diy electrics

[brightspark]

the job im on at the mo is interesting to say the least. testing the wiring and found the 3d floor extension ringmain is fed of spur socket on the landing it gets better . took the floorboards up to disconect the spur socket and found it was conected to the shower cable with a jointbox along with another spur wired in 1.0mm cable to a jointbox then wired in 1.5mm flex to a socket theres a list as long as my arm on the faults that have to be rectified

 

[zx9]

the job im on at the mo is interesting to say the least. testing the wiring and found the 3d floor extension ringmain is fed of spur socket on the landing it gets better . took the floorboards up to disconect the spur socket and found it was conected to the shower cable with a jointbox along with another spur wired in 1.0mm cable to a jointbox then wired in 1.5mm flex to a socket theres a list as long as my arm on the faults that have to be rectified

All grist to the mill, should be a nice earner for you.

 

[brightspark]

All grist to the mill, should be a nice earner for you.

spent a week on the job just altering wiring and fixing faults and a stack of time on the 3 big extensions 234 hours up to now another 4 days to finish it probs if im lucky

 

[Olderisbetter]

Worst i found was a Triton 7.2kw shower added into the back of a socket in the bedroom next door via the airing cupboard, the home owner had said they could smell a rubber tyre smell, after i called a sparky mate we found the socket was a radial fed with old VIR.

 

[brightspark]

when 6kw showers 1st came out i saw one that was wired in 2.5mm flex drilled through the wall and clipped along a wooden hay feeder in a stable and in to a 13 amp plug . the horse chewed through the cable and burnt its lip no rcd them days dont know how it didnt get electrocuted the guy who did it was a sewing machine mechanic who started his own electrical business

 

[bricol]

when 6kw showers 1st came out i saw one that was wired in 2.5mm flex drilled through the wall and clipped along a wooden hay feeder in a stable and in to a 13 amp plug . the horse chewed through the cable and burnt its lip no rcd them days dont know how it didnt get electrocuted the guy who did it was a sewing machine mechanic who started his own electrical business

The one I took out of this bungalow had been wired with correct size cable taken from the fusebox, under the house, up inside the hall cupboard, into the loft, across the loft, down inside the cavity wall and through a hole into the back of the shower . . . unfortunately about 3" short of where they needed it . . . so there was choccy-block connector with some extra bits of offcuts to extend it . . . the earth wasn't tight . . . the hole into the back of the shower unit, or indeed back out into the cavity wall wasn't sealed . . . metal bath tub . . .

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Worst i found was a Triton 7.2kw shower added into the back of a socket in the bedroom next door via the airing cupboard, the home owner had said they could smell a rubber tyre smell, after i called a sparky mate we found the socket was a radial fed with old VIR.

Found a power shower spurred off a lighting ring.

They switched the MCB out for a higher rating

 

[ronan]

I know the proverbial sfa about electrics, which is why i won't touch them with a barge pole. If someone was killed or their house burnt down, i couldn't live with it.

 

[optima21]

I rewired my house using a book that I got for 50p from a book sale at the library, that was over 20 years ago

 

[indy4x]

I rewired my house using a book that I got for 50p from a book sale at the library, that was over 20 years ago

Didn't know books could conduct electricity

 

[ronan]

Didn't know books could conduct electricity

You have to try really really hard.

 

[optima21]

Didn't know books could conduct electricity

hmmm so how do paper capacitors work then

 

[MetalMonkey]

hmmm so how do paper capacitors work then

Well that's kinda the point, they don't conduct electricity, well mostly.

 

[KimB]

Around a month back I did a re wire with my dad. The shower supply was interesting. 6mm from the CU to a join behind the kitchen cabinet in a small JB, then a 10mm had some strands cut off going up above the doorway and round to a pull switch that wasn’t used as a pull switch. This then had two small connector blocks with one strand from each wire going into it. Pic bellow was what I found. Lucky there wasn’t a fire, it melted and discoloured the face of the pull switch.

 

[Stueeee]

By the time I got round to this job, I thought I had sorted all the previous owner's (a 'professional' builder BTW) numerous wiring cockups. However, when I came to replace the conventional light switch with a dusk to dawn photocell on the porch lamp I am glad I put a meter on the wiring after turning off both lighting circuits at the MCBs. The switch live was still very much live, a bit of tracing back showed that the 240V was spurred off the upstairs ring main. A circuit using 1mm cable fused at 32A, what could possibly go wrong?

 

[dobbslc]

All the above is why I hate doing domestic electrics!
Scares the ****e out of me what people think is OK, as the last "competent" person to work on the wiring you're seen as taking responsibility for it!
If I don't spot something on a circuit like some plonker spuring off a ring for a shower using 15 amp connector blocks wrapped in Sellotape buried under insulation under the floor and it burns the house down then what happens???

 

[Johnnybravo]

All the above is why I hate doing domestic electrics!
Scares the ****e out of me what people think is OK, as the last "competent" person to work on the wiring you're seen as taking responsibility for it!
If I don't spot something on a circuit like some plonker spuring off a ring for a shower using 15 amp connector blocks wrapped in Sellotape buried under insulation under the floor and it burns the house down then what happens???

Underfloor heating …

 

[MCKDAVID]

google and youtube have a lot to answer for, 10 minutes in and they think it can make everyone and his dog a qualified spark these days.... One minute a whatever, next a timeserved spark....see it everyday here, some of the kit brought in, that's already had some "repairs" done by some are just wing and a prayer, or hope for the best.... got to love selotape as an isulator...

However some are just down right dangerous... best one was a compressor I bought, 4kW and 400V so a decent size, whoever wired that up should have tools taken off them, and be banned from touching them ever again.... that was a fire or electrocution waiting for somewhere to happen. Just down right dangerous some folk....

google/ YT might tell you how to do it, but you still need to understand what you're reading or watching, some folk never will.....

 

[Migmac]

I’ll do easy electrics, like for like swaps that kinda thing. Youngest has just done a weeks work experience with a spark. Loved it, hopefully that will mean and end me and electrics!

 

[AndersK]

Didn't know books could conduct electricity

Carbon copy paper ?

Some people should stay far away from electrics.

Helped a previous neighbor to locate a broken wire for magnetic brakes on his caravan. Most grateful he said he don't know anything about electrics (bloody good carpenter though). Found out later he had rewired his house himself, earth carried current. New neighbor found it, the hard way.