Yes she's far more likely to be laid dead through neuphonia though as both you and me know just cos the cct isn't rcd protected just like 1000s of home still aren'tOh dear has this brought out the ego brigade once again I hardly see this as the crime of the century. I can imagine the likes of you turning up condemning the installation and leaving the poor old lady with no power at all maybe it's people like you who have brought the country to a standstill with there selfish ways. Have you had a bad day and is this your way of trying to make yourself feel better by having a go at others like this
I'm expecting a backlash but what else could I have done within the hours time limit leave the old woman with no power?
I doubt many electricians would have condemned the installation, more probably they would have got a majority of circuits back on whist retaining RCD protection. You are correct that 1000's of homes have no RCD protection. But it is also true that you know there is a fault somewhere on this installation. A non-RCD home with no known faults is safer than a non-RCD home with a known fault. It is also true that there are numerous deaths caused by electrical shock in homes every year and the young and elderly are more vulnerable to shock. You have made the risk assessment that it was safer to do what you did without completing full testing whilst on site. Personally, had I attended, I would have done full testing to establish if it is a circuit or RCD problem. On the balance of probability it is more likely to be a faulty cable or appliance somewhere. Although I have know RCD's to fail, But 10 minutes work would have verified the RCD beyond doubt. It is identifying a cable or appliance faults that can be time consuming especially with older properties with perhaps many years of DIY behind them.
As a guide to help others reading this thread
Any RCD that trips is either faulty cable, faulty appliance or faulty RCD.
Any RCD protecting a group of final circuits will trip by a fault on any one of those circuits.
Any imbalance inside an appliance to earth will cause the RCD to trip.
Any imbalance Line/Phase/Line conductor to Earth will trip the RCD.
Any imbalance Neutral to Earth will trip the RCD.
Turning the MCB's off will eliminate the Line/Phase/Line conductor to Earth situation.
But as the Neutrals and Earths are all common a fault on anyone of them would still trip the RCD unless they are individually isolated.
If the simple turning MCB's off then on in sequence doesn't resolve the cause then isolating the neutrals as well would have been my next step.
From a business perspective you were under no obligation to go to the fault, but if agreeing to go you should at least be prepared to do a comprehensive test to establish causes and possible remedial actions. Again personally an 80mile round trip for a third party maintenance company, with limited time and chargeable money, sounds like a very poor prospect of being economically worthwhile to attend any domestic fault. I think it would have been more economical to have stayed at home, as you haven't resolved the fault and it looks unlikely you are going to be going back to resolve it, or get additional work from this homeowner from your visit. There must be more local electricians who could have attended this fault and carried out a follow up next day visit, if needed, for half the price it cost you to attend? Possible this is also a reflection on the poor quality of the maintenance company, trying to provide a service with not locally enough available electricians.
Doc H.
