I've popped my cable-drilling cherry!

[AdamW]

Fitting some new curtains, including new rails and those metal hook holdback things.

Whenever drilling into a wall I always have my trusty wire/pipe detector handy. Yesterday was no exception, but as I had been out buying curtains and soft furnishings I was being rather girlish (I'm a method shopper, I have to get into character ). So, I totally forgot to use it.

Started drilling, "oooh, through the plaster, bit of resistance on the blockwork, press harder"...

BANG! FIZZLE! SPLUTTER! BZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!

I've never actually found a wire before, so the one time I forget to check there it is. I managed to drill dead centre through a length of T&E, so causing a live-neutral short.

Having rewirable fuses, the light show was quite fantastic and went on for possibly a whole second! Does anyone know the current that is flowing to knock out a 30A fuse in that amount of time? Oh, and is plastic capping actually intended to offer any degree of protection at all?

So glad I wasn't banging in nails

 

[nstreet]

If you are that accurate with a drill at least the nail would have only pierced the earth and not the other conductors, unless you use nails that look like pencils.

 

[Adam_151]

Having rewirable fuses, the light show was quite fantastic and went on for possibly a whole second! Does anyone know the current that is flowing to knock out a 30A fuse in that amount of time? :

'Only' 150A

 

[AdamW]

Eeeek!

Cheers for the graph.

 

[keyplayer]

I always have my trusty wire/pipe detector handy.

I've never actually found a wire before


BANG! FIZZLE! SPLUTTER! BZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!

Pay attention class!

 

[masona]

Hmmm, forget the idea of self-build

 

[empip]

Hmmm, forget the idea of self-build

Self destruct ?? Surprised, .. 'sod's law' !!