Ouch (Important warnings to all working around electricity)

[M107]

Yep I got a belt earlier today.

tracing a 4L 1.5 micc lighting circuit, its been chopped in the duct

& 3x 2L1.5 micc potted glanded floating loose in the void, all disconnected since they had to make room for a plumber to fix a split pipe in the duct.

I found a jb in the floor void/duct marked as EXT F LIGHTs, used the probes ... yes all dead... found the BS88 labled as external flood lights....removed the fuse, tested the 3 floating pots all dead.

Back to the chopped micc to pot & gland sorted no probs test (surprise surprise low IR but a pass) & put fuse in ....no lights (nobody can remember the last time they worked)..found a photocel labled EXT LIGHTs confirmed live so covered to see if floods came on.....nope.

Back to remove fuse...because I know it isolates the circuit dont I....so I dont bother checking :red card push pot/gland/ conductors into adaptable box, just dropping a earth nut over the conductors of the first floating pot........WALLOP........... I'm ashamed to admit I yelped like a girl & cursed like a cursy thing .

It was the feeder from the photocel that I'd forgotten to take the cover off, that I have now traced & found to supply two lights either side of the rear door.

A healthy respect of Mr lectrikery has been regained.

 

[Badger]

youd better get in touch with a decent sparky :^O :^O :^O :slap

 

[Bwy]

youd better get in touch with a decent sparky :^O :^O :^O :slap

Ignore that advice....you would be far better getting in touch with a female indecent sparky !!! :slap

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

A healthy respect of Mr lectrikery has been regained.

Mr lectrikery is a cunning barsteward...

he creeps up on tippy-toes when you are getting all complacent! :C

 

[Evans Electric]

I did a similar post a few months ago ,M107, and was criticised by a couple of posters for not checking properly, when the whole point of my post was to highlight " complacency" . We are all human, some of us are not quite perfect, then as Mr Specs says, " it creeps up on tippy toes when you get complacent."

Posts such as yours help to everyone focused.

http://www.talk.electricianforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=12391

 

[Zeespark]

+ 1 Amen to that Deke, My first foreman said respect electricity, but never be frightened of it.

AndyGuinness

 

[revjames]

Its easy to get complacent and take insulation for granted!

 

[Sidewinder]

Well...

I have had a beggar of a job today have spent all day in a confined space installing trace heating to a bit of 15mm copper water pipe!

There is a link to M's shock!

I had to crawl through several sections of the attic space (yes domestic attic, but definitely officially a confined space!)

I got my bearings wrong.

Time to tap in for the supply find 2 off 2.5's with some slack disappearing down through the lath & plaster so I think, great, fcu into the ring.

Downstairs I go and throw the main switch on the cu check the ring - off.

Upstairs can't check the cables internally as they are intact. Try my voltstick seems to show that they are dead.

(Note to self get a better voltstick!)

Gets cutters cuts cable, flash ban, smell and holy cutters!

WTF WTF WTF!

Can now test cut ends with proper voltage tester, they are both live!

Back downstairs, throw the other 3 main switches fed from the Henley's even though the resident says that they don't feed the area I'm working, back up test, live.

Back down can't fine anywhere else to isolate so check the cut out, not sealed, so out comes main fuse.

Back upstairs, starts stripping back cables tingle (I'm on the wooden joists), test again - live.

Again WTF!

I have the DNO fuse in my pocket!

SO the guy I am with (from my customer) and I start looking around at the layout.

After about 5 minutes of back and fore up and down...

We decide we are in NEXT DOOR! There is a communal attic and we had not realised!

So I then decide I'm gonna make the live ends safe, so I try, flash, dead supply, quick make off into Wago's & stuff in Wago box.

OK safe!

One advantage of Wago connectors.

Take 5 to recover from the stress.

Down to see resident, discuss the situation, as we all think the neighbours is empty.

We pop around and knock, the lady of the house has come home and has been working on the pc, not lost any work though thank goodness, the power has gone off twice and she has immediately reset the trip, she put it down to the snow, much red faces and apologies later we go back to look for another supply. Not quite so easy under 9" of insulation, this was one of the clues that we were next door as they ain't had their house insulated!

Eventually got there took a feed from a 10mm sub main to the spur within 4" fused down and fed the trace in 2.5 from there as it was the cable I had in the attic. There was a joint in the cable change from T&E to armoured.

The moral of the tale apart from my being a Muppet and not thinking straight as i was cold and HATE attics is don't cut into next doors ring main live!

Now need a new set of side cutters!

Guys please beware, I was LUCKY!

Paul.

It turns out neither resident knew they had a communal attic!

 

[Manator]

Brought a smile on my face, shared attics were once very common, I imagine this is not the first time this as happened to someone.

 

[Sidewinder]

I can tell you it did NOT make me laugh straight away!

 

[M107]

I only took one picture of the job, this is one of the duct access hatches & the mess below.

Nothing has been touched, only the hatch removed.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j293/gazjothomas/DSC00559.jpg

Yes thats BT / data / fire detection / lighting / sockets / gas / water / heating........ all jumbled together.

 

[Voltimax]

I remember working in a bungalow a few years ago. I was doing a partial rewire and I was just crawling along in the loft happily, round behind the chimney breast where the limited lighting didn't quite reach, put my hand down and got a belt which made me both jump and swear. A junction box with no lid and too many cables connected!

 

[Doc Hudson]

Useful examples that even experienced electricians make mistakes. Moral could be; no mater how much experience you have acquired over many years work, take nothing for granted, don't assume something is dead until you have proved it dead, always keep your workspace adequately illuminated and check and double check before cutting a cable.

Doc H.

 

[batty]

You ain't a sparks until you've had a belt.

 

[Larnacaman]

Ain't that the truth!!! lol!!!

 

[Voltimax]

You ain't a sparks until you've had a belt.

Well then I've been a sparks since I was a child. My father always gave me the 'belt'

:slap

 

[a1]

my hand down and got a belt which made me both jump and swear. A junction box with no lid and too many cables connected!

I found silimar when I was fault finding in a family member's house...

Here is a picture of it. If you want to view a closer and larger image of it, just click on the image below.

 

[Badger]

cant see what wrong myself :^O :coat

 

[Andy™]

cant see what wrong myself :^O :coat

its got far too much insulation dust on it

 

[sparkytim]

No green mixed with the yellow (30% / 70%) for a cpc!

:red card