Death through dodgy wiring

[Huge]

[26 lines snipped]

It's easier just to install more speed cameras, of course.

[FX: Waves]

[Tim]

I like the idea - but is there any product which isn't fug-ugly?

Timbo

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Hmm. More likely because of the restricted mileage. And that they usually have to be *not* the main car. And secured when parked.

[Bob]

Not many judging by the number of people of my parents age (60s) who think there is only one national speed limit - 60mph - and therefore slam on their brakes at every dual carriageway speed camera.

[Andy Dingley]

The trouble with running cable diagonally is that it isn't dangerous. _You_ know it's there, so you avoid it. It's the poor bugger who buys the house in a few years time who gets caught.

[Rob Morley]

Did you know that, in an average year: · 600 people die from falling down the stairs in their own home; · 20 die falling out of bed; · 30 drown in the bath;

that basis we should be looking at legislating on compulsory stairlifts, futons and showers.

[Andy Wade]

All quite legit at the time, even if not very wise. The current rules - horizontal and vertical lines & prescribed zones unless > 50mm deep or in earthed conduit - only came into force on 12th June 1987 as an Amendment to the 15th Edition regs.

[Andy Wade]

Moreover they can be said to encourage the extension of existing circuits in situations where the provision of a new circuit would be both more appropriate and safer.

[Kevin]

Having been led to believe that the cowboy builder had buried cables all over the place in fact the offending cable was only 5 degrees off vertical. I think that if I was installing something, even allowing for vertical runs I would give several inches of latitude just in case.

Kevin

[Chris Doran]

"... a family friend tried to put something onto the same rack, which was under the cooker hood, that same day and received a small shock."

A 'lectric DIY-er would immediately have applied the test meter he/she had from the last time they rewired the house, verified the fault and at least unscrewed the rack. With DIY banned, no one will know what to do and won't want to call in a pro and wait a week for them to turn up and charge a huge callout fee.

Only last week someone reported late at night getting a shock from a light switch in the church loo. I found (at midnight when you won't see many pros around) a non-waterproof "grid" switch which had slowly let in soapy water over the years. Fitted, of course, by a pro. In the course of the investigations I discovered that the water piping, installed by a corgi, wasn't earthed.

Chris

[StealthUK]

Again, what has burying cables 50mm got to do with diagonally running cables? You obviously misread my post and I misread your response.

I'm not spouting regs. I've already admitted that I wasn't aware of the regulations regarding 50mm depth. I certainly know cables should not be run diagonally but I don't claim to be a know-it-all.

Cable is so cheap I doubt anyone would want to penny pinch to that degree, surely? More likely that someone would run a diagonal just to save work on chasing the wall or to avoid conflict with present cable runs.

[Christian McArdle]

Cable can be run diagonally. It can be run in a spiral if you like, or as a picture of your pet dog, provided it is one of the following:

1. Surface run (hence visible)
2. Buried > 50mm.
3. Protected.

Christian.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Doubt I can remember all the cable runs in this house - even although they were all installed by myself. But where pipes etc go under floorboards, they're clearly marked.

Especially if they want stripped floorboards. ;-)

[Richard Porter]

True, but strangely I have one car on an unlimited mileage policy which is cheaper than another one on a limited (7,500) mileage policy. Both cars are similar in most respects, though different marques.

The insurers do ask if I have another car, to which the answer is of course "yes". They don't ask which is the main car or stipulate that the insured car isn't it. In any case how do you define "main car"? I might do more mileage in my kit car on one or two continental trips than I would do commuting or shopping in the hypothetical Mondeo.

They do like you to belong to a recognised owners club, but that's mainly to distinguish between "classic cars" and "old bangers".

Most premiums are reduced if the vehicle is kept in a locked garage.

[rrh]

Probably they were cheap. Though as it happens my first experience of electrical work was as a teenage apprentice to a couple of electricians, in Derbyshire, in the 1970s; they paid me 20p per hour which even at the time I thought somewhat, well, economical. Learnt a lot though, not least an abhorrence of bodging. I still remember the old lady in Kettleshulme (actually I think that's over the border in Cheshire) whose cottage we were wiring up for the first time ever. She was surprised to know that we had to put cables in: "Oh I thought you just screwed the sockets onto the wall and the electricity came out of them dear!".

[chris French]

In message , G&M writes

I don't think there is any legal requirement here, lots (probably most by now) like to take photos of the kids as described - they are kept in the school records, used on ID cards (lots of schools have multipurpose library, dinner etc. cards).

If a parent did not want photo taken they could refuse permission.

On the subject of photos and public places, I had a minor victory for common sense last week.

Took 3 year old daughter swimming, we go to a members only gym/pool. They have a policy - as is common now of not allowing photos in the pool etc. I don't particularly agree with the policy, but I understand why they do it.

anyway, we got 'told off' a while back for taking photos - we'd done it before with no problems, (maybe they had changed the policy).

This week there was just us and another couple with their new baby, they ahd a camera and were happily taking photos, no member of staff in the room, but eventually they noticed and someone came over, I new what was coming...

'Not allowed to take photos in here etc.'

The couple both appeared to be deaf, and so there had to be a few repetitions before they started to realise what she was on about.

I intervened and said that since we were the only other people in the room and we were happy for them to continue, what as the problem. After a few repeats of the 'it's the policy' - 'Well I don't mind and anyway it's a silly policy' exchanges she decided to see the manager.

To my surprise, he comes in says 'You're OK with that? ' - ' Yes' and that as that.....

[chris French]

In message , StealthUK writes

As has been said, under most situations you don't need to have cables that deep. Running cables in compliant way is not that difficult.

[Dave Liquorice]

Probably not on the (competent) DIY side but a sparks contracted to wire a housing estate of say 100 homes in a week and a cable ends up short by a few inches but can be connected by going diagonally...

Time is money, he's not going to pull out that cable and re-run another one he'll just connect it up. What's he to do with the bit he pulled out, beggering about with off cuts is slow you pull straight of the drum feeding as you go.

It's pretty obvious from recent postings here that unprotected cables in areas of wall where they shouldn't be is *very* common.

[chris French]

In message , StealthUK writes

Because if you want to run a cable diagonally you have to have it 50mm deep (or suitably protected in metal conduit etc.)

You can run them diagonally, with the above provisos.

Why do you think here is so much crap housing about...

When you are wiring up 1000 houses...

But this is the time they would then need to chase it..

Be easier to just run them in the regs compliant way vertically or horizontally.

[Capitol]

To a large extent this is a requirement in the US. Their reason is fire proofing, but the flexible conduit is cheap and readily available.

Regards Capitol