Recently I visited a house and noticed a twin socket above a kitchen workshop and it was in the switched on position and had a plug in it - the plug had no top on it so the fuse and all terminals were exposed to touch.
I advised the couple how potentially dangerous the situation was (I did not happen to have a plug or tools on me, unfortunately).
The lady advised me "yes I`ve had a shock off it" .
a few days later, by chance, I saw the lady again and asked if the plug had been replaced " don`t tell me tell him! I`ve had three shocks off it!" despite my explanation of how easily an electric shock becomes electrocution in less than a heartbeat nothing had been done.
Ooh dear!
Reminded me of one other "classic" a few years back - I rewired a ladies house. A few months later she rang me "some upstairs lights flickering".
As I was in the same town I called on my lunchtime break. I noticed the WC batten lampholder I had installed hand been changed to a glass globe lamp. Unscrewd the glass globe, removed wooden base, discovered the three L conductors twisted together and covered with insulation tape. I immediately re-installed the batten lampholder that she had kept. Problem sorted.
I explained how potentially dangerous it was and she said she would tell the bloke that did it.
She rang me that evening "He said he had done hundreds like that!".
I did reply that he should have never ever done any like that.
I suppose I should list these two items along with those other "Old Chestnuts" as I calls them!
I advised the couple how potentially dangerous the situation was (I did not happen to have a plug or tools on me, unfortunately).
The lady advised me "yes I`ve had a shock off it" .
a few days later, by chance, I saw the lady again and asked if the plug had been replaced " don`t tell me tell him! I`ve had three shocks off it!" despite my explanation of how easily an electric shock becomes electrocution in less than a heartbeat nothing had been done.
Ooh dear!
Reminded me of one other "classic" a few years back - I rewired a ladies house. A few months later she rang me "some upstairs lights flickering".
As I was in the same town I called on my lunchtime break. I noticed the WC batten lampholder I had installed hand been changed to a glass globe lamp. Unscrewd the glass globe, removed wooden base, discovered the three L conductors twisted together and covered with insulation tape. I immediately re-installed the batten lampholder that she had kept. Problem sorted.
I explained how potentially dangerous it was and she said she would tell the bloke that did it.
She rang me that evening "He said he had done hundreds like that!".
I did reply that he should have never ever done any like that.
I suppose I should list these two items along with those other "Old Chestnuts" as I calls them!
