Foreigh Electrician considers my meter faulty. Please confirm

[lumepo]

My house was built around 1989. All the houses along my street have the same type of fuse box, and mine has so far cause no problem. (see below)



The electrician believes that the wire in the relevant fuse switch should break if a socket along the circuit is in any way faulty. If this does not happen he believes the fuse box is faulty. Please comment. I think he expected to be able to repair a plug without disconnecting the fuse box.

The fuse box is rather old fashion, but it is extremely simple and straight forward. A previous electrical repair was carried out while the meter box was switched off. Then the wire in the relevant switch was checked and replaced.

 

[JohnD]

What country are you in (electrics outside UK)

 

[lumepo]

I am in London.


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moved from "Electrics Outside of the UK" to "Electrics UK"
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[EFLImpudence]

The electrician believes that the wire in the relevant fuse switch should break if a socket along the circuit is in any way faulty.

Not necessarily just because the socket is faulty but if it causes an electrical fault then it would.
I am not sure what point is being made.

If this does not happen he believes the fuse box is faulty.

If it does not happen when it should then you will have discovered some new physics.

Please comment. I think he expected to be able to repair a plug without disconnecting the fuse box.

You can of course repair a plug by removing it from the socket.

If he actually meant the socket, then you should find someone else.

It depends what you mean by 'disconnecting'.
If you switch off the red switch this will turn off everything or
remove the cover and remove the relevant fuse which will just switch off the socket circuit.

The fuse box is rather old fashion, but it is extremely simple and straight forward. A previous electrical repair was carried out while the meter box was switched off. Then the wire in the relevant switch was checked and replaced.

Precisely. Nothing wrong with fuses.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I think that a combination of a foreign electrician, a foreign poster, a subject title which bears no relation to the issue, and confusions of plugs, sockets, fuses and switches means that we are going to struggle to understand what the problem is, or if there actually is one.

 

[securespark]

Je ne sais pas ce qui se passe.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

 

[lumepo]

I would like to thank Elfimpudence for his comments and apologise for inserting 'repair a plug' where I intended to say 'repair a socket'.

I believe I can conclude that there is nothing wrong with the fuse box.

When a repair required is simple and it is carried out in day light, I normally have the the fuse box turned off. In all other circumstances the fuse box cover is opened and the relevant fuse removed. As I indicated earlier, my fuse box is over 20 years old. It does not have switches for individual fuses. To repair a fuse one has to replace the wire inside it. See picture below

 

[ban-all-sheds]

So....

Is the situation that you got an electrician in to repair a broken socket, and he was unhappy that you have fuses rather than circuit breakers?

 

[lumepo]

In my absence a foreighn electrician atempted to repair a socket without switching off the fuse box. I was told he accidentally touched the wires with his screwdriver and expected that that would automatically switch off the fuse box. When it did't he said the fuse box was faulty.

 

[endecotp]

Modern fuse boxes have "RCD" protection, which does what your electrician describes - making things safer. You might consider upgrading to one at some point. But you're not required to.

How did you find this so-called electrician? Does he claim to belong to any trade organisations or suchlike?

 

[JohnW2]

In my absence a foreighn electrician atempted to repair a socket without switching off the fuse box. I was told he accidentally touched the wires with his screwdriver and expected that that would automatically switch off the fuse box. When it did't he said the fuse box was faulty.

I don't pretend to understand much of this, but I would suggest that you should ignore this electrician and make sure he doesn't get near your electrical installation again!

Kind Regards, John

 

[lumepo]

I do not know the electrician. As always, thank you very much for your help and advice.

 

[EFLImpudence]

You could get some spare fuses and have them ready to change - they don't cost much.

Replace with the same colour.

 

[PBC_1966]

I was told he accidentally touched the wires with his screwdriver and expected that that would automatically switch off the fuse box. When it did't he said the fuse box was faulty.

If his method of operating is to just tear into the wiring without isolating the circuit first, and hope that a circuit breaker will trip when he shorts out something, then I would suggest that you never let him near your house wiring again.

To repair a fuse one has to replace the wire inside it. See picture below

Is that the same as your fuses? The carrier you pictured is Wylex brand, and that doesn't look like a Wylex consumer unit (fuse box).