Electrical misconceptions

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Thought I'd try and start a list of misconceptions i've discovered people holding (I have sort of described them in more creative terms tho :LOL: ()

1) The earth wire is a magical force and as long as you hold onto it, you are safe, doing some work on the electrics of your car?, connect yourself to the house earth to protect you.

2) RCDs are magical boxes that stop dodgey wireing being unsafe

3) Part P stops you doing anything DIY with electrics
 
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5) All switches should have live to one side, and neutral to the other

6) All wires of the same colour should be connected together at all times
 
7) I've replaced the blown fuse, therefore I've fixed the problem.
 
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8 ) lights are wired in series

9) "wired to the lighting ring"

10) if the circuit does not work first time, keep moving the wires around at random until it does
 
11) when changing a fitting, like for like, make no attempt to memorise how the original was connected, until after you have disconnected it.
 
11) I will never need any specific electricity-related tools to carry out electricity-related jobs.

12) Even though I have never done anything with electrics before, and know nothing about the subject, I will be able to fit this light as it will be obvious what to do.

13) If anybody suggests that I don't know what I'm doing and should call an electrician they are lying.

14) NICEIC have the interests of the consumer at heart.
 
15) All DIY'ers are suicidal halfwits bent on seeing tradesmen's children starve;

16) All tradesmen are predators and one step above loan sharks, except with professional qualifications;

17) All houses are wired according to a specific, repeatable, "method", written down in a book. If your house isn't wired the same as you neighbours', then it was obviously done wrong;

18) As above, except the other way around ;)

19) If a fuse blows, replacing it with successively higher rated fuses until you get one that doesn't is the correct approach;

20) A "lighty-up" neon screwdriver constitutes test equipment;

21) A screwdriver is a good way of ascertaining if a cable is live;

22) If installations or equipment are altered, there is no necessity to document the fact. The original setup leaves an "echo" that anyone working on said system in the future will be able to see and understand;

23) Wire, flex and cable are all the same, and all types and grades are mutually interchangeable;
 
24) No combination of devices could draw a current so high that spurring off a light would be inappropriate.

25) a) It used to work, b) I changed something, c) It doesn't work. b) can in no way be responsible for c) and is probably not even worth mentioning
 
26) knowledgable sparks on this site are mind readers- "One of my fuses blew, why?" is enough information to solve the problem.
 
27) When purchasing appliances abroad, you can effectively convert between that country's supply voltage and 230V by cutting off the plug and putting a UK one on instead. Earthing is no longer a requirement.
 
28) I've come across this one more times than I can possibly remember:

"That 30 amp fuse must be big enough for the tiny current this thing needs."
 
31 - always use the nearest cable to power whatever you need.

32 - wire 4way adapters in bell wire. when 13A fuse blows, replace with nail

33 - alarm cable is adequate for supplying a 5KW heater in you shed 50metres away. just double the cores up. use the string as the earth

34 - if there is no earth at your lights, just add some soil to use an accessory what requires an 'earth'

35 - if you do some work and blow the service fuse, you have done something wrong. attempt to replace fuse with nail, so it wont blow again
 

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