Dodgy Electrics

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20 Dec 2009
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Isle of Wight
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United Kingdom
Many moons ago I was asked by my Mum to see if I could help a friend of hers who had recently moved into a bungalow and was not able to get a kettle to work when plugged into one of her kitchen sockets. I went to see her and checked the voltage at the socket - 240 ish volts. Plugged in the kettle, which did not do anything, so off with the cover of the plug and plug in (carefully) again. Switch on and check volts. About 50 volts. AHAA must be a loose connexion in a JB somewhere. Concrete floors, after a look in the mounting box, looks like the wire goes straight up the wall , so wiring run in attic. Place a chair , remove hatch and pull myself up into the attic and swing around and sit on the edge of the hatch. Look around with the torch and about about a foot away from where I put my hands to get up there were. THREE 4 INCH NAILS banged into the wood with L,N and E wires twisted around them!!!!!!! Needless to say nobody knew by whom or when this was done. Perhaps in time this ‘connexion’ could have burned the house down.
 
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that was once a valid installation method believe it or not.. many many moons ago..

I believe the americans call it knob and tube.. or something similar..
 
What is more amazing is that someone would be on this site on christmas day! I know TV is rubbish, but still........
 
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I had to miss christmas at the families due to excessive vomiting from a 24hr stomach bug.. so while I was waiting to see if I'd keep my christmas dinner of cheese on toast down I thought I might see if I could be helpfull and at the same time try and have some form of interaction with another person rather than passively sit here watching the drivel that passes for christmas day TV these days..

then there's the possibility that I might be Jewish, or Muslim, or Jehovas Whitness or any number of other denominations that don't celebrate christmas... ( as it happens I'm an atheist, but I celebrate the commercial side rather than the religious one.. )
 
coljack wrote..( as it happens I'm an atheist, but I celebrate the commercial side rather than the religious one.. )

Each to their own, if people respected other peoples views, the world would be a far better place. ;)

Wotan
 
yes coljack but are you an electrican thats the main thing
 
that was once a valid installation method believe it or not.. many many moons ago..

I believe the americans call it knob and tube.. or something similar..

Knob and tube had a single insulated core, it wasn't bare wire!
 
that was once a valid installation method believe it or not.. many many moons ago..

I believe the americans call it knob and tube.. or something similar..

Knob and tube had a single insulated core, it wasn't bare wire!

It may have been installed with insulated wire, but, with 1920's cable insulation technology (cotton tape steeped in pitch, I believe) an installation might well have been bare wires by the time it was taken out of service.
 

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