Went to a flat yesterday to fix a 'collapsed ceiling' (wooden t&g false 'ceiling' falling in due to the weight of a piece of actual ceiling falling down due to a leak from upstairs flat). Rented property, absolute scum-hole as per a couple of the flat's i've been sent to by this slightly dubious landlord*.
View media item 7375
The fan, fitted in the t&g, was hanging out, no isolator and I wanted the light to see what I was doing without cooking myself with the halogen site jobby so unscrewed the switch to find some poor terminations and fan wired from 3-core flex, switched live on g/y & sharing terminals with t&e
View media item 7373
So far, so typical in this type of gaff (and there are many around the student areas here).
Asked the tenant, already suspicious, whats this (20A) switch for (the one above the lightswitch)?
A. 'The shower'
Wish I could say I've never seen that before but I changed one in another flat (same landlord) a couple months back (was a new install, by cowboys obviously, fortunately in that case the shower wasn't working due to the isolation valve being boxed in by a kitchen unit, no idea how it got past BC or even if the conversion was approved but that's another story . . .)
Anyway unscrewed the 'plate to take a look and to my surprise there was no sign of scorching or overheating at all. This has been like this for at least 6 years from what I can gather, I would have expected at least some sign of damage (8.5kw shower, 6mm cable, no insulation to be seen). It was an old MK switch right enough but still . . . .
I've now changed it for a 45Aer - shower is still on a 30A BS3036. RCD? you must be kidding . . . have advised landlord in writing (and the lack of cpc in fan cable) but no chance she's changing the CU or adding RCD tests all ok.
Anyway obviously cable and accessory ratings err on the side of caution but would it be normal to expect no sign of damage to a terminal switching close to double it's rated current? Is it just because it was an old MK and nobody had braved the 'orrible shower for more than 10 minutes at a time and the flat's freezing cold?
On another note, should I try and report this landlord (who to?) should I start refusing her work? (at least i'm leaving it better than before, and bringing things like this to her attention . . .)
BAS, i await your comments!
*ie total slumlord
View media item 7375
The fan, fitted in the t&g, was hanging out, no isolator and I wanted the light to see what I was doing without cooking myself with the halogen site jobby so unscrewed the switch to find some poor terminations and fan wired from 3-core flex, switched live on g/y & sharing terminals with t&e
View media item 7373
So far, so typical in this type of gaff (and there are many around the student areas here).
Asked the tenant, already suspicious, whats this (20A) switch for (the one above the lightswitch)?
A. 'The shower'
Wish I could say I've never seen that before but I changed one in another flat (same landlord) a couple months back (was a new install, by cowboys obviously, fortunately in that case the shower wasn't working due to the isolation valve being boxed in by a kitchen unit, no idea how it got past BC or even if the conversion was approved but that's another story . . .)
Anyway unscrewed the 'plate to take a look and to my surprise there was no sign of scorching or overheating at all. This has been like this for at least 6 years from what I can gather, I would have expected at least some sign of damage (8.5kw shower, 6mm cable, no insulation to be seen). It was an old MK switch right enough but still . . . .
I've now changed it for a 45Aer - shower is still on a 30A BS3036. RCD? you must be kidding . . . have advised landlord in writing (and the lack of cpc in fan cable) but no chance she's changing the CU or adding RCD tests all ok.
Anyway obviously cable and accessory ratings err on the side of caution but would it be normal to expect no sign of damage to a terminal switching close to double it's rated current? Is it just because it was an old MK and nobody had braved the 'orrible shower for more than 10 minutes at a time and the flat's freezing cold?
On another note, should I try and report this landlord (who to?) should I start refusing her work? (at least i'm leaving it better than before, and bringing things like this to her attention . . .)
BAS, i await your comments!
*ie total slumlord