Toooo much going on

[overskilled]

So I go from a week of nothing on, to a week (and counting) of non stop housemoving/redecorating and work
Which was all fine and dandy....until this morning I get a phone call from a recent client, whose kitchen electrics I did some alterations too. Seems the SFCU feeding the 2.4Kw single oven is sparking (daughter didn't elaborate, just said her mum had had the oven on and the "thing with the fuse in it started sparking so she switched it off and pulled the fuse out")....which given the tiling has just been done...I'm thinking someone gave it a douse of water/other liquids to clean grout or whatever off of it / pulled the faceplate to make it fit on top of the tiles or its simply failed (crabtree though so surprised if it has just failed of its own accord). So now got to make time tomorrow morning to go out and find exactly whats going on and hopefully sort the problem....then go and try and finish decorating so later this week I can get some stuff moved in to the new place, to get the old place emptied and then cleaned and keys back in before Monday....and just been asked to do a fusebox change....

 

[Guitarist]

Always the way... all or nothing.

I always use the term "fusebox" with customers, as they never understand what a consumer unit is

 

[overskilled]

This for once is actually a fusebox...old MEM rewireable box (a brand I have a special hatred for after getting a nasty belt off an old metal all MCB board...still no clue how it happened, just pulled the cover off and don't remember my hands being near anything live....), landlord is sick of dealing with calls about blown fuses every time a lightbulb blows, so wants something newer that can just be "reset", might have him sold on an all RCBO board....but he might baulk at the upfront cost, however the reduced headache in the future should be worth it....especially as the heating guys spurred off the lighting circuit for the boiler igniter....
Know what you mean though, customers go "Eh??" when you say "consumer unit", just easier to say fusebox...

 

[gazzamikes]

Always the way... all or nothing.

I always use the term "fusebox" with customers, as they never understand what a consumer unit is

Neither do our Eastern European 'electricians' I asked one where the fuse board was and he thought it was something he had accidental thrown away!

 

[partypest]

"Where's your distribution Board?" blank look, "Consumer Unit?" blank look, "Ok, fusebox, where's your fusebox?" "Oh, it's in here.". Sometimes we just need to speak human.

 

[TPES]

I've got the wording "fuse board upgrades" on my van. Other sparks think it sounds daft... But all customers know what I mean

 

[Guitarist]

My wife is often telling me not to use technical terms with customers. Things like "earth leakage", or "RCBO" just mean nothing to anyone but an electrician...

 

[partypest]

Yeah, it's all very clever and correct to use the professional terminology, but i wouldn't tell a customer I have to pull through a 10mm squared, three core, steel wire armoured cable. I'd just tell them it's an armoured cable. Similarly, MCB's, RCD's, RCBO's, they're all just "breakers" to the customer, regardless of their function. I do love it when a customer is interested though, but I start getting in to it and the i see the familiar 'eyes glazed' look and realise i've lost them. I'll say "When did i loose you?" and they'll say "Right after you said 'it's quite simple', i was doing fine up until that point".

 

[Guitarist]

Yeah, it's all very clever and correct to use the professional terminology, but i wouldn't tell a customer I have to pull through a 10mm squared, three core, steel wire armoured cable. I'd just tell them it's an armoured cable. Similarly, MCB's, RCD's, RCBO's, they're all just "breakers" to the customer, regardless of their function. I do love it when a customer is interested though, but I start getting in to it and the i see the familiar 'eyes glazed' look and realise i've lost them. I'll say "When did i loose you?" and they'll say "Right after you said 'it's quite simple', i was doing fine up until that point".

Even that would be too much for some customers. It's "special cable", that is very tough...

 

[partypest]

True! I was adding a socket to a ring the other day and the customer was watching me terminate into the back of it and she said "Gosh, that's a lot of wires.". I showed her the inside of her 15 way DB.

 

[Guitarist]

That's the main problem with electrics...all hidden, and nobody knows what's involved. Unlike shiny copper pipework, which looks expensive and "substantial".
I wish I could show some of my customers the control cabinets of some of the industrial gear I used to work on. Literally tens of thousands of cables along with all the control gear. Would make their eyes water

 

[sparkymalarky]

Ok Love, I'm just gonna measure your earth fault loop impedance on your outlets at their extremity...

*calls the police*

 

[Guitarist]

Oh, I love saying earth fault loop impedance.... that one gets an extra blank stare.

- - - Updated - - -

I showed her the inside of her 15 way DB.

You know how to give a girl a good time....

 

[Engineer54]

Oh, I love saying earth fault loop impedance.... that one gets an extra blank stare.

You get the exact same extra blank look from Yank ''Master Electricians'' too!! ....And i jest not!! lol!!

 

[Jay Sparks]

I was looking at a friends house the other day. He is having his attic done out and wanted some sockets in there. I came accross a socket in a bedroom below and told him "I was going to extend his ring from there"!! Him and his missus burst out laughing and I just lookind a them and thought, "what the f****". I didnt get it till I was driving home.lol The filth that runs through peoples minds.lol.

Jay

 

[oldtimer]

Neither do our Eastern European 'electricians' I asked one where the fuse board was and he thought it was something he had accidental thrown away!

Yep been there was called out 2 of them doing out the bathroom with the owner saying one of them was an electrician. He said the RCD was tripping so I asked did they switch anything nope was the reply the electrician standing with a big smirk on his face anyway asked the customer anything that was not working or never worked he said well yes the electric immersion so went in the cupboard and moved the electrician/plumber gear switch the immersion off and the RCD reset happy days lol. He then said in broken English I could have done that I said AYE RIGHT