I Kept Saying To Myself...This Can't Be Right...

[securespark]

Went to a job today. Static on a caravan park.

The complaint was "sparking from fusebox".

I will not comment on these photos for now, but will just post them.

The first thing I saw was this:

The second thing I saw was this:

The last thing I looked at was this:

 

[JohnD]

I hope you kept your hands in your pockets

No overcurrent for the shower then?

I suppose you'll say the cover was already off the Wylex?

Can I interest you in some enclosures?

 

[Spark123]

Top one, two RCDs? No overcurrent protection?

2nd one, the cables leaving the meter are a bit tiny

3rd one, no front cover on the bottom part (protection by enclosures), main switch to the middle, not clearly labelled, not Double insulated.
Whats the earthing arrangement - the banjos?

 

[Dartlec]

run away.....run away

Please tell me that last meter cupboard at least had a locked door?!

The wiring is neatly arranged at least

I think you may have an IP rating issue with the consumer unit though......

 

[Dartlec]

Let me guess - that mcb was taped up because it kept tripping?

 

[Spark123]

I think you may have an IP rating issue with the consumer unit though......

At least it is switched off! Supply tails could be a bit live tho.

 

[Spark123]

Let me guess - that mcb was taped up because it kept tripping?

Looks like a dodgy isolation for the meter thats missing on the bottom rhs

What size fuse is protecting the bottom one? How is it suited to protecting the cables in the encosure pre MCB?

 

[plugwash]

if the bottom one had a locked door would it even be noncompliant?

 

[JohnD]

in pic 2 it looks like the Wylex is connected to the "main" side of the meter... and those weedy tails are on the "Load" side. Or am I confused by the tails disappearing behind the board?

 

[Spark123]

if the bottom one had a locked door would it even be noncompliant?

To me it would depend on who has access to it.

 

[securespark]

Ok, here goes.

Yes, the shower appears to have two rcd's "protecting" it and no cpd.

The Wylex cover I took off.

The 16mm² tails in the CU are connected to "MAIN" and the thinner tails (the supply from that dist. cabinet) to "LOAD".

I could not find the point at which the supply cable SWA enters the static. All I could see was that which you see in the pictures - I had no idea of where the earths were connected nor what to: I could not figure the earthing arrangement. I was fully expecting TT, but I could not find any rod nor meb's come to that.

The main supply cable goes into that (125A) DP switch, then loops out to feed several rcd's. I could not be sure what fusing device was protecting that main supply, but more importantly, I could not figure out the wiring in the dist cabinet beyond the rcd's.

Surely the feed should come in, go into an RCD, out of the RCD into a CPD and out to the meter, then from the meter to each static?

I can see that each static has an RCD & an MCB, but I could not trace this wiring through. And why two meters?

There is no protection against Direct Contact in this cabinet, either. This cabinet is indeed locked, but each resident has a key so that they can reset their RCD should it trip.

Imagine doing that in the dark when it's sheeting down...

And how does this supply, with that very thin SWA cable, support a 40A shower circuit and the rest of the installation?

But back to why I was there - the sparking fusebox...

A guy had been out to fit a few sockets and had failed (miserably) to tighten up the neutrals at all. The screws were so loose, they were almost falling out of the 'bar.

This had unsurprisingly, caused heat to build up, burning the wiring and tracking back through the main switch. You can't see at all in the pics, but around the screws that hold the CU innards to the wooden frame, there is lots of goo; broken down bakelite (or whatever it is) due to excessive heat build-up.

John & Dart - yes, I kept my hands in my pockets (when they were not, they were glove-clad!) and I ran away as soon as I had written out a form detailing the failures......

This has got to be my all-time favourite electrical b@lls-up yet!!

 

[Dartlec]

This has got to be my all-time favourite electrical b@lls-up yet!!

hehe, sounds like a challenge - I'm sure someone can top it....

 

[Pensdown]

hehe, sounds like a challenge - I'm sure someone can top it....

The sad thing is you're probably right. I'm amazed by some of the pics posted here

PS....Dartford?

 

[Dartlec]

PS....Dartford?

Nearly

Swanscombe, very near the lovely Bluewater traffic jam (and associated shopping facilities), but Swanlec didn't sound as good (plus it comes later in the Yellow book)

....and two of my most recent pain in the arse jobs have been in West Kingsdown Seems to be wall to wall TT and dodgy installs by builders...

 

[Pensdown]

....and two of my most recent pain in the a**e jobs have been in West Kingsdown Seems to be wall to wall TT and dodgy installs by builders...

West Kingsdown = Selfbuildsville

I'm only there Monday - Friday and refuse to take on "local work"