large steel framed open sided farm building....usually I would have used plastic tube and singles but on this occasion opted to use multi core armoured as it would be quicker to install than tube...the job dragged on ,then was delayed for lambing and during this period the harmonisation of colour codes came into effect..this was a nightmare when it came to connection time as I now had brown, blue, black, white etc plus red, black, blue and yellow...all of which had to be allocated to various roles.....so allocating blue to a live role is not unusual.
As long as the conductor is properly marked, in this case with red tape...[/QUOTE


Yes I sleeved all wires with the appropriate colours, and wired it into an isolator instead of a JB with the appropriate label, I also sleeved all the wires at the shed end. I would have replaced it. but the concrete garage floor had been screeded over it. What makes it worrying is that none of the installation was protected with an RCD and the customer said he was thinking of adding some more sockets in his shed. Himself,,,, about 12 months ago.

 

[marcusone]

Re: Tell us about your faults !

Called to a property where customer complained of a intermittent fish like smell in hallway. Had been like it for about 15 years but had recently got worse. Had tried all sorts to eliminate it including redecorating and new carpets to no avail. A friend said it could be "electrical wiring melting" and to get a man in. Carried out all the usual tests but no strange results all IR results fine. Sat in van and got on my laptop. Googled " fishy smell electrical" and someone had posted that certain manufactured pendant light fittings would smell fishy especially with 100w lamps in. Seemed a long shot but checked pendants at each end of hallway and sure enough "stinky". Seems hubby had also changed the low energy lamps back to filament lamps and increased them to 100w as his eyesight not to good. One very pleased customer and one enlightened electrician.

Something new every day !

 

[kingeri]

Went to a job this week, customer wanted new two additional sockets in kitchen. Had a look at CU, seemed like a fairly recent install with existing wiring kept in place (all red and black with some Imperial). Living room and kitchen circuits on separate MCBs. Living on a ring final in 7/029 with 32a breaker and kitchen on a 4mm radial on 25a breaker. Easy to trace all cables as run under in cellar. Turns out that the these 'two' circuits are in fact one....joined together with a length of 1.0mm between two back-to-back socket outlets. How? Why??? Showed customer he said the previous spark had told him about it but not done anything about it. I removed the length to split the circuits, tested all OK. Finally, I was then able to add the sockets.

 

[Knobhead]

Re: Tell us about your faults !

Called to a property where customer complained of a intermittent fish like smell in hallway. Had been like it for about 15 years but had recently got worse. Had tried all sorts to eliminate it including redecorating and new carpets to no avail. A friend said it could be "electrical wiring melting" and to get a man in. Carried out all the usual tests but no strange results all IR results fine. Sat in van and got on my laptop. Googled " fishy smell electrical" and someone had posted that certain manufactured pendant light fittings would smell fishy especially with 100w lamps in. Seemed a long shot but checked pendants at each end of hallway and sure enough "stinky". Seems hubby had also changed the low energy lamps back to filament lamps and increased them to 100w as his eyesight not to good. One very pleased customer and one enlightened electrician.

Something new every day !

That is a clssic :laugh3:

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Re: Tell us about your faults !

That is a clssic :laugh3:

could have been an electric eel.....

 

[CIVILElectrics]

While carring out a rewire. I went through an Alarm cable going to the sounder. The sounder came on I tried swaping the fobb but did not work I had to disconnect the battery and turn off the mains to stop the sounding.
I will be looking at reconnecting it back this week after joining back the cable to smoke detector. it is an ADT brand. How do I go about reacivating it.
Thanks

 

[jpm646]

Called to a property where customer complained of a intermittent fish like smell in hallway. Had been like it for about 15 years but had recently got worse. Had tried all sorts to eliminate it including redecorating and new carpets to no avail. A friend said it could be "electrical wiring melting" and to get a man in. Carried out all the usual tests but no strange results all IR results fine. Sat in van and got on my laptop. Googled " fishy smell electrical" and someone had posted that certain manufactured pendant light fittings would smell fishy especially with 100w lamps in. Seemed a long shot but checked pendants at each end of hallway and sure enough "stinky". Seems hubby had also changed the low energy lamps back to filament lamps and increased them to 100w as his eyesight not to good. One very pleased customer and one enlightened electrician.

Something new every day !

What make pendants were they m8

 

[nickblake]

So hows this one for a fault the norm main switch RCD 100ma tripping and couldnt reset do the normal basic tests and located the fault to a circuit supplying the garage isolated the supply and carried out an insulation test 0.00 mm me thinks split the circuit where the SWA entered and tested the SWA all clear , cool supplies ok the garae had a twin metal clad socket for the power and then a fused spur for the lights so water in outside lights as its been a tad wet recently and yes lighting part of the circuit 0.00 meg cool tested sockets all ok , so split the lights 4 pir controlled lantern lights ,and internal flourescent lights so disconnected the outside lights and the inside lights tested ok , outside was 0.00 so its off with the fittings extecting water and no found mud yes the base of a fitting was full of mud !!! the fitting was fixed to a patio wall so i recon over the years has had water running into it and depositing soil into the fitting it was complete with wood lice and worms nice ,fitting off new fitting and hunky dory all tested out ok and working fine

 

[marcusone]

What make pendants were they m8

Sorry guys but no brand on them. Cheap and cheerful by the look of them. Customer thinks they were put up by previous owner prior to sale of home. I must say it was a really bad smell and terminals were sound. Just the black plastic surrounding contacts that stank.

 

[JeanGenie]

Not really a fault as such......
Went to a call out to investigate as to why a wall mounted kitchen fan wasn't working, on arrival see the fan and from it a piece of yt2 trunking comes out of the bottom leading to a switch. First thing I do is try the switch and the fan starts up straight the way. Customer says "I wondered what that switch did?" They'd lived there for years as well and hadn't thought about trying the switch which was located directly below it.
Some people deserve a £60 call out for 5 seconds work.