Tell us about your faults!

[kung]

Hi ALL
Just thought id put this one up for all those faults we find.
heres one to kick it off !
Domestic RCD tripped and wouldnt reset cause was a blown low energy light bulb.
There you go now for yours !

 

[sedgy34]

is quite a common thing in Eastern Europe to have sockets in bathrooms. Quite common to have a washing machine there too.

The pic is in the uk mate it's the installer from Europe lol

 

[DNS]

Checking the electrics at a neighbours house, I came across this in the airing cupboard. It is a spur taken from the emersion heater circuit, for the themostatic shower with a 13 amp fuse not a 5 amp. Apparently the guy wiring it was English,just couldn't read or rite..lol Non of this was protected by an RCD.

 

[hermetic]

found this today at a friends joiners shop, three phase bandsaw isolator, I was removing the machines to fit new roof to building. Needless to say this will be rewired when it goes back in!

 

[Bobster]

found this today at a friends joiners shop, three phase bandsaw isolator, I was removing the machines to fit new roof to building. Needless to say this will be rewired when it goes back in!View attachment 14305

Still quite common on old industrial sites, just remember that's asbestos by the looks of it.

 

[hermetic]

Yes, it is asbestos, but I was more concerned with the fact that the incoming three phase supply had been connected directly to the fuses, instead of actually going through the switch first!!

 

[Bobster]

Yes, it is asbestos, but I was more concerned with the fact that the incoming three phase supply had been connected directly to the fuses, instead of actually going through the switch first!!

Must admit I didn't look that closely. Oh dear lol.

 

[HandySparks]

Yes, it is asbestos, but I was more concerned with the fact that the incoming three phase supply had been connected directly to the fuses, instead of actually going through the switch first!!

Not saying you're wrong, but are you sure? It's hard to tell from the photo (without knowing the model of switch in question) which set of switch contacts the cable entering the bottom is connected to.

 

[needasparks]

Yes, it is asbestos, but I was more concerned with the fact that the incoming three phase supply had been connected directly to the fuses, instead of actually going through the switch first!!

He's right, easy to miss that one when just glancing.

 

[ayjay]

its an old "mem"front handled isolator-- its been wired backwards
it just goes to prove that sparkys were idiots in days gone by, as well as now
Idiot - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[ayjay]

btw the fuse carriers have aspestos ribbon lining them, dont breath it
replace the fuses, that way you will be ok, then use a nail bar to remove the isolator from the wall

 

[hermetic]

Not saying you're wrong, but are you sure? It's hard to tell from the photo (without knowing the model of switch in question) which set of switch contacts the cable entering the bottom is connected to.

Yes, I am sure, there is only one set of connections at the bottom, and one at the top, the incoming supply goes to the bottom, thus switching off isolates the fuses from the supply, so when the cover is removed, which can only be done with the switch in the off position, the live terminals are behind the paxolin (brown stuff) flash guard, and it is safe to remove the fuses. In this configuration the top fuse terminals are exposed and live all the time. If you click on the picture it will go full screen. I am quite confident this was not wired by a sparky!

 

[HandySparks]

Thanks, I see what you mean now. They've incorrectly wired the supply at the top and load at the bottom.

 

[Engineer54]

btw the fuse carriers have aspestos ribbon lining them, dont breath it
replace the fuses, that way you will be ok, then use a nail bar to remove the isolator from the wall

Here we go again, .... asbestos is present so Death is just around the corner!! lol!!

 

[Knobhead]

It's like a cracked record, it just keeeps going on and on.

 

[ayjay]

hi ,my workmate died last year after a long terrible illness, "aspestosis"
he was 58
ive inhaled aspestos dust in the past ,crawling over old pipe lagging in hotel roof voids

 

[sedgy34]

hi ,my workmate died last year after a long terrible illness, "aspestosis"
he was 58
ive inhaled aspestos dust in the past ,crawling over old pipe lagging in hotel roof voids

Bummer about your friend! If You have inhaled this dust whilst working why haven't you worn the appropriate safety wear the woes COSHH springs to mind

 

[ayjay]

i don,t know what coshh means,
this was how it used to be in the late 60,s early70,s, when there was no safety gear

as an apprenice, i use to take big bundles of used/worn out fluorecent tubes and smash them with a hammer -into a dustbin, clouds of white powder everywhere, no mask--we didn,t have a clue

 

[Ohmyword]

i don,t know what coshh means,
this was how it used to be in the late 60,s early70,s, when there was no safety gear

as an apprenice, i use to take big bundles of used/worn out fluorecent tubes and smash them with a hammer -into a dustbin, clouds of white powder everywhere, no mask--we didn,t have a clue

I'm also from this era:frown:

We were a local village family business. No safety gear! We would be chasing-out concrete blocks (by hand) for days on end and re-wiring pre-fab buildings with asbestos sheets to walls and ceilings.
I can still remember drilling holes through the 'hard' grey sheets, and even 'pilot drilling' to fix things like light fittings, cord-pulls (over-head) & sockets.
'Luckily' I only suffer with a bad back, bad neck, bad knees & arthritic hands :teeth_smile:

 

[ayjay]

we didn,t even have electric drills when i started my apprenticship ohmyword!just a rawlplug jumper for fixings to cast-concrete
and a lenghth of 4x4 wood with a hole drilled in the end to bend conduit
joists were drilled using a hand brace
if i did something wrong i got a smack around the back of the head too
eeee-! happy days

 

[Knobhead]

i don,t know what coshh means,
this was how it used to be in the late 60,s early70,s, when there was no safety gear

The equipment was available in the seveties, along with the legislation covering the handling and disposal of asbestos

 

[ayjay]

i daresay it was tony, but we wern,t given any!
also,the only test equipment was an avo meter/ a wind the handle megger and a home made lamp to test for mains, oh and a battery bell to test continuity ect

 

[Englishsparks]

Had a brilliant call out tonight!!!

Just got home and one of my customers (Irate Ar-h-le) phoned me to say that he had no power in his house and was demanding that I returned immediatly (admitingly we had been and change the consumer unit today) so thinking that the trainee had turned the power off for some reason before we left, I duely turned out.
The customer met me at the gate, looking rather mad!
I went into the house to be met by an obnoxiouse mouthed (not sure it was really a woman as too much fire was being breathed) wife.
She was standing with her back to the consumer unit sort of blocking my way. As I am trying to make sense of what they where both firing at me but not really listening as you do. I was trying to look at what the problem was, without looking at the consumer unit because of scary woman in the way, i did try to ask her to move but couldnt get a word in edgeways, i could see the incoming head with meter. (Fault spotted instantly)

Trying not to laugh but trying to calm them. I finaly managed to get a sentence in.

Would you like me to give you the number for the local Distributor I asked?

Why? it's ur fiddling about that has left us without power ( in a sort of get it put back on voice)

My reply was quite simply:- I may be an electrician but i dont supply it to the property, you have no power coming into the property and if madam would stop and listen (the word madam I usually find dose the trick and makes them stop and listen)
I suggest that you contact the distributor to find out what the problem is or If you would like I will call them for you? (Putting on a friendly voice as though nothing had been said)

I called them only to find that it was going to be off for a further 3 hrs . I really enjoyed telling them this. The best bit is I had had the money upfront for the consumer unit change and then I charged them a further £60 for calling me out. Im not sure they will be coming back to me again but really enjoyed telling them that the power would be out for a further 3 hrs

P.S The tell tale sign was no display on the digital meter dispaly


THE JOB WOULD BE SO MUCH EASIER WITHOUT THE CUSTOMER!

- - - Updated - - -

Had a brilliant call out tonight!!!

Just got home and one of my customers (Irate Ar-h-le) phoned me to say that he had no power in his house and was demanding that I returned immediatly (admitingly we had been and change the consumer unit today) so thinking that the trainee had turned the power off for some reason before we left, I duely turned out.
The customer met me at the gate, looking rather mad!
I went into the house to be met by an obnoxiouse mouthed (not sure it was really a woman as too much fire was being breathed) wife.
She was standing with her back to the consumer unit sort of blocking my way. As I am trying to make sense of what they where both firing at me but not really listening as you do. I was trying to look at what the problem was, without looking at the consumer unit because of scary woman in the way, i did try to ask her to move but couldnt get a word in edgeways, i could see the incoming head with meter. (Fault spotted instantly)

Trying not to laugh but trying to calm them. I finaly managed to get a sentence in.

Would you like me to give you the number for the local Distributor I asked?

Why? it's ur fiddling about that has left us without power ( in a sort of get it put back on voice)

My reply was quite simply:- I may be an electrician but i dont supply it to the property, you have no power coming into the property and if madam would stop and listen (the word madam I usually find dose the trick and makes them stop and listen)
I suggest that you contact the distributor to find out what the problem is or If you would like I will call them for you? (Putting on a friendly voice as though nothing had been said)

I called them only to find that it was going to be off for a further 3 hrs . I really enjoyed telling them this. The best bit is I had had the money upfront for the consumer unit change and then I charged them a further £60 for calling me out. Im not sure they will be coming back to me again but really enjoyed telling them that the power would be out for a further 3 hrs

P.S The tell tale sign was no display on the digital meter dispaly


THE JOB WOULD BE SO MUCH EASIER WITHOUT THE CUSTOMER!

- - - Updated - - -

Had a brilliant call out tonight!!!

Just got home and one of my customers (Irate Ar-h-le) phoned me to say that he had no power in his house and was demanding that I returned immediatly (admitingly we had been and change the consumer unit today) so thinking that the trainee had turned the power off for some reason before we left, I duely turned out.
The customer met me at the gate, looking rather mad!
I went into the house to be met by an obnoxiouse mouthed (not sure it was really a woman as too much fire was being breathed) wife.
She was standing with her back to the consumer unit sort of blocking my way. As I am trying to make sense of what they where both firing at me but not really listening as you do. I was trying to look at what the problem was, without looking at the consumer unit because of scary woman in the way, i did try to ask her to move but couldnt get a word in edgeways, i could see the incoming head with meter. (Fault spotted instantly)

Trying not to laugh but trying to calm them. I finaly managed to get a sentence in.

Would you like me to give you the number for the local Distributor I asked?

Why? it's ur fiddling about that has left us without power ( in a sort of get it put back on voice)

My reply was quite simply:- I may be an electrician but i dont supply it to the property, you have no power coming into the property and if madam would stop and listen (the word madam I usually find dose the trick and makes them stop and listen)
I suggest that you contact the distributor to find out what the problem is or If you would like I will call them for you? (Putting on a friendly voice as though nothing had been said)

I called them only to find that it was going to be off for a further 3 hrs . I really enjoyed telling them this. The best bit is I had had the money upfront for the consumer unit change and then I charged them a further £60 for calling me out. Im not sure they will be coming back to me again but really enjoyed telling them that the power would be out for a further 3 hrs

P.S The tell tale sign was no display on the digital meter dispaly


THE JOB WOULD BE SO MUCH EASIER WITHOUT THE CUSTOMER!

 

[ayjay]

imo, the customer wouldn,t have known that the outside supply had gone off
they would have thought that it was your fault, as the installation was mid-way through
thats why they were irate
people(the genral public) have no concept of electricity, they just plug an accessory in and it works
they flick a switch and the light illuminates
interesting post though

 

[Englishsparks]

Think you have wrong end of the stick. The installation was complete.

 

[Knobhead]

You need to learn about people ES. You touched it last, that makes you prime suspect.
I hope you enjoy spending your £60, because when word gets around that you're a rob-dog don't expect any work in that area again.
Bad news travels faster that good.

 

[ayjay]

i was thinking that tony, but didn,t say!

 

[Englishsparks]

Yes Tony i understand what you are saying, and agree but the attitude of these people make me sick. I dont got to work for abuse of this nature and will not tolerate it.just a quick update on the matter i did receive a call from the husband today appologising to me about how i was spoken to. I dont think all is lost!I can understand them thinking it was my fault (undersatandable) but manners do go a long way.And your point about me being a (Rob-Dog) im not sure as to why you go to work but i run a business and charge accordingly. if you dont charge that is upto you!Yes i have done jobs for people that have not been charged for work done on may occasions especially the little old ladies.

 

[Ryanw]

Here's a nice one if you like pigeon!

Called to a restaurant/bar a few weeks ago at the end of the day which had just had a fire from the fridge cooling units on the flat roof at the rear of the place.
Fire brigade had been and put it out but i was asked to come and check over the wiring.
Every inch of the units were covered in crap, feathers and sticks! The unit on the top right is where all the crap caught fire and you can see whats left of the wiring from that unit in a copper tangle. Plenty of fire damage and the isolators had all melted.
It was all poorely covered by a big stainless steel housing which was sat away from the wall, too easy for the pigeons.
I was asked if i could get them running by that night even after i'd shown the owner the state of it! I disconnected the circuits and told them i'm not touching anything else until a cleaning firms been in!




I was called in again the next day, a manager wanted to know why all the fridge temps were showing 14-16 degrees...

 

[ayjay]

what a mess ryan! looks like the whole set-up needs replacing, they should have removed all of the stock and found somewhere with a freezer to store it,
don,t inhale pidgeon dropping/dust mate, it can cause serious health problems

 

[Engineer54]

Well I know why the stainless steel cover was left off now, the mounting of these units are completely wrong!! The fans are facing, and that close to the wall and isolators it's a wonder how these compressors worked with the cover on for any length of time.
I wouldn't mind betting that those isolators were suffering heat damage long before this pigeon crap fire... These units need tuning round and a mesh grill incorporating in the cover. The set-up needs free flowing air through the system....