- Joined
- 24 Nov 2004
- Messages
- 428
- Reaction score
- 4
- Country
Between ships at the moment and loafing around on the old homestead, I was asked to look at a neighbours fusebox that kept tripping.
a refurbished old croft: the owner, not being wise to the ways of the outer isles, had hired in a "professional" electrician from one of Scotland's major cities who had apparently fleeced her and then when the money ran out, had left her with:
6 outside lights with no lights, just bare T&E flapping in the breeze.
smoke & heat heads fitted & interconnected but not connected to consumer unit
new CU (2 x RCD split load) completely unlabelled, and with 1 non-RCD MCB to a submain installed inverted (not the same type so presume he had to put it in upside-down to make the cover fit)
The wiring to the outside lights had started to touch other Lives in a back-box and was tripping RCDs in heavy rain. we fitted all new bulkhead lights. and finished that circuit.
the smoke/heats - I put a tone tracer on the L & N and couldnt find any trace of it back at the CU.
unplugged all heads, meggered L&N to ensure no resistance and then fed the heads from the internal lights permanent supply. not very good, but at least the owner has some fire protection now.
upstairs and downstairs lights were all on 1 MCB.
When the owner moved here I had offered, as neighbour, to upgrade the place to owner's specification and made it quite clear that none of my work would be "legal", but would all be practical and safe. I also told the owner my humble opinion - from experience - that being out on the edge of "civilisation" we are practically and functionally exempt from the requirement for periodic inspection reports, building warrants, completion certificates etc. Owner's big-city pro electrician told owner quite a different story, with scare stories of redneck lash-up jobs.
I think the above rather vindicates my somewhat anarchic approach.
a refurbished old croft: the owner, not being wise to the ways of the outer isles, had hired in a "professional" electrician from one of Scotland's major cities who had apparently fleeced her and then when the money ran out, had left her with:
6 outside lights with no lights, just bare T&E flapping in the breeze.
smoke & heat heads fitted & interconnected but not connected to consumer unit
new CU (2 x RCD split load) completely unlabelled, and with 1 non-RCD MCB to a submain installed inverted (not the same type so presume he had to put it in upside-down to make the cover fit)
The wiring to the outside lights had started to touch other Lives in a back-box and was tripping RCDs in heavy rain. we fitted all new bulkhead lights. and finished that circuit.
the smoke/heats - I put a tone tracer on the L & N and couldnt find any trace of it back at the CU.
unplugged all heads, meggered L&N to ensure no resistance and then fed the heads from the internal lights permanent supply. not very good, but at least the owner has some fire protection now.
upstairs and downstairs lights were all on 1 MCB.
When the owner moved here I had offered, as neighbour, to upgrade the place to owner's specification and made it quite clear that none of my work would be "legal", but would all be practical and safe. I also told the owner my humble opinion - from experience - that being out on the edge of "civilisation" we are practically and functionally exempt from the requirement for periodic inspection reports, building warrants, completion certificates etc. Owner's big-city pro electrician told owner quite a different story, with scare stories of redneck lash-up jobs.
I think the above rather vindicates my somewhat anarchic approach.