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#140859 05/15/04 08:40 AM
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Trumpy Offline OP
Member
I had a Call-out on Tuesday night that has stuck in my mind ever since.
Please let me explain my case here.
I'm on call after 5pm and I was rang by a friend of my Fianc'ee.
She said that she had a fuse that had blown and her boyfriend had tried to replace the fuse but had burn't his hand when the fuse blew again.
So I went and had a look.
I had a quick look at the switch board, old one (No labels).
I asked what could have caused this Fault, as in, what was on at the time of the fuse blowing?
I was told that the kettle was boiling and the toaster was on.
Sure I thought, simple over-current, I proceeded to to refit the porcelain fuse (with 11kV gloves on),when the whole switch-board erupted in flames and the hallway turned White-Blue.
But, to the crux of this, I noticed a piece of 1mm2 2C+E going up into the roof from behind the switchboard.
I asked the girl what that was for and her reply shocked me.
"Oh my Boyfriend put the Dishwasher, 3 power points and the outside water fountian on that wire, I thought it was legal".
After I told her that there would be absolutely no way that I would be re-connecting that circuit and that there would have to be an RCBO installed to ensure compliance, even if the circuit was re-wired.
Cut the wires at the switch-board and Man did I get told off when I got home!. [Linked Image]

Joined: May 2004
Posts: 50
F
Member
Trumpy...I notice you said "even if the circuit was rewired"..I hope you stressed that rewiring of the circuit would be a MUST and that it should be done with the correct size cable!

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
P
Member
Oh dear....... [Linked Image] I've just finished writing up a report from an inspection which has numerous undersized cables: 1.5 mm2 spurs to sockets, 2.5 mm2 feeding a 7kW shower, 2.5 mm2 feeder to a sub-panel on a 30A fuse, the list just goes on. [Linked Image]

But hey, the dishwasher worked on that 1mm2 cable didn't it? Must be OK then. [Linked Image]

Joined: May 2004
Posts: 50
F
Member
Paul..would I be correct in thinking you have found one of those houses that lends weight to the argument to ban DIY sparks!! [Linked Image]

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
P
Member
Yep. It's the place I've been talking about in this thread.


[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 05-16-2004).]


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