Next door neighbors job.

[Click-Sure]

I was asked to look at something today by my next door neighbor, they've recently had their boiler changed.

Since then all the original secondary telephone sockets have died, they rang BT and were told by them to get an electrician in, they asked the electrician who came in to wire up the boiler and associated controls.
He more or less drew a blank and suggested running all new cabling, saying that as alarm cabling (stranded as opposed to solid drawn copper) had been used, it would have to be replaced with the proper cable, hah.

I came in and it turned out that one of the 8 possible wires used in the original fixed telecoms wiring had been severed. All I did was check for continuity on each and used 3 still connected wires for their phone service, changed the connections at each point. Easy as, took me 10 minutes. They had been quoted £300 to sort it out by a 'professional' electrician, who would have ran new cabling and created an unneccicary mess.

I charged them nothing, it took me about 10 minutes, they live next door too. Unfortunately, I can smell racism, (the man of the house is Indian) and people wanting to make a quick dis-honest buck. I've known the guy a very long time, I just wish he'd asked me in the first place!

Also, can you really call yourself an electician without being fully conversant in all electrical services entering a property?

 

[Spark123]

Yes, an electrician isn't always a telecoms engineer so might not be up to speed on that sort of stuff. On the other hand, maybe they took one look at the alarm wire and thought - this is trouble waiting to happen, if I'm going to do a job I want it done right so there's no come back.

 

[Click-Sure]

You do have a point Spark123, but I do feel that any domestic spark worth his/her salt should be well versed in things other than 230v! And if not, should freely admit it!

 

[breezer]

some people are too embarassed to admit what they dont know

 

[ericmark]

I have never done pyro. Never needed to.

I have had it many times. "Your an electrician fix it" every thing from a photo stat machine to a PLC controlled press.

Falklands was worst. Weigh load not working. Phone call. Yes we will send our man where are you. Oh can we send you circuit diagram?

But a washing machine is a little different to a consumer unit and one has to realise it would be uneconomic to spend the time working out how it works far better to sub contract.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

And to be fair, stranded cable is not meant to be used in telephone IDC connectors.

 

[stem]

He more or less drew a blank and suggested running all new cabling, saying that as alarm cabling (stranded as opposed to solid drawn copper) had been used, it would have to be replaced with the proper cable, hah.

Actually this is quite correct. Telephone cables have a solid core designed to make a good connection with the IDC (Insulation Displacement Connectors) used on telephone circuits. Stranded cables can move in the connectors and connections may fail after time. You could just as easily say I can wire up some sockets in my home with flex and it may work for a time, but it's not the correct method.

In addition, if alarm cable was used the colour codes will be wrong.

Sorry BAS I somehow missed reading your last post before I replied.

 

[Lectrician]

I dont think the colours being wrong would be a huge issue!

The two main reasons security cable should not be used is that it is stranded (as mentioned), and therefor not suitable for IDC punch down terminals - It will degrade over time.

The CW1308 telephone cable is also twisted pair, as required for telephones.

Yes security cable will work, and I am sure at times on small installs not having twisted pairs will not cause an issue, but we have different cables for different jobs.

I am sure I could get my TV to work by using some flex instead of coax. Particularly on a smaller run with no near by interference. It's not tha way to do it though.

However, as the OP has limited the mess, upheaval and cost, and got things working back as they where, it's a job done. I am sure the neighbour is happy and greatful.

 

[dannyboi2003]

Not wanting to sound pedantic but BT dropwire say from the pole to the house isn't twisted pair either and having just had a BT engineer out to site last week who had to replace some internal cabling their internal stuff isn't twisted either now, its all straight.

 

[Chri5]

Not wanting to sound pedantic but BT dropwire say from the pole to the house isn't twisted pair either and having just had a BT engineer out to site last week who had to replace some internal cabling their internal stuff isn't twisted either now, its all straight.

But drop wire terminates on screws on a BT 52A (old bar of soap) or even on an NTE5.

IDC is designed for solid core, stranded for screws.

Hence why Cat5 standard is meant for patch leads, not socket to panel cables.

Well done for saving the neighbour money, but if 1 core failed there would have only been the need to change that 1 core not all 3, and not at every socket in and out.

As an ex BT and ex contractor on massive industrial comms projects I find BT and data wiring simple- then again I did 15 years of it.

Not all sparks have, I wouldn't expect every electrician to have full knowledge of voice, data, aerial, signals and electrical cabling systems.
Most learn what they need to, to be employed.

I would add that I have seen a Macro store wired for voice by electricians and it was 1 x 3pr loop in and out for 100 x voice points

Fine if you wanted 1 extension on a massive plan 1A, not so good when you want 100 x extensions all on there own socket.

 

[bernardgreen]

Not wanting to sound pedantic but BT dropwire say from the pole to the house isn't twisted pair either

Where is only one pair in free space away from other circuits it need not be twisted. Where there is more than one pair or other cables the twist is there to prevent ( reduce ) cross talk between the pairs

and having just had a BT engineer out to site last week who had to replace some internal cabling their internal stuff isn't twisted either now, its all straight.

Thats sounds bad for internal wiring if it is installed close to mains or signal cables