Auction bought TIG, anyone know what it is?

[eSCHEn]

No, I've only got the standard B type. If I still have problems when I get the new supply in my shed I'll be putting in a C curve MCB or RCBO.

 

[mr migwire]

very nice mate, my tig is a transformer based machine and welds lovely so it does, what a nice find.

 

[eSCHEn]

Aye pleased as punch when I got it and still am. Have got the lead for MMA now as well, just need some nicer weather and the motivation to get my shed weatherproof and electrified and then I'll be a very happy chap.

 

[eSCHEn]

Yeah I'd looked at using a spare way from the CU but I've actually got a couple of Henley blocks ready to take a tap off already installed. Want to get a supply isolator in place before them and then I'll put 10mm or 16mm SWA to the shed. It's only 20 or so metres and for the price I'm just gonna uprate for piece of mind and scalability if I want it in the future. Supply is TT and I'll be putting local rods in at shed as well the usual earthing.

 

[eSCHEn]

No mate no egg sucking taken, I'm not a spark but am quite comfortable working with circuits. This sort of stuff (tap offs) is new to me so any information is gratefully received

What benefit does PME give over TT for this? I'm right next to a pole transformer for the half dozen houses here (first house off in fact) and the pole was changed about two years ago. The sparkies who did it were impressed at how low the earth impendence was - just in case that's what the problem with TT usually is.

Definitely interested in the isolator; what you wanting for it delivered?

Thanks again

 

[chevy2]

You can change to either 415v, 240v, 110v. Looks pretty damn versatile. Usually only the newer Miller or Lincoln, machines can do that, and then its either 415v and 240, or 240v or 110v, rarely all three.

My Miller not only runs the three voltages you listed but does anything between 115v-460v,
i'm guessing to make the one machine more sellable worldwide?

 

[eSCHEn]

My Miller not only runs the three voltages you listed but does anything between 115v-460v,
i'm guessing to make the one machine more sellable worldwide?

Would make sense if it was for that reason.

 

[eSCHEn]

i'll get a weight and get you a postage cost, plus say couple of notes for the jiffy poke, I bought it, though ended up using small switchfuse instead (my meter tails are 6 metres long, suppliers tend to want switchfuses on anything beyond 3 metres to protect their cutout fuses) (technically its illegal to pull a cutout fuse if your not an employee of the DNO - SSE/Scottish Power/ManWeb etc etc, but many do, if you ever decide to (not that im condoning it *whistles*) turn the main switch off at the CU, otherwise there will be a load present and you risk arc burns / death / causing a major short and blowing the pole transformer cutout thus making you highly unpopular with the neighbours :P)

10mm2 is good for ~64amps, 16mm2 ~80Amps, 25mm2 ~100amps or slightly more. If you have a 100amp supply but run smaller SWA to the shed, it MUST be fused down to protect the SWA from becoming overloaded. (Finding out what supply fuse size you have is *fun* suppliers often don't have a clue...more often than not, they send someone out to have a look....

Basically PME lowers your earth impedance big style (supplier bangs rods in here there and everywhere) plus with TT, you can't rely on the earth impedance being constant (soil moisture levels being a big part, long dry summer (yes those rare ones we get) can cause the soil to dry out, dry soil doesn't conduct and so your earth impedance goes all to heck) so instead of relying on MCBs to Automatically Disconnect Supply (ADS) for fault protection, you then rely on an RCD for fault protection.

Also if there is a fault on a neighbouring property, its not uncommon to get a "tingle" or worse off earthed metal work in your place as the fault tries to find a path back to the transformer. (fault current doesn't flow to earth, rather it flows through the earth back to the transformer)

Oddly the ex shooting lodge I quoted on (got passed over for someone else..win some lose some) had a 3 phase incomer, but 2 single phase recent meters...even SSE had no idea why a 3 phase meter hadn't been fitted...especially as the standing charge on a 3 phase meter is the same as a single phase meter, so the previous owner was paying double for no reason...though the electrics dated back to the 1940s....

I take it those ratings are for plain PVC rather than XLPE? Was gonna go for 16mm XLPE as it's rated at 110A. Supply fuse is luckily enough 100A.

Happy to contribute to the biccy kitty Just let me know what you're wanting mate.

 

[skotl]

Very nice buy, eschen. Apologies for coming over all Mr. Regulations, but the new circuit to the shed will be notifiable which effectively means it's got to be designed, installed and tested by a spark.

I paid £800 all in for 50m of SWA, a garage CU, 13A sockets, lighting and a 32A socket in the garage.

 

[skotl]

I'm aware there was never Part P in Scotland but thought that new circuits were always notifiable.

Having said that, I've re-checked (and you'll be dismayed to see that this link is NICEIC ) and it doesn't seem to be as black and white as I suggested;
http://www.sbsc.uk.net/docs/Getting-it-Right-in-Scotland.pdf

I'll modify my statement, then, to say that in Scotland the work may be notifiable. I know my way round electrics and understand how to do the calculations, but I'm certainly happy to leave new circuits to electricians - I know that my view is not universal.

 

[eSCHEn]

I did check on what is allowed and this work definitely not notifiable. Part P is a total can of worms and I really don't want to get into that. I totally hear what you're saying skotl but I'm a sensible chap and if I reach a point where I'm not comfortable and confident doing the work then rest assured I'll be calling in a spark.

 

[penfold]

Very nice buy, eschen. Apologies for coming over all Mr. Regulations, but the new circuit to the shed will be notifiable which effectively means it's got to be designed, installed and tested by a spark.

I paid £800 all in for 50m of SWA, a garage CU, 13A sockets, lighting and a 32A socket in the garage.

I really hate the way part P has been misused as a means to discourage the amateur electrician; most of it is donkey work, the bits that really justify a pro are few, at least in the domestic environment.

 

[Robotstar5]

I really hate the way part P has been misused as a means to discourage the amateur electrician; most of it is donkey work, the bits that really justify a pro are few, at least in the domestic environment.

It's not just the amateurs, I'm a time served industrial sparky and can install 3 phase boards (fuseboxes), wire offices at work etc., but can't (technically ) install a new socket at home.

Luckily, the SWA fairies are installing a new cable to my garage

 

[eSCHEn]

It's a laudable aim to try and reduce injuries and deaths from poor electrical work but part P just doesn't seem the right way of doing it. Robotstar's a perfect example, in every way except "officially" he's extremely capable of doing the work but isn't allowed to under the regs. Mad

Some of the wiring done at this place was just dreadful when we moved in. The workshop supply which I'm talking about here being a perfect example. Kitchen ring main -> spur from a socket -> spur from spur to another socket -> plug with 2.5mm twin and earth with wrong colours -> through wall with no protection -> dug into ground less than 3" across area with double digging -> into shed and then running eight sockets and lighting all in a radial. That sort of work was everywhere and part P won't do bugger all to help as the bodger who did it will continue to do so.

 

[Cyberprog]

I bloody hate making off SWA. Got to do one later today - again, madness that I'm competent to do electrics at work, but can't at home

 

[eSCHEn]

I don't get to work on the tools side as often as I'd like so I do take perverse pleasure in SWA and glanding etc. It's nice to do something 'real' now and again. Would hate to be doing it day in day out in the cold weather though. Used to have to do that with pipework and it sucked big time

 

[skotl]

To be fair, the odd thing about Part P is that you need to be "competent" but it doesn't state how you prove competence - there is no specific qualification, for example.

The reality is that building control (and insurers, if something bad happens) are unlikely to accept signoff by anyone who doesn't do this for a living, which ends up being an interpretation of the regulations. And regulations that need to be interpreted to be applied are poor regulations.

 

[Robotstar5]

I bloody hate making off SWA. Got to do one later today - again, madness that I'm competent to do electrics at work, but can't at home

Have you tried the CK Armourslice works a treat.

 

[Cyberprog]

Have you tried the CK Armourslice works a treat.

I have a kew technik BladeRunner, which is OK, but it's still a pain I find to make the gland off. Is the armourslice any better?

 

[Robotstar5]

I have a kew technik BladeRunner, which is OK, but it's still a pain I find to make the gland off. Is the armourslice any better?

I had a bladerunner, but the plastic moving blade support wears and breaks after a while, the Armourslice is all metal construction with the (replaceable) blade fixed in the frame, a big improvement over the bladerunner.