Which in part P terms does not require one to actually *be* competent, just belong to a suitable scheme to allow one to sign off work as such.
Not really. By the governments own admission death and injury resulting from faults in fixed wiring are exceedingly low.
Seems a bit unfair!
Or there is no power (or neutral) from the CU, or the thing you are testing the socket with is knackered.
Now that IS a lightbulb moment! I've got a spare ceiling rose so I'll give that a go. Suppose I could test each connection as I go using this method.
LOL. Yes - I stripped the wire back.
Thanks for the advice, Pete.
Matt
The 3rd Earl of Derby called him a cowboy but then I didn't attribute who actually said it to you, just that the reference had been made.
Kevin
Could you tell us where you were led to believe that connector blocks and insulating tape are 'suitable'?
Yup. Wire, inspect, test, switch on.
It's those handy intermediate stages which help stop the hall cupboard catching fire when you've accidentally put a dead short across phases.
(So I'm told.)
Owain
I've found connection blocks and flex plastered into the wall, to move a CH thermostat ...
Owain
OK firstly, you were perhaps a bit unlucky in that the first response you got was from the third earl chappy - alas tact and sympathy do not seem to enter his vocabularly. That kind of set the tone.
The confusion with regard to terms like "chocblock" did not help much either!
This group is actually very good on things electrical - hang around for a bit and you will see what I mean. Don't let a premature flamefest put you off! ;-)
As the others said, you need to trace the fault through with a multimeter:
First check would be to disconnect the ring at the CU, and check the ring continuity, phase to phase, neutral to neutral, and earth (or CPC to use the jargon) to earth. If you have a sensitive low ohms range on your meter you should also be able to see the difference in resistance between the thicker phase conductors and the earth. For normal 2.5mm^2 cable you would expect about 15 mili ohms per meter of phase or neutral conductor, and 24 ish mOhm/m for the earth wire. You can also test for polarity and shorts etc at the same time. The low ohms tests also let you spot any potential faults caused by poor connections (i.e. higher than expected resistance) somewhere in the ring.
If that all looks good, then the next suspect would be the MCB itself. I have met MCBs that appear to be on, but are only pretending! So with the main power switch off, check for continuity between the top and bottom contacts of the MCB (turn off all the other MCBs to eliminate any confusion caused by parallel circuit wiring faults!). Check that the MCB opens and closes correctly - try it several times since a dodgy MCB may fail to close only some of the time.
For a fuller description of the testing procedure one ought to carry out on a circuit like this, see the IEE On Site guide (well worth every DIYer having a copy of this book as a minimum):
An insulated connector block is perfectly acceptable providing it is fully enclosed in some other insulating box, the terminals used are of suitable current carrying capacity, and it remains accessable for inspection.
Since adding sockets to an existing circuit is not included in the scope of part P, how would it have any effect?
Why? Ultimately people are going to die because of it.
The message from "RatRibs73" contains these words:
Ooops! I meant /not/ using one.
I thought I was being honest and open and as far as tone concerned I'm responsible for my own actions and not others.
Lets be honest here his first words where...
Quote : "While renovating the lounge" this means which he has... Plastering,moving sockets floorboards up or going down the celler.
In which case why skimp on connecting wiring up in a 2nd rate manner when he could a thrown new loops in and then he wouldn't have been in this mess.
Yep,definatly cowboy tactics applied.
Had you have paused to ask a few questions you would have found out that the technique used was (while not ideal) still acceptable and in line with BS7671.
Since we have not had a report back on the results of any further tests, we don't actually know where the fault is at present, so it seems a bit rash to claim "he wouldn't have been in this mess". Should it turn out to be a result of a faulty MCB then this would not be true.
You got 3 phases in your house then ?
Dave
Not this one, but I've known flats with 3-phase because they used to have rather hefty storage heater installations.
Owain
Ah, but what *colour* was the tape..... ? :o)
You mean people are still allowed to change their own lightbulbs?
Clear - all sellotape is isn't it?
It's all sorted now chaps. It was - cue drum roll - a faulty MCB. Got a sparky to come round and check it all over. I asked him to check my connections and asked him if it was OK to do things like that. The answer was as long as everything is secure it was fine. A huge thanks to all who have given me "genuine" help and advice.
Next question - is it ok to cut Speedfit pipe with a hacksaw :)
Only in domestic dwellings.
In workplaces (which aren't usually covered by Part P) staff are not now allowed to change lightbulbs unless a risk assessment has been carried out and the staff have been trained in Working at Heights, Using Ladders, Basic Electrical Safety, and Putting The Old Ones In The Correct Bin.
Owain
Of course, provided you only want a suitable length to beat Drivel to death with.
Oh yes and old farm buildings at times, which have been ' converted' .
Dave
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