Ouch - faulty cables = big bills

[ericmark]

I seem to remember we also had problems with early PVC cables where the plasticiser was leaching out causing a green grunge and cables which would no longer stand movement but were OK if not disturbed.

I do not remember a recall on the cable only a change in the mix used for the PVC used. It was just part of the learning curve.

I seem to remember some very real problems with materials ageing as with the aluminium mix used and the shape of the windows in the Comet.

When companies go into administration there is a knock on effect and the outcome is not always as expected. One would have thought the importer would have been insured.

I know when my son did some work his insurance was the main thing without insurance to the level required he would not be allowed to do the work.

As we go down the supply chain each person has some responsibility. I for example went to British General website which is owned by Nexus and it states all their consumer units comply with the latest IET regulations. Not current but latest. So going from that one could fit a consumer unit expecting it complied with amendment 3 however anyone with a small brain will realise BG has likely not updated their web site since amendment 3 was released or the new products have yet to find their way onto the suppliers shelves.

So in 2 years time if I was brought to task for fitting a non compliant consumer unit would it be considered reasonable for me to claim off BG for the cost of replacement? If we assume it was the web site writers who made a mistake and put latest when it should have said current could BG claim off the web site writers?

In this country we talk about reasonable and one has to consider if reasonable steps were taken. We have all I am sure failed to swap channels quick enough and have seen snippets of their import rules at airports. People are taken to task over items we would not consider any real problem in any UK airport.

With such strict import regulations one has to ask the question where were these custom officials when all this was going on? Reading between the lines it would seem customs really messed up and as a result Woolworth is being asked to foot the bill with others for the customs really messing up.

 

[SimonH2]

I seem to remember we also had problems with early PVC cables where the plasticiser was leaching out causing a green grunge and cables which would no longer stand movement but were OK if not disturbed.

I do not remember a recall on the cable only a change in the mix used for the PVC used. It was just part of the learning curve.

Also issues with it being "tasty" to rodents until additives were put int to make it "not tasty".

I seem to remember some very real problems with materials ageing as with the aluminium mix used and the shape of the windows in the Comet.

That was not so much the material, as that they didn't really know what we now know about stress cycling and the effect of shape. It had square corners, and we now know that sharp corners create stress risers - so under cycling due to the pressurisation, they got stress cracks from the corners which allowed the aircraft to "unzip" in flight. it's one of those "defining moments" in aviation history and if you get to see the documentary I recall on it, it's quite fascinating to watch - they made a water tank big enough to take an entire aircraft so they could stress cycle it on the ground.

It was also a case of skilled investigators working out what had happened to the aircraft that crashed. One feature that proved an in-flight breakup was the impression of a coin in the leading edge of the elevator - showing that it had opened up (thus releasing the coin) while still travelling at high speed.

Unfortunately, we learned the lessons, the Americans took advantage of it (and the loss of confidence in the British aircraft industry).

With such strict import regulations one has to ask the question where were these custom officials when all this was going on? Reading between the lines it would seem customs really messed up and as a result Woolworth is being asked to foot the bill with others for the customs really messing up.

That's hard to call. What is a customs official supposed to do when faced with a shipment which has all the right paperwork ? To block it he'd need to know that the paperwork was false, or that the chemical composition wasn't what was claimed. I doubt that they'd have access to that level of skill unless they already have concerns and "buy it in".

 

[SimonH2]

Quite by chance I was looking for something else, and since the subject of testing and extrapolating lifetime been mentioned, it's of peripheral interest to the thread.

http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/led_luminaire-lifetime-guide.pdf

UNDERSTANDING SSL LUMINAIRE LIFETIME
Surprisingly to many, the true reliability and lifetime of light‐emitting diode (LED) lighting systems is currently unknown. Even worse, lumen maintenance values of LED devices are widely used as a proxy for the lifetime of an LED lighting system, which is misleading since light degradation or lumen maintenance is but one component of the reliability of a luminaire. For many manufacturers this approach cannot simply be ascribed to overly ambitious marketing efforts, but rather to dependence on anecdotal numbers in the absence of real data. In addition, we can impute simple ignorance in taking specifications at face value which may or may not live up to claims.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The next paragraph begins well, too.

It isn't just about the LED. Good LEDs can be incorporated into poorly engineered products and turn the Methuselah of lighting into the exponent of “live fast, die young.” The promise of LED lifetime is often presented in terms of hours and years but with little background data to support anything beyond vacuous promises.

Anyway - good paper - thanks for posting the link.

 

[SimonH2]

Where do you draw the line when quoting. I too liked that bit - sums up a lot of products.
As it happens, I work with someone who used to be in sales for a local LED/lighting developer/specialist/manufacturer. He has a few tales

 

[bernardgreen]

Another importer has gone into liquidation after the cable it imported was tested. The insulation melted far below the rated temperature.

http://www.aci.org.uk/news_more.asp?news_id=58

 

[SimonH2]

Wow, not looking good down under. There's a difference here, it says :

The company’s collapse was bad news for building owners and electrical contractors who installed the cable and may now be required to remove it. It also creates great uncertainty as to how the cost of the removal and replacement of dangerous cable will be funded.

I guess if the "customer" bought the cable themselves and paid someone to fit it then they will have to carry the cost. If they paid an electrician/contractor to source and install the cable then the electrician/contractor will be liable unless they successfully counterclaim against their supplier.

Certainly emphasises the importance of liability insurance - to protect both the electrician and his customers.


I can think of one group who'll be happy though - think of all that work for lawyers