van broken into

[switch10]

if anyone lives in the gloucestershire area and is offered any tools, please can you let me know. my van has been broken into this eveing , drills,megger,hand tools, reference books,certifcate books, ladders etc all gone. surely only and electrician would want these things.

police are useless, not even sent anyone to fingerprint yet, bit late if it bloody rains.

 

[Badger]

did you have cctv covering your van/car

 

[switch10]

unfortunately not, where i live is so far of a main road, down a private drive way i never felt the need to have it, i now know i shud of. lost so much

 

[Lee321]

just fitted a bargain alarm system to mine. if you so much as stand within a foot of the van it warns off and if they don't move it goes off so thats even before a screwdriver has been rammed into the locks and a door opened or window smashed

 

[switch10]

think that sounds like the sort of thing i need to invest in now along with cctv, or maybe even some sort of wire mesh with high voltage going through it.

 

[Evans Electric]

Sorry to hear that Switch10 , I think most of us have suffered in the same way . And , yes , it certainly sounds like another sparks, smackheads usually just take power tools .

I know how you are feeling , apart from the cost, our tools become personal to us, bloody scumbags.

Its happened to me a few times, you have to expect it living in this dump I suppose , last time robbery was witnessed by office worker , reg. no. of the slimeball's car taken as it headed off back to the ghetto, action taken by police , none.

The only good thing was he took the dummy Hilti case by the back doors, the one with a brick in it !!

 

[switch10]

cheers evans electric. i know i will hopefully get insurnce payout for replacement tools, and repair to damage caused when they broke in, just drives me mad, ive worked so hard to try get myself established as a domestic installer whilst still installing fire alarms etc, only had my megger 3 weeks, and all new drills etc for apprx 3 months and now its gone. like you say, you get used to certain tools etc. my worst bit is, all my reference books were in there along with certificates for jobs submitted to niceic for my assessment next week.

just feel like giving up, but cant let some sum put me down.

 

[Evans Electric]

TBH I don't carry the test instruments anymore, only on the day I'm testing , same with certs . I think if they nicked my testers again I'd give up . I feel more confident with my ancient ex - BT Ford Escort , they fit a steel grill behind the front seats, no rear windows and I've bolted a dirty great hasp and padlock across the back doors .

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Barstewards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

X(X(X(X(X(X(X(X(X(X(X( X(

sorry to hear that M8....

Unfortunately with the way the economy's going this sort of thing is going to be on the increase again!X( X(

Would it be worth while ringing NIC to see if you could reschedule your assessment?

:|

Remember as well to be on your guard that they don't come back in a couple of months knowing you will have been replacing your gear.

 

[switch10]

im going to try and re schedule the assessment, just unsure on what there answer will be, as its only wedsnesday, so it may mean they wont be able to.

god help whoever it is was. of to buy some replacement tools today

 

[rugbymacc]

scum ........

really feel for you.

like SL said ......... be very careful, they are very lightly to be back within a few months

(as this happened to a builder I know very well)

 

[switch10]

ok have spoke to NICEIC, cant reschedule my date for assessment, AS ITS TO CLOSE, THEREFORE IM TESTING the submitted installations again today.

however where i have no books i have several questions. on the insulation resistance test on a socket ring circuit im getting the following results.

line to cpc >299 (on eic cert is it ok to put >299)

neutral to cpc 2.07

are these correct, im ******** with no books ro refer to and unsure what the greater than 299 means.

 

[Manator]

Insulation that is greater than your test instrument range will come back as for instance >299 , this simply means that your tester can not or does not require to test any values above this range.

Your other reading is within the testers range and is shown by a figure 2.07.

The only requirement is that insulation should be above a minimum.

 

[switch10]

brilliant cheers, maneator, getting there slowly, have just ordered all osg, brb etc etc again.

 

[switch10]

re done test, after finding a socket i hadnt turned of and unplugged equipment. now all readings come up as >299 thnk god for that.

 

[aidanb19]

What van was it and how did they get in?

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

ok have spoke to NICEIC, cant reschedule my date for assessment, AS ITS TO CLOSE, THEREFORE IM TESTING the submitted installations again today.however where i have no books i have several questions. on the insulation resistance test on a socket ring circuit im getting the following results.

line to cpc >299 (on eic cert is it ok to put >299)

neutral to cpc 2.07

are these correct, im ******** with no books ro refer to and unsure what the greater than 299 means.

Two things worry me at the moment:

1/ Will you be able to get full set of books etc.. for the assessment..

cuz I don't think you will get a compliance result without all your books! :|

2/ Insulation resistance....

with or without any books you should have a pretty fair idea of what to expect with ANY test you are doing...

this are the sort of points you get asked about on assessment:-

e.g.

do test xyz

get a result

MR inspector may then ask...

Is that the sort of result you were expecting?

Do you think it is a high/low reading in relation to the physical circuit characteristics etc..

So you need to already know before you do any test..

what is it actually doing..

what sort of result am I expecting..

Insulation resistance is proving that the cables insulation will not break down whilst carrying its expected voltage....

low resistance means there is a greater level of breakdown than a higher resistance..

Brand new good cable should have such a high resistance value through its insulation that its off the scale of most meters...

so meters may just show the max possible reading with a greater than sign, or Open circuit / 'OL' or similar...

As the cable ages if the resistance value between one conductor and cpc deteriorates as a general rule the other conductors insulation deteriorates at the same rate NOT wildly different rates..

say on an older cable if I got 70.5Mohms L-CPC and 68.9Mohms N-CPC

I probably wouldn't worry..

BUT if N-CPC had been 157Mohms...

I would be thinking something ODD here on L-CPC this needs a bit of investigating?

Although BOTH readings are well above the minimum acceptable value..

what I am trying to say is its not just about getting number on the form that are within the limits...

Its do the numbers correspond with the expected values for the age and condition of the installation?

I am 90%+ this is what the NICEIC will also want to establish that you understand... I am sure you probably actually do remember all this..

but you do need to get your mind thinking not just about getting values on the certificate.

Hope you can get your gear sorted in time.

 

[Tooold]

Sorry to hear your bad news, not sure where in glos you are but Cheltenham is a burgulary hot spot for the south west. I think that includes vans, I will keep an ear to the ground although I work on my own and dont meet too many scum bags. If you dont get your booke etc in time pm me and maybe we can meet and you could have the use of mine for a day.

 

[a1]

Thieving Scum. X(

Tooold - It is reassuring to see the type of Members we have on this forum.

There is never a good time for theft of tools & another items, as well as the damage to your vehicle, time & money lost etc.

But just before your first ever NICEIC Scheme provider Domestic Installer Assessment too, timing couldn't be much worse.

I hope that you manage to get everything you need together, in time for your assessment, and please, despite how you may feel now - Never give up, you have come too far, Mate. :Salute

 

[switch10]

many thanks for all the replies. everything is being taken on board.

i have this morning had the police to fingerprint the van, and a match has been made with some recent local burglaries. so hopefully sometime soon i will possibly have my stuff back or at least be able to find out who.

the van was a vauxhall astra van, they destroyed the locks trying to get in, unable to do so due to deadlock, however they smashed the window to drivers door and also the rear window. cut through the rear window security grill, which was a bit shabby and old.

ladders were clamped to the roof rack so they were easy to take.

i have ordered all books again with a local wholesaler, paying through the roof , but gauranteed to be in by tuesday afternoon so just in time for assessment.

i know what each test is for etc, however i use the books for reference to double check im doing things by the book and safely , which i think is fair way to do things. obviously once i do some more installations it just all becomes second nature and i wont need the books for reference as much.