Immersion heater wiring help identifying

[dcawkwell]

Ok calling electricians. I have part p electrical before anyone starts
saying get an electrician.

This is in my own house.

One section of my immersion heater cable (house wiring melted cutting
off the electric to the immersion heater).

Here is the layout

Fusebox cable goes upstairs
Cable then goes downstairs to an immersion heater on/off switch in the kitchen.
Cable then goes up to another immersion heater switch outside the bathroom.**
Cable then goes to the actual socket for the immersion in the bathroom.

**this is the section of cable that has become damaged.

I figure all I need to do is cut the cable upstairs and attach it
directly to the switch upstairs outside the bathroom and the
downstairs switch can be removed.

However I have narrowed the possible cables down but how
can I be sure I have the right cable before I start cutting it?
I can't use a clamp on meter as the live and neutral wire will cancel
each other out if I leave immersion heater cable live at the fuse box.

So how can I be sure I have the right cable upstairs that is going down
to the socket?

 

[sparkticus]

Ok calling electricians. I have part p electrical before anyone starts
saying get an electrician.

This is in my own house.

One section of my immersion heater cable (house wiring melted cutting
off the electric to the immersion heater).

Here is the layout

Fusebox cable goes upstairs
Cable then goes downstairs to an immersion heater on/off switch in the kitchen.
Cable then goes up to another immersion heater switch outside the bathroom.**
Cable then goes to the actual socket for the immersion in the bathroom.

**this is the section of cable that has become damaged.

I figure all I need to do is cut the cable upstairs and attach it
directly to the switch upstairs outside the bathroom and the
downstairs switch can be removed.

However I have narrowed the possible cables down but how
can I be sure I have the right cable before I start cutting it?
I can't use a clamp on meter as the live and neutral wire will cancel
each other out if I leave immersion heater cable live at the fuse box.

So how can I be sure I have the right cable upstairs that is going down
to the socket?

I trust you are having a bit of a joke with everyone? Or am I just a bit green

 

[ColJack]

you have part P, but don't know what a volt stick is???

non contact indicator for sensing AC in live cables..

turn off everything but the circuit you want to find and wave a volt stick at the wires..

 

[sparkticus]

Despite the fact that you do not want to hear it, I think you should call an electrician.

 

[riveralt]

I have part p electrical before anyone starts
saying get an electrician.

What's a part p electrical?
Can anyone get one?
I would be worried why the house wire melted

 

[sparkticus]

What's a part p electrical?

I think it must be part of an electrical p

Can anyone get one?

You get one free when you buy a consumer unit from B&Q

I would be worried why the house wire melted

If he does the work himself the house will probably melt too.

 

[dcawkwell]

you have part P, but don't know what a volt stick is???

non contact indicator for sensing AC in live cables..

turn off everything but the circuit you want to find and wave a volt stick at the wires..

Voltage stick?

Well I never. I'll get one and see.

 

[ricicle]

DOH !

 

[sparkticus]

Voltage stick?

Well I never. I'll get one and see.

You will need to show them your part p before they sell it to you.

 

[dcawkwell]

I have part p electrical before anyone starts
saying get an electrician.

What's a part p electrical?
Can anyone get one?
I would be worried why the house wire melted

Part P electrical is for like myself a gas engineer who needs
to do small amounts of electrical work in properties.

The house wire melted due the the fully qualified "electrician"
or other previous person not tightening up the connection at the
downstairs switch causing heating up and melting of
the wires over a period of time.

It's an old house.

Or should I mention the other fully qualified "electrician" from the electric supplier who didn't tighten up the terminals at the meter causing the terminals to eventually burn themselves out and cut the house off. Here was me wondering why the house lights kept flickering.

Want a job doing right do it yourself.

 

[sparkticus]

I have part p electrical before anyone starts
saying get an electrician.

What's a part p electrical?
Can anyone get one?
I would be worried why the house wire melted

Part P electrical is for like myself a gas engineer who needs
to do small amounts of electrical work in properties.

The house wire melted due the the fully qualified "electrician"
or other previous person not tightening up the connection at the
downstairs switch causing heating up and melting of
the wires over a period of time.

It's an old house.

Or should I mention the other fully qualified "electrician" from the electric supplier who didn't tighten up the terminals at the meter causing the terminals to eventually burn themselves out and cut the house off. Here was me wondering why the house lights kept flickering.

Want a job doing right do it yourself.

Actually I don't blame you for getting a certificate if you do small amounts of electrical work. At least you are trying to do the right thing and I am sure you are a good gas engineer.

The problem I have is some people get these certificates then call themselves electricians. The public just see a certificate which reads " PART P" and "defined scope" How can they possibly be expected to know that you can get one of these in anything between 1 - 3 days of training.

I know that I would not want to work on gas after 3 days training.


These certificates are a menace but what else do you do???

 

[matt1e]

well I was going to comment on this thread but sparticus has got most of it covered

To the OP
With respect mate
all you had to do was come on and ask for some advice and you would have got it
But please give me hope for the future
Please tell me you don't hold some sort of electrical qualification
not a dig at you btw

 

[Lectrician]

How would a loose connection melt the entire length of the cable?

If you had flicking lights, it should have given you the inclination that something was up! That and the smell!

 

[JohnW2]

How would a loose connection melt the entire length of the cable?

To be fair, I don't think the OP ever suggested that the entire length of cable melted - merely that it was 'damaged'. Unless there were a major fault which a protective device failed to clear, it's difficult to see how the entire cable would melt - even if (hopefully not the case!) it had been wired in 1mm² cable, one wouldn't expect an immersion heater load to melt it.

Kind Regards, John.

 

[kai]

Are there any other things spurred off the immersion supply feed?
Did you check the fuse inside the 13amp FCU where appropriate?

The FCU is normally located where the flex to the immersion is connected to the in wall wiring as per the picture.