This mornings emergency job.

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M107

Billy-the-Kid
Joined
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Got a call to take a look at an rcd that wouldnt reset.

Got to the house & found a socket in the kitchen supplying a 4way trailing lead looking like this.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j293/gazjothomas/fireinasocket001.jpg

The plug looked like this (had to prise the top off) & neutral pin melted to half size.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j293/gazjothomas/fireinasocket004.jpg

Inside socket (found it was a spur off upstairs ring & traced back some 9 meters to under bedroom floor & joined to ring with JB ) neutral blown apart.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j293/gazjothomas/fireinasocket002.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j293/gazjothomas/fireinasocket003.jpg

So I isolated the spur tested ring all tickety boo IR at 140meg, re-energised rcd & all circuits...big american fridge starts humming burping & farting............bang rcd trips.

Fridge is on a totally different ring to the burntout socket (3 rings in total) so think AHA the fridge is possibly faulty also, test that ring all is well so has to be the fridge.

Isolated all circuits on the rcd side & moved fridge to another ringmain re-energised that ring & rcd trips......"yep there you go Mrs its your fridge & to proove it look no fridge plugged in & with the circuit live the RCD stays in & now plug the TV in & the rcd will still ............................. trip" B***OCKS

Anyway to cut a long story short it turns out the lady of the house smelt burning + rcd tripping that initially led to the disscovery of the burntout socket, she calls hubby working in Dubai & he tells her how to reset the rcd & not wanting to interrupt the washing/drying she used his 50mtr extension reel plugged into another socket hidden inside a kitchen base cupboard because she doesnt want to reuse the burnout socket above the worktop in the kitchen.

Gets one load of washing done starts the dryer & second load of washing then all the sockets stopworking & she cant reset the rcd so rings hubby who calls me from Dubai to arrange an emergency call out ?:| .

Finally traced fault to the extension reel fully wound up with washer / dryer / portable aircon unit plugged into it.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j293/gazjothomas/fireinasocket005.jpg

 
Nice pictures M107, just shows the what an overload/old fittings can do...

(Left in the hands of the unsuspecting.... :D )

 
Good photos mate. The amount of joe.q.public who don`t know the right way to utilise an extension lead. It`s about time a big sticker, with your last photo on it, was attached to all new extension reels sold in the country. The public might actually learn something; and you`d be rich from the royalties!!!

 
Good photos mate. The amount of joe.q.public who don`t know the right way to utilise an extension lead. It`s about time a big sticker, with your last photo on it, was attached to all new extension reels sold in the country. The public might actually learn something; and you`d be rich from the royalties!!!
They all do have this marked, however many have it just moulded into the plastic

 
They all do have this marked, however many have it just moulded into the plastic
Yeah; but like M107`s customer`s extension cable. That`s moulded into the plastic too!

Seriously; I know it is on there; but obviously not visible enough for general public to be aware!

 
what I didnt mention was & nobody has noticed it.

Look to the right of the reel the big white square is a customers diy frig of the reel............. surface pattress fitted because he got fed up resetting the built in trip on the reel !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Joe public, we'd all be poor without them:^O

 
what I didnt mention was & nobody has noticed it.Look to the right of the reel the big white square is a customers diy frig of the reel............. surface pattress fitted because he got fed up resetting the built in trip on the reel !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Joe public, we'd all be poor without them:^O
I did spot it Mate.

 
Close the door on the way out - Theory and I did earlier. :_|

 
Was it M107?... Or Hercule Poirot??

nice detective work m8! ;)

I guess this is the sort of job where homeowner says..

"Oh yeh.. My hubby (or a friend) knows about electrics.. he wired the stuff up.. and it all work ok until now! :| :("

In many ways you can laugh at this...

but in all seriousness this is the classic house fire starting ingredients! :| :_|

Goin back to extension reels...

Recently I have heard a few people spoutin off about the great deal they got on a nice long extn' reel, 50m job..!

great...

As long as you don't need to unreel most of it to use it!!! :eek: :O:( :^O

 
HI M107,

had to go back to that lady's house this afternoon as she plugged her tumble dryer and kettle into a 2 way adaptor and the socket burnt out on the neutral.

Apparently she listened when you warned her about extension reels but never heard you say anything about adaptors. (Only joking mate)

Erm just tried to post piccies but files too large any ideas admin on what to do?

Hopefully she will let me sort wiring out properly as laundry room sockets spurred from garage (integral) spurred from ring main in house + old wylex board.

 
HI M107,Erm just tried to post piccies but files too large any ideas admin on what to do?

Hopefully she will let me sort wiring out properly as laundry room sockets spurred from garage (integral) spurred from ring main in house + old wylex board.
Evening BC. Yes Mate - you'll have to make them smaller and only upload, Perhaps - so many at the time.

Have you got a Photobucket account?

 
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