- May 13, 2011
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- United Kingdom
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- Practising Electrician (Qualified - Domestic or Commercial etc)
Had a call from one of my colleagues last night asking if I could have a quick look into an issue with a friend's restaurant, he'd had a few tinnies so couldn't go himself. We haven't done any work in there before but their usual firm weren't answering the phone so I hesitantly agreed.
Was about 2230 and the restaurant was just clearing up so most appliances had been switched off for a wee while. A single phase board supplying all of their fridges and freezers had lost power and they couldn't see anything obvious that had tripped. After I arrived and had a look about it was quickly determined that there was no power on incomming L3, this was confirmed when the owner of next door arrived (a bakery) to make a start on the baking and had similar issues.
DNO was phoned and I was asked by owner if I could wait until they arrived to make sure everything was okay when power was reinstated.
Fast forward a couple of hours: "yes, the fuse for L3 has blown (315A) at the substation, we'll try reinstating it!" Pretty mental stuff trying to reinstate power and hoping the fault would "blow clear", not sure we would get away with that but I suppose they make their own rules. Fuse is changed and L3 in both properties now live, quick Ze and PFC readings taken at each property to confirm all was well and was home by 0330.
Headed down just now for a bacon roll from the bakery to be confronted with 7 DNO vans, 2 massive gennys and over a dozen DNO operatives wandering around with cat scanners, etc and a digger waiting around the corner.
Apparently when the lads were half way home they got a phonecall that it had happened again, this time L2. So they reckon it's an underground joint that's burnt out.
I was initially expecting to find a dodgy plug or appliance tripping an RCD when I jumped in the van last night, it certainly turned out to be a bit more than that!
Was about 2230 and the restaurant was just clearing up so most appliances had been switched off for a wee while. A single phase board supplying all of their fridges and freezers had lost power and they couldn't see anything obvious that had tripped. After I arrived and had a look about it was quickly determined that there was no power on incomming L3, this was confirmed when the owner of next door arrived (a bakery) to make a start on the baking and had similar issues.
DNO was phoned and I was asked by owner if I could wait until they arrived to make sure everything was okay when power was reinstated.
Fast forward a couple of hours: "yes, the fuse for L3 has blown (315A) at the substation, we'll try reinstating it!" Pretty mental stuff trying to reinstate power and hoping the fault would "blow clear", not sure we would get away with that but I suppose they make their own rules. Fuse is changed and L3 in both properties now live, quick Ze and PFC readings taken at each property to confirm all was well and was home by 0330.
Headed down just now for a bacon roll from the bakery to be confronted with 7 DNO vans, 2 massive gennys and over a dozen DNO operatives wandering around with cat scanners, etc and a digger waiting around the corner.
Apparently when the lads were half way home they got a phonecall that it had happened again, this time L2. So they reckon it's an underground joint that's burnt out.
I was initially expecting to find a dodgy plug or appliance tripping an RCD when I jumped in the van last night, it certainly turned out to be a bit more than that!
