Popped round to a mates late this afternoon to lend him an extension lead.
He's had a guy in installing electrics to his detached garage and asked me to have a quick look as there is a problem. The 'electrician', )I use the term loosely), has run a 4mm swa from the house consumer unit to the garage. Mate said he dug down about 2 feet and laid it direct along the edge of the lawn, (no ducting/trunking), and then connected it to a steel BG, 2-way with 40A, 30mA RCD as the isolator. The problem was, the RCD isn't tripping when he tests it. 'Electrician' is due back Monday to "try to sort it out but he thinks the RCD may be faulty and will have to be replaced."
So we go to his garage and have a look. First thing I spot is the SWA with no boot over the gland, next the steel wires have been cut off below the gland as he "doesn't have the correct tool to cut them with him today." (Yes, you can slide the cable up and down in the gland). So, making sure it was isolated at the house CU, I took the cover off. Oh dear, oh dear. He had connected the live to the busbar side, (lower), of the RCD, The earth to the right hand top bar marked 'N', which as you know, has the neutral cable from the RCD pre-connected, and neutral to the earth bar.
When he asked me if I knew what the problem might be, I replied, "Yes, you need to get an electrician in!" Told him the guy has not got a clue what he is doing other than digging trenches. Warned him, in no uncertain terms, not to let him in on Monday, (if he comes back), unless he wants to put his garage and house at high risk of harming him and his family if he allows him to continue.
He was speechless when I explained the problems, especially the neutral to the earth bar instead of the top N terminal of the RCD. No wonder it wouldn't work!
He's had a guy in installing electrics to his detached garage and asked me to have a quick look as there is a problem. The 'electrician', )I use the term loosely), has run a 4mm swa from the house consumer unit to the garage. Mate said he dug down about 2 feet and laid it direct along the edge of the lawn, (no ducting/trunking), and then connected it to a steel BG, 2-way with 40A, 30mA RCD as the isolator. The problem was, the RCD isn't tripping when he tests it. 'Electrician' is due back Monday to "try to sort it out but he thinks the RCD may be faulty and will have to be replaced."
So we go to his garage and have a look. First thing I spot is the SWA with no boot over the gland, next the steel wires have been cut off below the gland as he "doesn't have the correct tool to cut them with him today." (Yes, you can slide the cable up and down in the gland). So, making sure it was isolated at the house CU, I took the cover off. Oh dear, oh dear. He had connected the live to the busbar side, (lower), of the RCD, The earth to the right hand top bar marked 'N', which as you know, has the neutral cable from the RCD pre-connected, and neutral to the earth bar.
When he asked me if I knew what the problem might be, I replied, "Yes, you need to get an electrician in!" Told him the guy has not got a clue what he is doing other than digging trenches. Warned him, in no uncertain terms, not to let him in on Monday, (if he comes back), unless he wants to put his garage and house at high risk of harming him and his family if he allows him to continue.
He was speechless when I explained the problems, especially the neutral to the earth bar instead of the top N terminal of the RCD. No wonder it wouldn't work!
