I take it smoke is a bad thing?

[Steve Duke]

Hi guys,

Been getting a pretty bad smell while using the shower, at first thought it was water getting through and down the side of the bath. However this evening i managed to find the source!!

At the bottom of our stairs is our fuse box which had just tripped out (even though the trip switch hadnt moved). I could hear a slight buzzing, crackling and could smell what i would describe as a "fishy" burning smell. The power came back on without me touching anything and i could see a very faint whisp of smoke.

So turned everything off in the house, lights, tumbledrier, TV etc etc and its stopped.

Anyone tell me what the best thing to do is please..im pretty worried it going to go up in flames!

Cheers and thanks in advance.

Steve

 

[Spark123]

Sounds like there may be a loose connection, if you don't know what you're doing call in an electrician as there are live contacts in the consumer unit even when it is switched off.

 

[ricicle]

Yes call a professional as soon as possible as this loose connection could have caused unrepairable damage and might not be on the shower circuit - it could be on the incoming tails!

 

[Steve Duke]

Cheers guys, i turned nearly everything off and its stopped crackling and more importantly smoking.

Will get a guy i know out tomorrow....ive checked the smoke alarms just in case

Thanks for posting.

Steve

 

[ebee]

Another happy customer lives to fight another day.
I wonder what he might have done prior this forum/net?
Makes it all worthwhile meethinks

 

[Anteaus]

One of the issues with MCB's (breakers) is that the design of cable-clamp used on these needs to be MUCH tighter than on the older fused CU's, to achieve a reliable high-current connection.

A lot of DIY'ers -and some electricians- don't realise this, and fail to tighten them sufficiently for safety. Basically if you didn't grunt (and assuming your name isn't Schwarzenegger) ... then it's not tight enough.

 

[Steve]

One of the issues with MCB's (breakers) is that the design of cable-clamp used on these needs to be MUCH tighter than on the older fused CU's, to achieve a reliable high-current connection.

Why?

 

[DESL]

AFAIK there recommended torque setting for fixing screws on MCBs.

Having said that I've seen CUs where most or some clamp screws could be tightened at least on whole turn particularly on multi core terminations.

 

[Anteaus]

Why?

The receptacles are are designed to take a much larger conductor volume, which is good, but this also means that the screw pressure is 'diluted' over a much larger surface area.

Provided you're using the right screwdriver -usually Pozidriv 2- and not for example a Phillips driver, then there should be no problem achieving the necessary tightness. Problems mostly arise with a lazy installer, or where the head is 'chewed-up' by using the wrong type of driver.

 

[DESL]

It's always a good idea to flatten off multi core cables with pliers before inserting in MCB/RCD

 

[ColJack]

most breaker screws are the type that take either a pozi drive, or a flat blade.. you will get much better tightening torque with a flat blade..

all connections should be re-tightened after you have run the shower / cooker for a few minutes as any heating effect will have caused the wires to "settle"..

 

[securespark]

Never mind all that guff....

OP - Have you got some juicy pics of a burnt-out consumer unit??

 

[RF Lighting]

most breaker screws are the type that take either a pozi drive, or a flat blade.. you will get much better tightening torque with a flat blade..

Or even better with a proper modulo screwdriver


If you are tightening MCB screws up so tight you are grunting, then you must be right on the borderline of over tightening which can lead to snapped conductors or stripped thread on the screw.

 

[plugwash]

personally I would advise never using a screwdriver like that one for fitting new breakers. If you are tightening screws tighter than you can get them with a normal screwdriver of the correct fit then you are probablly overtightening them.

On the other hand for removing screws someone else has overtightend or if you absoloutely must refit a breaker that has ****ed up screwheads it looks pretty usefull.

 

[crapday]

Hi guys,

bad smell

fuse box which had just tripped slight buzzing "fishy" burning smell. touching smoke.

tumbledrier, stopped.

please worried i in flames!


Steve

is he OK or did his house burn down.