Couple of recent jobs

[Chris_81]

Probably quite tame to some of you but thought I'd share them.

Apparently the meter casing had been reported as cracked by a meter reader....



Customer was still using it, couldn't see what the problem was... and said she lets her kids play hide and seek in the same cupboard!!

This one was a classic. Landlord had been having problems with the electrics so had a go himself...



The contactor in the picture is running an off peak board somewhere below the trunking and the meter is was connected to is at the far end of the picture. 4 flats and a landlords supply all running off two 100amp fuses and a lot of henly blocks.

 

[batty]

Wow that certainly would fail the new EICR.

 

[pewter]

The seal fairy was drunk

 

[ProDave]

Nice to actually see what's inside a modern meter though. Not a lot really.

 

[steptoe]

Nice to actually see what's inside a modern meter though. Not a lot really.

you gonna clone it for your PV Dave? :slap

 

[ProDave]

you gonna clone it for your PV Dave? :slap

No, mine works better.

Interesting to see that it appears to measure current, by measuring a (presumably) tiny voltage developed across a very low value resistor (the slightly thinned section of bar linking L in and L out)

I had always thought they contained a current transformer.

 

[sammers230]

The condition of the tails on the "cracked" meter photo look pretty grim as well as it being pretty busted surely if it doesn't electrocute someone at some point that would have started to arc and spark.

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Probably quite tame to some of you but thought I'd share them.Apparently the meter casing had been reported as cracked by a meter reader....

View attachment 3516

Customer was still using it, couldn't see what the problem was... and said she lets her kids play hide and seek in the same cupboard!!

Now look er Chrissybabe....

You promised me those photos would never go public......

It's the last time I let you photo MY meter..

and anyway..

you only happened to come round the day the tape had fell off....

I may use Gaffa tape next time.... do you reckon that will hold better?????

:C

:innocent :innocent

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

About 20 years ago a mate of mine was a meter fixer. Mainly the routine exchanging of equipment. He told me how often ( a couple of times each week) he would find tampered meters. One had the metal disc bent down so it could not spin, others with no glass in the front and the needles missing off the dials. Others with 3mm holes drilled in the side so a piece of wire could be pushed in to stop the meter, hanging upside down (does that stop them ?) and the most dangerous, drawing pins stuck in the tails with paper clips wrapped round.

 

[Chris_81]

The condition of the tails on the "cracked" meter photo look pretty grim as well as it being pretty busted surely if it doesn't electrocute someone at some point that would have started to arc and spark.

Tails look like that as they'd tried bypassing it, see it all the time. Only the surface thats burn and still connected tight or yeah arcing and sparking would of been very likely.

Sorry Specs,if you gaffa tape it next time I'll turn a blind eye! ROTFWL

See the same as your mate did on a regular basis. Disc meters with holes in the side, fishing wire pushed in to slow the disc. Magnets stuck on the side to do the same. Smashed fronts and missing needles on the dials is always amusing... customer will always say something fell on it.. and just so happened to only break the two highest dials!! Ripped off the wall and hanging upside down does effect them. Bypasses are just plan scary. Usually, as you said, paperclips or drawing pins in tails. 1mm cable between terminals 1 and 4 as its all that fits in there. Even seen one where they've burnt the insualtion away to live copper and wrapped a metal coat hanger around them.

 

[sparkytim]

A few calls to RPU then Chris