Rogues' Gallery.......

[slim_boy_fat]

I thought I'd start a 'Rogues' Gallery' thread for Members to post pics of memorable botches they've come across. Here's your starter for 10, found when I decided to investigate the switch which was fitted to the Amolco when it arrived. It's one of the really old-fashioned Bakelite light switches you only see in places which are in need of refurbishment nowadays.

I have no idea what the 'insulation' stuff is, other than it's rock hard.... As it came:



and after surgery:



Over to you, lads & lasses

 

[ajlelectronics]

This was a gem perpetrated by someone who became famous on Watchdog. After serious sexual assault and drug dealing charges a few years later, he decided to remove himself from the gene pool.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

.
Fire alarm
It kept going off.




Again Fire alarm
Points to note.
Detection and sounders work on 24dc.
4 core is frowned apron.
You should identify what colours do what.



That is being used to carry 240vsc to alarm, down a 4 core cable and was left with no cover. Loose by ceiling access hatch.

 

[rtbcomp]

No photos, but the earth conductor in twin & earth used in 2-way lighting circuit to carry current.

 

[Migmac]

The old deer larder I worked in had those old Bakelite junction boxes, round ones. Think you could put three cables in to them. The ones in larder loft had double that in them and more. The electrician that came to check the electrics, condemed all the buildings electrics. Cables had melted together. Had to be totally rewired.

 

[Welderpaul]

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

View attachment 158514

How did they not notice.
Typical not my problem attitude by site bashers.

 

[Stueeee]

Too many to mention over the years; here's a few that I have photos of:

My partner Sue loves Fiat 500s -the 1960s ones that is. After borrowing my trailer she drove down and hauled a '67 Giardinera 500 (the tiny estate car model) back from somewhere in southern Italy. After sorting out the wiring birds nest and getting the lights to work properly, I decided to do an oil change. That's when I discovered that this sump plug was held in by nothing but silicone goop -no vestige of the original thread in the ally sump. After a tricky in situ drilling and tapping job, it now has a 3/4" BSP sump plug.

A couple of years ago, I rebuilt an early pre war Austin Seven motor for a mate who'd bought a car off ebay. It was p***ing oil, and when I stripped it, the faults with this "newly rebuilt" motor were legion, but this one deserves a special mention. Having snapped off the Gudgeon Pin pinch bolt, someone drilled out the rod on the right with a knife and fork, destroying the thread in the process. Still not to worry, he Araldited the bolt in the hole - after all, what could possibly go wrong?

 

[addjunkie]

The fuse board when I bought the house, place held up with home made cast in place concrete lintels, reinforced with leaf springs

 

[Olderisbetter]

I think one of the oddest bodges i found was a 10 Kw shower that had been wired with 4 legnths of 2.5mm twin and earth to make a 10mm twin and earth cable..

 

[tlovatt]

My sisters house, ignore the socket as this was just an excuse to take a photo - whole house had been wired like this using about 50 low quality junction boxes.
View media item 10095
And sort of workmanship - from a site I visited, the main access to the worksite with everything being carried up it!
View media item 10096

 

[Kayos]

Went to swap a boiler once, the old one had a leaking blow off so the owner had set the filling loop to match the rate it was leaking out of the blow off

However, fresh water is full of oxygen and causes sludge in heating systems, I’ve never seen a system so blocked up

 

[james butler]

the "expertly" fitted extractor in the extension bathroom goes into the loft with no vent to the outside world, so has been sucking all the vapor and steam straight into the loft for the last 7 years

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Too many to list and too busy putting right to photograph.
Everyday is working around someone's bodges

 

[Maker]

My sisters house, ignore the socket as this was just an excuse to take a photo - whole house had been wired like this using about 50 low quality junction boxes.
View media item 10095
And sort of workmanship - from a site I visited, the main access to the worksite with everything being carried up it!
View media item 10096

That scary walkway reminded me of something my fluids lecturer showed us from his trip to an engineering department at some university in China;

Apparently a student has to walk along that plank, down the ladder and onto the lower planks to clean part of the tank. No idea what it's for, some fluid dynamics experiment I suppose. Probably a 20 foot drop if you slip.

 

[TechnicAl]

 

[TechnicAl]

 

[steviec_lj]

Every tap, boiler feed, storage tank, shower, toilet, etc, etc is copper pipe straight through, no isolation, no flexi.

All waste outlets are in solvent weld pipe, the traps have a liberal coating of glue in the threads.

No sheath on the Earth/CPC in any socket.



Thankfully, errr maybe, it’s rented so not my problem at the end of the day. Yes it’s still dangerous though.

 

[Dieselman 63]

Switch inside the light on my Graduate lathe had been properly ‘fixed’. That’s bathroom sealant if you’re wondering, and gaffer tape.

 

[gerrymoore]

I may have posted this before but still can't believe it!! This was the wiring coming in to the Spanish Villa we bought in 2001. The three purple wires are the 3 phase inputs coming out from the single fuse for the whole 6 bedroom house!!

Then 'any colour will do' from then on. Take note of the sticking plaster joints!! Needless to say I did replace the whole lot with modern fuse box and up to date circuit breakers.