Little bang pop thing piccy

[Lectrician]

This morning changing a hand drier. Turned OFF spur, cutting decorators caulk with knife, and bang!

That explains the pop.....

 

[sparkwright]

And how are you?

 

[JohnW2]

This morning changing a hand drier. Turned OFF spur, cutting decorators caulk with knife, and bang!

Dare I observe that you appear to have plunged the blade of your Stanley knife into a safe zone created by the FCU, if not also by the dryer?

Kind Regards, John

 

[Lectrician]

You can observe
Not expected though is it!

Actually didn't feel a thing, metal handle too. Quick pop, a few sparks, RCBO operated.

 

[rjm2k]

You can observe
Not expected though is it!

Actually didn't feel a thing, metal handle too. Quick pop, a few sparks, RCBO operated.

Guess the power to the fcu has to come from somewhere, even when it's isolated when is a safe zone not a safe zone?

Lucky escape

 

[big-all]

This morning changing a hand drier. Turned OFF spur, cutting decorators caulk with knife, and bang!

Dare I observe that you appear to have plunged the blade of your Stanley knife into a safe zone created by the FCU, if not also by the dryer?

Kind Regards, John

i would have thought any person in this situation would access the back in an identical or very similar way so the actual fault is the installers lack off intelligence in planning to allow access for maintainance and repair in a sensible and reasonable way
but hay i am only a chippie what do i know

 

[EFLImpudence]

I suppose the FCU was put on the left because of the prising slot but it doesn't look as if it would have taken much to bury the cable a bit more to avoid this happening.

 

[JohnW2]

i would have thought any person in this situation would access the back in an identical or very similar way so the actual fault is the installers lack off intelligence in planning to allow access for maintainance and repair in a sensible and reasonable way ... but hay i am only a chippie what do i know

I wouldn't argue with what you say (I would very probably have been 'caught out', just as Lectrician was), but that doesn't make it 'right' to assume that it's safe to push a knife blade in there. As an electrician would understand more than most people, "a safe zone is a safe zone", and therefore should be regarded as a potential site of a hidden cable, even if one can question the wisdom of someone installing it like that!

Kind Regards, John

 

[big-all]

i cant help thinking if he didnt think"THAT WILL CATCH THE NEXT bU66er OUT"
he isnt worth his salt
the regulations are the minimum a proud man or decent sparky wouldnt even consider leaving it like that would they

 

[plugwash]

i would have thought any person in this situation would access the back in an identical or very similar way so the actual fault is the installers lack off intelligence in planning to allow access for maintainance and repair in a sensible and reasonable way ... but hay i am only a chippie what do i know

I could be wrong but I suspect the installer of the drier just screwed it to the wall and then some decorator came along later and decided to caulk round it.

 

[pjcomp]

{edited out - misread the picture}
pj

 

[mattylad]

Well it looks like a typical pub toilets - and they are not exactly known for being done properly.

Lucky escape.

have you just turned the blade around?

 

[JohnW2]

I could be wrong but I suspect the installer of the drier just screwed it to the wall and then some decorator came along later and decided to caulk round it.

You are quite probably right, but the caulk is not really the underlying issue, since its presence does not alter the safe zone.

In a slightly different scenario, had that cable continued horizontally to the right of the dryer, someone who did not realise/understand/remember that the FCU created a safe zone might have drilled into the cable, a fair distance from the dryer (caulk or no caulk).

Kind Regards, John

 

[ekmdgrf]

Now, how are you going to repair that cable?

 

[Lectrician]

I could be wrong but I suspect the installer of the drier just screwed it to the wall and then some decorator came along later and decided to caulk round it.

You are quite probably right, but the caulk is not really the underlying issue, since its presence does not alter the safe zone.

In a slightly different scenario, had that cable continued horizontally to the right of the dryer, someone who did not realise/understand/remember that the FCU created a safe zone might have drilled into the cable, a fair distance from the dryer (caulk or no caulk).

Kind Regards, John

At least it is then IN THE WALL and not just flapping around, hidden in caulk!

I do feel this whole "it's in a safe zone" thing is a little OTT TBH - I would expect most others to do exactly as I did - stanley the caulk. It's not as if I was cutting INTO the wall.

Now, how are you going to repair that cable?

All done and dusted - Enough slack could be pulled through wall, FCU moved to a sensible position with the cable entering from the rear, new hand drier to the left hand side of it. The maintenance guys have even filled and painted.