Electrics........advice needed please

[lazybloke]

I hope the house electrics are nothing like what I grew up with at my parents' house. It had wired fuses instead of MCBs and no RCD or RCCB/ELCB protection. There was also no incoming earth, just a connection to ground via the rusty old gas main - which really didn't work after British Gas relaid the main in the 80s.

As a teenager I was fascinated by the water pipes, because touching them would give an electrical tingling sensation! I got a massive jolt from a faulty appliance one day, but it was years before the place was finally rewired.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Is she still alive

Yes thankfully, we have very sensitive trips here, care home type setting.
Microwave and tin foil are another favourite..or heat a cup of coffee for 20 mins ,all good fun.

Good fire alarm and sprinklers fitted

 

[Levo-Lon]

[QUOTE 5398939, member: 9609"]sounds very simillar to mine - I also had a dad who thought earths were for sissys (seriously) and never bothered with them when wiring up stuff. Had a couple of right belts as a kid - but we were tougher back then.[/QUOTE]


Im still on wired fuses..i know

 

[Andy_R]

[QUOTE 5398939, member: 9609"]sounds very simillar to mine - I also had a dad who thought earths were for sissys (seriously) and never bothered with them when wiring up stuff. Had a couple of right belts as a kid - but we were tougher back then.[/QUOTE]
and of course, fag packet foil for fuses....

 

[Dave7]

and of course, fag packet foil for fuses....

Ahh I remember that. Good old days

 

[postman]

Our chip pan fryer tripped ours about a month ago,it had died nothing lasts now a days. mind you we have had it a g e s.

 

[dantheman]

and of course, fag packet foil for fuses....

Nails work pretty well too.

 

[subaqua]

Im still on wired fuses..i know

Nothing wrong with a BS 3036 if the Zs is lower than the Maximum prescribed .. and the PSCC is low enough to not blow it to bits

 

[subaqua]

I must have told people about arriving at a call out for localised loss of power when working for the DNO in N Wales. Arrived in village to find main fuse on L2 ruptured at the substation. Replaced fuse and bang crack fuse went again . Feck big job starting at 8pm on a Sunday. Then the guy from pub up the road wanders up. “Hmmm might have a problem with my lights ..” goes into pub sees wall light blown off wall with large scorch mark . Goes to service head . And yes there’s a nail in there . Apparently lights kept blowing . So guy put a nail in consumer unit fuse holder so main fuse blew . So put nail in service head . And bang 600A fuse in sub went . If I can find the actual paper pictures I will scan and upload

 

[Dave7]

@subaqua
The mystery deepens.
Pond pump has been working for over 24 hours.... no problems.
Got up this morning and put the heating on (same circuit) and it tripped.
Re-set it.......it immediately tripped.
Switched pond pump OFF and re-set the metre. No problems.

Its almost as if it was overloaded ie you can have one or the other but not both???

NB. Just checked. Upstairs sockets are on a different circuit to downstairs.
Its actually the RCD that keeps tripping.

 

[subaqua]

@subaqua
The mystery deepens.
Pond pump has been working for over 24 hours.... no problems.
Got up this morning and put the heating on (same circuit) and it tripped.
Re-set it.......it immediately tripped.
Switched pond pump OFF and re-set the metre. No problems.

Its almost as if it was overloaded ie you can have one or the other but not both???

NB. Just checked. Upstairs sockets are on a different circuit to downstairs.
Its actually the RCD that keeps tripping.

that happens moe often than you would think.

I spent a few hours tracing a fault on a lighting and then power circuit as it was when lights went on the RCD tripped. it is load based and there were tiny tiny faults on the lighting that summated to a greater earth leakage than the RCD would take when the actual larger fault, ( but not big enough on its own ) on the downstairs socket outlet- turned out to be a microwave they hadnt unplugged when i did initial tests

sounds like you need a sparks with the ability to fualt find . where in Cheshire are you ? the guy i did my apprenticeship with is good and just over the border in N Wales. we covered Warrington Tarporley Crewe, Nantwich and as far out as Macc.

 

[Dave7]

that happens moe often than you would think.

I spent a few hours tracing a fault on a lighting and then power circuit as it was when lights went on the RCD tripped. it is load based and there were tiny tiny faults on the lighting that summated to a greater earth leakage than the RCD would take when the actual larger fault, ( but not big enough on its own ) on the downstairs socket outlet- turned out to be a microwave they hadnt unplugged when i did initial tests

sounds like you need a sparks with the ability to fualt find . where in Cheshire are you ? the guy i did my apprenticeship with is good and just over the border in N Wales. we covered Warrington Tarporley Crewe, Nantwich and as far out as Macc.

I am in Warrington. My neighbour is a Spark but has just had an op on his shoulder so is out of action.
He may be able to recommend someone.
Thanks again

 

[Dave7]

@subaqua
Again.....many thanks.
My Mr Fixit tried all he knew then my electrician neighbour came over (gammy shoulder and all).
Problem was bizarre but they eventually traced it. The actual switch thingymagljig (breaker??)in the fuse box was on the way out.
He replaced that and all "seems" well at the moment.

 

[raleighnut]

@subaqua
Again.....many thanks.
My Mr Fixit tried all he knew then my electrician neighbour came over (gammy shoulder and all).
Problem was bizarre but they eventually traced it. The actual switch thingymagljig (breaker??)in the fuse box was on the way out.
He replaced that and all "seems" well at the moment.

Yep we had an RCD that went bad. Luckily we had British Gas 'Homecover' as the RCD fittings were obsolete so an entire new fuseboard was fitted, over a grands worth of bit's and labour for free ( the Homecover was free for a year after we had a Shower fitted)

 

[Deleted member 26715]

The actual switch thingymagljig (breaker??)in the fuse box was on the way out.

Just read through & was about to suggest that, they do seem to get tired after a while.