pls pls help - have my assesment tuesday 18th

[maguire]

If your course in of the modular learning system then no wonder your knowledge base is weak, with this type of approach to learning there is no joined up instruction learn a bit then assesed on that bit, pass and forget it on to the next bit with little or no revision tying into the next module.
DM

 

[OwainDIYer]

Heres two rough diagrams for the other 2 cicuits i mentioned above - any comments or help is appreciated

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• amcevoy
• 17 May 2010
• 1

]

I suggest you develop the habit of drawing wires in colours, and tracing out the circuit with a finger.

Unless I misinterpret your diagram, when you close the switch you have a dead short across the supply?

 

[OwainDIYer]

circuit 2: the installation requires 4xtwo gang switched socket outlets. These are to be connected in a radial circuit and the fourth as a spur off the middle SSO. The cabling between the CCU and first SSO is 2.5mm sq. pvc singles installed in the existing trunking with the new 20mm diameter black enameled metal conduit between the trunking and the first SSO. The remaining wiring will be surface mounted in 2.5mm sq pvc/pvc multicore cable (6242y).

theres a 3d drawing of the installation bay as well which i will upload with this post

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• amcevoy
• 16 May 2010
• 1

and the 2 switches for the lighting circuit are marked A on the drawing and are just above the metal trunking.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

You will require an appropriate gland or grommet to go from the backing box of the first socket to the 6242y cable.

 

[Steve]

amcevoy, those diagrams are no good. The first shows 6 sockets wired in series, and two sockets with only one core to them.

The second shows a dead short, as Owain has said.

You need to draw them showing live and neutral cores. If you dont draw the earths, you must state "earths omitted for clarity".

 

[LoveRocket]

Heres two rough diagrams for the other 2 cicuits i mentioned above - any comments or help is appreciated

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• amcevoy
• 17 May 2010
• 1

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• amcevoy
• 17 May 2010
• 1

My oh my.

Far be it from me to agree with Banal, but on this occasion I think he may be correct; you are simply not cut out (no pun intended) for a career with electricity.

Regardless of the lack of hand-on training, you diagrams show you really don't understand the very very basic theory that underpins everything. These basics, such as the concept of a circuit, are not even college/apprentice level things, but basic (first year or two of) high school science.

This isn't meant as an insult towards you, just advice - there's nothing wrong with admitting something's not right for you, and sparkying isn't right for you buddy.

See if you can transfer to a plumbing course

 

[Spark123]

I'd be having words with the powers that be at the college - this sort of stuff was drummed into us in the first year of our apprenticeship. It was also taught as part of our GCSE science unit.
In a nutshell it is just the same as having a normal 2 way light arrangement with the lamps in parallel.

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• amcevoy
• 16 May 2010
• 1

Why on earth you have drawn the correct diagram and then linked the commons together on the lights so they are on all the time is anyones guess, maybe you are getting confused with the alternative method where C, L1 and L2 are linked (aka strappers) between the switches and the permanent live connected to L1 and sw live to L2? You still need to be able to follow the wiring diagram through the switches to see how they work, do you see why the light will be on all the time in your drawing?
Both of these are drawn in the wiki here: //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:two-way-lighting
I'm hoping they have taught you to earth all exposed metal parts.

 

[jamodu]

I'm no electrician so no real help to you but from what I see you are drawing GCSE DC battery powered circuit diagrams.

You can put one of them on your tongue for a laugh but I wouldn't recommend doing it with 240v AC, I think a little understanding of what is at stake is required.

But best of luck to you, you are obviously keen to learn and not afraid to ask when you do not know. May I suggest a change of college rather than a change of career?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

jamodo - it is not the college's shortcomings which have left amcevoy unable, after 2 years of studying, to work out how to connect 2 lights instead of 1, to know how 2-way switching works or to thinking that wiring an FCU to create a L-N fault is a good idea, and in the long run you do nobody any favours, least of all amcevoy, to go along with the idea that it is.

 

[amcevoy]

Quick question ban-all-sheds - do you know what i've been taught in 2 years?? would you like to come into my college with me for one day?? I have been there 2 years and it was only 1 week ago that i first got to use PVC conduit - sound like a good place - i'm working in retail and therefore don't know what it is i should or should not already know in terms of electrics - i can only go by what i'm taught - so really do you think its me you should be speaking to like this?? or do you think it should be the government and educational establishment?? No doubt ban-all-sheds that you wont care about this post but i can only try my best and use any and all help/resources available to me - "it is not the college's shortcomings which have left amcevoy unable, after 2 years of studying, to work out how to connect 2 lights instead of 1, to know how 2-way switching works or to thinking that wiring an FCU to create a L-N fault is a good idea, and in the long run you do nobody any favours, least of all amcevoy, to go along with the idea that it is." - in the 2 years i've been there i've had a total of at least 12 different teachers and only a week ago 2 of the teachers were sacked or let go - sound like a good college to you or a college with no shortcomings bar my own???

I have 4 distinctions so far so pls don't tell me that i've "spent 2 years trying to do something that you just are not capable of understanding - give it up now before you waste any more time, and find something you can do". I'm asking for help if you don't want to help then don't thats your choice but don't attempt to insult me because i'm asking for help and using available resources. "Smokescreen *******s" sorry what is your name - perhaps you are in my class and know exactly what it is that we have covered???

Thanks to all those who have helped or given advice

 

[LoveRocket]

Chill man, chill. Banal is an arse, and is never polite, but on this occasion you really should objectively read what he's said.


I mean, look at the diagrams you've done. Look at this one, right now, run your finger from the start of the circuit and back round. If this is how you see such a setup in your mind's eye, then you really really don't understand electricity.

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• amcevoy
• 17 May 2010
• 1

Same here, just look what you've done. Have a look, objectively, at your proposed 'circuit'. A load of SOs in series and then two just dangling. (Although I suspect that this one may have a bit more to do with you getting confused between circuit schematics and single-line wiring diagrams)

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• amcevoy
• 17 May 2010
• 1

You are so far off the mark it's unbelievable. Do you understand this point?

 

[Grizzly]

Sorry amcevoy, but BAS has hit the nail square on the head in this thread.

Regardless of how poor you consider your college to be, if you haven't managed to pick up even the very basics of electric circuits in 2 years (and my word, there is enough info out there, on the web (the wiki on this site for starters!), books etc, to at least gain an understanding) then it's a very poor reflection on yourself.

 

[1john]

I dont see what your hang up is with it taking 2 years to do PVC conduit, maybe things are progressing at a rate to suit you????? It is FAR more important that you understand theory first than how to use a tape measure, pencil, saw and reamer. If you dont think you are learning enough from the collage alone, then why arnt you reading up on stuff yourself? There are regs books in your college, you can read through them, every college has a library full of books and there will be ones on electrics. There are undoubtedly loads of books which you could buy to read and as mentioned, copious amounts of information on the internet, FGS this site has enough info stuck right at the top of the forum.

This is not a case of not being able to do something, or the teachers fault, when I went to college there was a large majority of people there that had to do something when they left school, they didnt want to do it, and they didnt apply themselves, and nothing was their fault.

You can do anything you want in life within reason, it is just a matter of making the effort and doing stuff off of your own back and realising that no one is going to do it for you.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Not having been taught how to work with PVC conduit has nothing to do with not understanding how to add a 2nd light to go on and off with a 1st one.

As it takes 2 minutes not 2 years to grasp how 2-way switching works then having 12 teachers in 2 years has nothing to do with not understanding how it works.

Were all of those 12 teachers so incompetent themselves that they taught you that this:

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• amcevoy
• 17 May 2010
• 1

is the way to connect an FCU?

 

[OwainDIYer]

What textbooks are you using? Have you been given example diagrams of standard circuits to copy and learn?

 

[LoveRocket]

I have 4 distinctions so far so pls don't tell me that i've "spent 2 years trying to do something that you just are not capable of understanding - give it up now before you waste any more time, and find something you can do".

Now I am really concerned about the college - am I right in thinking that exams are graded Fail, Pass, Merit, Distinction? You have been awarded 4 top-marks passes and yet your understanding of electrical theory leads you to produce the diagrams you've posted here?

Blimey. That is not a college I would trust.