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August 15, 2009

Socket next to a sink or hob ? Answer my electricians question correctly and win a prize!

If you take a look at the picture above you will see a 45 amp cooker switch directly behind a hob!
A  job we were at last week had this in the kitchen. We are rewiring the property so the cooker switch is no longer in this position.
If you are an electrician reading my electricians blog then please ignore this next question. This is for people with little or no electrical knowledge and would like to win a prize for the best answer. 

Do you think it is ok to put a socket or any other type of electrical point behind or next to a sink or hob ?

If you would like to know the answer to this question then please re visit my electricians blog. I will give the answer and announce the winner in 7 days.

If you would like to enter then please reply by commenting to this electricians blog with your answer. The first comment / reply with the best answer to my electricians question will win a prize!
The prize to the winner will depend on how good we decide your anwser is!

If you are an electrician and would like to contribute to this electricians blog then please contact me at : www.mylocalelectrician.co.uk and click on the contact link at the top of the My local electrician page.

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Posted by Gary Pratten 

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August 11, 2009

How to wire a light

We were working in a house today where there were other electricians on site. The customer had basicly called us in for electrical jobs that they needed done, And the other electricians were working for the builder that was there for a new extension. We did ask the customer why this was and they told us that the builder gave a price for the complete works for the extension, which I felt was fair enough.
If you look at the picture I took you can see a connector block taped up which is the wiring of the other electricians worklight.
I wonder if their health and safety and risk assessment policy is up to date lol !

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Posted by Gary Pratten 

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August 8, 2009

Connecting cables – or at least how not to connect cables!

Friday ( Yesterday ) was a relatively easy day with three domestic alarm annual maintenance's. This picture I took on one of the alarm jobs was in the garage. To be honest we were not there for any electrical work so I just made it very clear to the customer that this should really be sorted out, sooner rather than later.

I don't know if you can see that well, but to the right of the picture there is one cable feeding the connector block / cable connector and to the left there are two. They have then been taped up, And not very neatly I would hasen to add!

If you are an electrician reading this then you will know why I have posted this on my electricians blog, as this is clear to us all that this is not the done thing! You can also follow me on this electricians blog and on twitter by going to www.mylocalelectrician.co.uk and following the lick at the top of the page to my blog. You can also sign up for a free account to list your electrical services and business in my electricians directory. You will also find on the site the sparks section, an area of the my local electrician website dedicated to electricians, for information on part p, electricians jobs and more things related to the electrical industry.

If you are not an electrician, find yourself here reading my blog or here to find an electrician, either because you have something like this in your house or because you need an electrician, then please go to the My local electrician, the electricians directory website : www.mylocalelectrician.co.uk

Simply enter your post code and you will find an electrician in your local area.

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Posted by Gary Pratten 

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August 6, 2009

How to wire downlights

I came across three downlights yesterday that had, in my opinion, been wired in way way the does not conform to the 17th edition.
If you look closely at the wiring going into the downlights connector before I rewired it, the internal cables are exposed. All the cables including the outer sheaf of the cble should be securely fixed into the downlights connector block with the use of the cable clamp.
Some downlights do not have enough room to fit two cables into its connector block. In this case I would use a heat resisting flex or sleeving for the cables coming out of the connector block of the downlight, and use a 'click' type connector designed for connecting downlights, to connect all the cables together. Doing this would ensure that all the cables are securely fitted and enclosed when they are in the ceiling space.

If you need to find an electrician then please go to :- www.mylocalelectrician.co.uk and type in the first part of your post code.

If you are an electrician then please also go to www.mylocalelectrician.co.uk and sign up for your free electricians account.

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Posted by Gary Pratten 

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August 3, 2009

Electrical problems – More electrical problems I found today!

Today I went to a job where the lighting in a customers bathroom was not working. They told me that the light had always worked since they moved into the house over 5 years ago.
I started by taking the light fitting down, Although this was a batten holder, and I explained to the customer that I would need to replace the fitting with a suitable bathroom light, I found a single 1mm cable feeding the light fitting. Of course as all electricians would realize, there must be a junction box in the loft. I tested the 1mm cable for any mains power, Of course with the switch on lol! And then proceeded into the loft.
After spending 10 minutes clearing the way to above the bathroom area I found this! After further inspection on the lighting circuit the whole lighting circuit was wired in three plate and was all in good condition, Except of course someone at sometime had messed about with the three plate wiring for the bathroom light. As you can see they had taped up the feed and return ( Loop ) live / phase cables in a connector block, the same with the rest of the cables. If you can also see there is a three core and earth cable Live! Just bare cables in the loft. I have no idea why this was there, all I can think of is there may have been an extractor fan in the bathroom at some time.
Basically the problem was the switch live had fell out of the connector block! I then pulled all the cables apart, the live feed, the live return and the switch wire and three plated them into the new bathroom light fitting.
Electrical problem now solved!

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Posted by Gary Pratten 

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August 1, 2009

Another bad junction box I found under a floor – certainly not 17th edition

Take a look at this picture. I still can't get over how many of these types of joins I have found over the years under floors and in lofts and basements. What also worries me is that people still seem to be doing this type of work. As you can see to the right of the junction box there is a 1mm cable bare and live! To the left there is two single cables ( also live ) going somewhere in the house! To be honest I did not even waste my time finding out where they used to go. I am so happy that we have now rewired the lighting circuits in the property and now all is well!
To follow or comment on my electricians blog, or to find an electrician please go to www.mylocalelectrician.co.uk

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Posted by Gary Pratten 

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July 30, 2009

Plumbers and electricians, Do plumbers have regulations?


Today on our part rewire I came across this under the floor. I hope the picture I took is clear enough and I hope you can see what I saw! Yes that is burn marks on the ring main cables as it seems that a plumber had placed their hot water pipe directly over the cables.

In fact the pipe was touching the cables. It was very clear that the cables were there before the pipe work was installed. It amazes me that plumbers seem to be able to run their pipes anywhere in the home regardless of anything in the way!

As I am an electrician I do not know the plumbers regulations so I would really hope that someone could shed some light on the subject and answer this question for me?

Was this just a cowboy plumber ? Or is this standard practice in the plumbing industry ?


Us electricians have a guidance book ( 17th edition wiring regulations ) that we must follow to the best of our abilities. Do plumbers have such a book ?


If anyone can help me fathom out this them please contact me by email : gary@mylocalelectrician.co.uk or go to my website www.mylocalelectrician.co.uk and click on the contact link at the top of the page

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Posted by Gary Pratten 

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July 28, 2009

Please find an electrician if you see something like this!

 This I found today under the floor of a property we are partially rewiring. If you are an electrician reading my electricians blog then I am sure, like me, you have come across this sort of thing time after time.
If you are not an electrician and have seen this type of wiring in your home then please do find an electrician and get them to take a look at it for you. To find your local electrician please go to : www.mylocalelectrician.co.uk
Or to find an NICEIC registered electrician go to: www.findanelectrician.info
These type of connections under floors is just not acceptable anymore and need sorting out! As you can see the earth cables are just twisted together and live and neutrals cables are connected together in a connector block and simply taped up!
This does not conform to the 17th edition wiring regulations nor any regulation previously in ym life as an electrician.

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Posted by Gary Pratten 

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July 24, 2009

Bare cables and connector block

This is another picture I took of yet more cables being joined together! I do really find it unbelieveable that people know about this, see it every day in their homes and do not even concider that this could be an issue!

The problem with this one is that the wiring you see in this picture is in a cottage and as all us electricians know, how hard it would be to sort problems like this out in a property that has no space between the floors and the ground floor is concrete. I now need to explain that the property really needs some work and that the only way do sort the problems out is to run loads of trunking all over their period features and chase the walls ? Of course we do know that there is now trunking on the market that can blend in ( sort of ! ) to the beams but unless they want a piece of trunking down the wall it will need chasing in. To be honest I have not taken any readings on the electrical system but I am guessing that numerous cables would need replacing or mechanically protected. What I am going to do is any connector block I find around the property I will replace with a brown junction box as of course this will be much safer.

If you are an electrician reading this please do let me know what you would would do ? As I always say more heads the better! Also please feel free to go to my website :- www.mylocalelectrician.co.uk and give yourself a free listing in the electricians directory. You can also sign up to my weekly newsletter by going to the ' Sparks section '. www.mylocalelectrician.co.uk/sparks .I also hope that you will find the sparks section interesting and helpful. If there is anything else that you would like to have listed in the sparks section of the www.mylocalelectrician.co.uk website please use the contact form or reply to this electricians blog.

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Posted by Gary Pratten 

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July 21, 2009

Old style 13amp single switched socket

While on our travels as electricians we came across this old type 13amp single socket! This is not a job we came to look at but I felt I should let you all see how things used to be done.

Can you see that the socket is no more than 50mm above the floor, must be awkward to use this socket. You probably also notice that the socket is not on a ring main and more than likely fed from a junction box under the floor or from the back of another socket.

There is only one cable feeding the socket from below disappearing under the floor.

Also in my experience as I have come across this a few times in the past, new type rcd’s do not like this old style socket. I guess this is a case of new and old not working together in harmony!

 

If you are looking for a local electrician in your area please go to : www.mylocalelectrician.co.uk

If you are an electrician and would like a free complete detailed listing your electrical services then please go to : www.mylocalelectrician.co.uk. There is also a section devoted to us electricians.

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Posted by Gary Pratten 

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