What's the stupidest thing you've seen?

[judder]

An electrical appliance at work stopped functioning the other day. We opened the plug to find that the fuse had popped. The appliance was left to one side (in the designated area for such things) and we decided to reschedule that part of the job until later in the day, while the appliance was tested and a replacement fuse obtained.

An hour later, it was in use again. I investigated and found that a relatively senior employee needed the appliance and replaced the broken fuse with a steel rod!

As a result, he was disciplined and that area of the factory was closed down until all (and I mean all) of the electrical appliances were checked.

 

[FingRinal]

I've seen a big old penny used as a re-wireable fuse. I've seen silver chewing gum paper used as an internal fuse on a TV. Sellotape junction boxes on lights.

 

[NewOrder]

We have masking insulation tape junction boxes above our bathroom although I haven't seen it a builder mate told me, I assume and hope there is at least some terminal block used for the connections still breaks the current regs but in 1980 I don't think there was such a regulation.

Silliest thing I have ever seen is my dad who once joined a freezer flex together using insulation tape . When I was old enough I replaced that with a proper choc box type thing.

 

[NotHimAgain]

We have masking insulation tape junction boxes above our bathroom although I haven't seen it a builder mate told me, I assume and hope there is at least some terminal block used for the connections still breaks the current regs but in 1980 I don't think there was such a regulation.

Regulation 13
It is most essential that the joints should be electrically and mechanically perfect........

Regulation 15
All wires used for indoor purposes should be efficiently insulated.

Regulation 17
Where wires are put out of sight, as beneath flooring, they should be thoroughly protected from mechanical injury, and their position should be indicated....................

The above are extracts from the 1st Edition of the Wiring Regulations 11/05/1882.

So it has always been wrong - in 1980 and in 1882

 

[theoutlaw]

Does it also state that all juction boxes have to be servicable?

I dug up a concrette floor once and found juction boxes wrapped in an old carrier bag and selotape, the cables were just laid in the concrette

Tony

Edited to add

The wires wern't souldered in the JB's

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Silliest thing I have ever seen is my dad who once joined a freezer flex together using insulation tape.

Ha - I'll see your dad's freezer connection, and raise you my dad's:

To avoid the possibility of a nuisance RCD trip knocking out the freezer when they weren't there he connected a length of flex with a trailing socket to the supply terminals of the incomer.

1.5mm flex lying on a concrete garage floor, protected by the service fuse and no RCD.....

Mmmmmmmmmm.

 

[RF Lighting]

Not quite the stupidest thing I've seen, but today my apprentice thought he was cutting some porcelain.

Anyone guess what it really was?

 

[mogget]

Asbestos?

 

[sparkybird]

Some recent ones:

3 phase supply to flats - each service head was missing a 60A fuse - instead some carefully crafted steel conduit was inside each cut out. Hmm, wonder what the rating of those would have been? Only 15 years old!

New install at local bar - all metal light fittings and switches. Every single earth cut off. I guess the polish installer just reckoned it was a convenient bit of wire to strip back the cable...

Asked to PIR a recent (also Polish) CCU move. Quite a few circuits has cpc not connected to earth bar. Old ccu was not RCD protected, new one is....

Ah, well, as my hubby say - it's keeping you in work and makes me look great!

 

[Scooter1066]

Not quite the stupidest thing I've seen, but today my apprentice thought he was cutting some porcelain.

Anyone guess what it really was?

Something Bakerlite? Ceramic fuse carrier or something perhaps?

 

[RF Lighting]

I'll give you a clue. It sounds a bit like porcelain, and stinks when you cut it

 

[333rocky333]

paxolin

 

[RF Lighting]

Oh how we all mocked

 

[plugwash]

To avoid the possibility of a nuisance RCD trip knocking out the freezer when they weren't there he connected a length of flex with a trailing socket to the supply terminals of the incomer.

1.5mm flex lying on a concrete garage floor, protected by the service fuse and no RCD.....

Playing devils advocate what is the worst that is likely to happen here? it's on a concrete garage floor so it seems unlikely to set anything on fire even if it does get damaged and being a short run the chance of damage is fairly low. And afaict plug fuses have a breaking capacity of 6KA which is as high as most domestic MCBs so the appliance should be adequately protected.

 

[fastJedi]

A mate of mine who played in a band got shock off a mains plug when setting up on stage ..... It was a cable with a mains plug on both ends!

When we moved into our current home ... I found one of the sockets in the kitchen was on the end of a very significant T&E cable traight back to the fuse box. The previous owners had decided to move the cooker .... and had simpley swapped the cooker outlet with a double socket ... sorted!