YouTube electricians

[co00okie]

OK, I'm still as green as a baby's nappy with all of this. I decided to change career and took a part-time night course (More on this later if your interested.) I'm no where near as good as someone who has done a full apprenticeship. Took my 17th edition and ran with it. Admittedly to the wrong industry (gates and security/access control etc.) BUT I have found my way back to house bashing and nothing prepared me for this....

After watching numerous electricians on YouTube I find myself trawling the regs to see what they call shocking! Or shody workmanship to see if its against the regs and find them quite minor to what I've landed myself in.

First House - fault find upstairs sockets not working
Easy right, straight to the consumer unit. Burnt out busbar on mcb. Loose connection. Whilst there though, Tennant complained about 2 downstairs lights, when turning them on at the switch lights pop and trip on cu. Belled out every cable and rewired what looked like 18 different electricians who had come and patched and patched and patched work. Changed light fittings and all seems OK.

This one screwed me.... No idea not a clue. Sent to fit x3 smoke alarms (X2 smokes and a heat alarm in the kitchen to be exact.) wireless so should be a walk in the park. No! So I fit smokes and turn the power back on. Lights work fine, but smokes are not illuminating the led to show power... On all 3. I used existing cabling on hallway and landing smokes. And wired to permenant live on kitchen light fitting for heat alarm. I'm stumped because I'm testing power at smokes and it's there. Tested continuity across live and neutral and bing there's a short somewhere. My issue is why hasn't the rcd tripped? I mean wtf?

So my question is why isn't this classed as "shocking" or "shoddy" to the YouTube electricians. I know I shouldn't be trying to learn this stuff on YouTube but, why is a loose switch face the worst thing these guys have seen when the ---- I've come across in the passed 2 days really worry me?

P.s. Sorry if your a vlogger. Its not really aimed at you. Just shitty landlords that probably do there own eicrs.

 

[snowhead]

Tested continuity across live and neutral and bing there's a short somewhere. My issue is why hasn't the rcd tripped?

Did you mean to write RCD?

 

[DPG]

The quality of the youtube sparkies definitely varies. Try Savery - I like his stuff.

Just as not all landlords are as you describe them either.

Out of interest, which model MFT did you go for?

 

[James]

Be carefully at the beginning, you can end up with all the jobs that others have decided they don’t want.
They overquote it or say they are busy

 

[Dan]

OK, I'm still as green as a baby's nappy with all of this. I decided to change career and took a part-time night course (More on this later if your interested.) I'm no where near as good as someone who has done a full apprenticeship. Took my 17th edition and ran with it. Admittedly to the wrong industry (gates and security/access control etc.) BUT I have found my way back to house bashing and nothing prepared me for this....

After watching numerous electricians on YouTube I find myself trawling the regs to see what they call shocking! Or shody workmanship to see if its against the regs and find them quite minor to what I've landed myself in.

First House - fault find upstairs sockets not working
Easy right, straight to the consumer unit. Burnt out busbar on mcb. Loose connection. Whilst there though, Tennant complained about 2 downstairs lights, when turning them on at the switch lights pop and trip on cu. Belled out every cable and rewired what looked like 18 different electricians who had come and patched and patched and patched work. Changed light fittings and all seems OK.

This one screwed me.... No idea not a clue. Sent to fit x3 smoke alarms (X2 smokes and a heat alarm in the kitchen to be exact.) wireless so should be a walk in the park. No! So I fit smokes and turn the power back on. Lights work fine, but smokes are not illuminating the led to show power... On all 3. I used existing cabling on hallway and landing smokes. And wired to permenant live on kitchen light fitting for heat alarm. I'm stumped because I'm testing power at smokes and it's there. Tested continuity across live and neutral and bing there's a short somewhere. My issue is why hasn't the rcd tripped? I mean wtf?

So my question is why isn't this classed as "shocking" or "shoddy" to the YouTube electricians. I know I shouldn't be trying to learn this stuff on YouTube but, why is a loose switch face the worst thing these guys have seen when the ---- I've come across in the passed 2 days really worry me?

P.s. Sorry if your a vlogger. Its not really aimed at you. Just shitty landlords that probably do there own eicrs.

You have soooo got to add some of these videos to our video area.

Embed the video via this link: https://www.electriciansforums.net/media/categories/electricians-on-video-sites.1/add

Please please do.

I'll give you a special badge if you add 50.

 

[co00okie]

The quality of the youtube sparkies definitely varies. Try Savery - I like his stuff.

Just as not all landlords are as you describe them either.

Out of interest, which model MFT did you go for?

MFT? Sorry, like I say I'm just starting out. The choice between paying for insurance and MFT came into question. I chose insurance. The tester I used was a kewtch multimeter. I was only fitting smokes after all.

 

[DPG]

MFT? Sorry, like I say I'm just starting out. The choice between paying for insurance and MFT came into question. I chose insurance. The tester I used was a kewtch multimeter. I was only fitting smokes after all.

How did you test the rewiring that you did?

 

[westward10]

The only YouTube electrician I would entertain is David Savery, as previously mentioned as he does not film for effect and is very knowledgeable. The others I would not employ for free.

 

[Dan]

Okay so that went over my head to be honest peeps.

 

[co00okie]

You have soooo got to add some of these videos to our video area.

Embed the video via this link: https://www.electriciansforums.net/media/categories/electricians-on-video-sites.1/add

Please please do.

I'll give you a special badge if you add 50.

Would love to but truth be told, I'd just make myself look a mug. I appreciate some vloggers have far more experience than I and really appreciate their videos. It's what I aspire to become. One day... If these installations don't kill me first.

 

[Dustydazzler]

John Ward does some decent vids via YouTube , most is office based diagnostics rather than actual filming themselves putting in fuse boards

 

[co00okie]

How did you test the rewiring that you did?

What do you mean? I set the meter to ac volts to test for power and ohms continuity across live and neutral. Im only working with the tools that I've got. The problem seems to be on the downstairs lighting circuit, as the downstairs smoke gets its power from hallway light, then goes on goes up to the landing on 3 core and earth.

 

[co00okie]

John Ward does some decent vids via YouTube , most is office based diagnostics rather than actual filming themselves putting in fuse boards

Love Big J.C's stuff!!!

 

[westward10]

When it comes to fault finding you generally have a short list of the culprits. It is easy to quickly start ripping your hair out if things are not immediately staring you in the face. You must take a step back and think logically most things can be found by way of testing, if necessary draw out what you think you have and prove or disprove it by testing.

 

[JBW175]

MFT? Sorry, like I say I'm just starting out. The choice between paying for insurance and MFT came into question. I chose insurance. The tester I used was a kewtch multimeter. I was only fitting smokes after all.

maybe you should give it a break until you’ve got the proper test equipment.

we all have to deal with sh!t when house bashing, but you’re setting yourself up for a hiding to nothing without the proper gear.

don’t want to put you on a downer as I know the feeling of wanting to get out there and work, just my thoughts.

 

[telectrix]

What do you mean? I set the meter to ac volts to test for power and ohms continuity across live and neutral. Im only working with the tools that I've got. The problem seems to be on the downstairs lighting circuit, as the downstairs smoke gets its power from hallway light, then goes on goes up to the landing on 3 core and earth.

first, make sure you've got a permanent L and not a switched L. second, make sure youhave a neutral and have not mistaken a switched live for a neutral.

 

[Zerax]

The only YouTube electrician I would entertain is David Savery, as previously mentioned as he does not film for effect and is very knowledgeable. The others I would not employ for free.

Agree about Dave Savery... and I'd add John Ward too ??

 

[westward10]

Agree about Dave Savery... and I'd add John Ward too ??

I agree but I was looking more toward the onsite Tubers.

 

[Dustydazzler]

The really early stuff by Nagy was really good , then he went all strange ...

 

[Dan]

What if 25 of you "Embed" 2 videos each.

I'll give the 25 of you a badge.