Sitting on the PC today, just about to start a game of tanks. Sunday morning, just had breakfast, kids all playing happily... lovely.
PC dies instantly, lights go off. I mutter "oh *******s" and wander through to tell them all there's been a power cut. But there hasn't. TV is on okay, and wife is listening to radio. I check fuse box... nothing. Now It's only the extension that has no power. I'm concerned.
Now we bought this house a few months ago, and the extension wiring is definitely on my list to get checked (there were a few cowboy signs visible) but I thought I needed to find the problem (electrics, fires etc) so I climbed up into the extension roof space gloved and masked, and hauled up the fibreglass insulation.
Now prepare yourself, this is what greeted me:
Yes, that's lighting and wiring connected via a 5-gang extension lead, which is in turn plugged into a 2-way socket, hanging on the end of a spur from the ring. The fuse in one of the plugs had blown. This has got to rank up there as some of the worst wiring ever seen.
Unbelievable.
I've disconnected everything except a single feed to the boiler which should make it safe. I'll have to get a sparky round this week as this job is probably beyond me. I'm hoping the sockets and light circuits are all good so I don't need a full rewire.
But I reckon probably either a consumer unit for the extension, or fitting of a proper new ring and light circuit to the existing board, but former probably easier.
Some people just need shot...
PC dies instantly, lights go off. I mutter "oh *******s" and wander through to tell them all there's been a power cut. But there hasn't. TV is on okay, and wife is listening to radio. I check fuse box... nothing. Now It's only the extension that has no power. I'm concerned.
Now we bought this house a few months ago, and the extension wiring is definitely on my list to get checked (there were a few cowboy signs visible) but I thought I needed to find the problem (electrics, fires etc) so I climbed up into the extension roof space gloved and masked, and hauled up the fibreglass insulation.
Now prepare yourself, this is what greeted me:
Yes, that's lighting and wiring connected via a 5-gang extension lead, which is in turn plugged into a 2-way socket, hanging on the end of a spur from the ring. The fuse in one of the plugs had blown. This has got to rank up there as some of the worst wiring ever seen.
Unbelievable.
I've disconnected everything except a single feed to the boiler which should make it safe. I'll have to get a sparky round this week as this job is probably beyond me. I'm hoping the sockets and light circuits are all good so I don't need a full rewire.
But I reckon probably either a consumer unit for the extension, or fitting of a proper new ring and light circuit to the existing board, but former probably easier.
Some people just need shot...