Always learning/finding something new.

[Shepperton Spark]

Just thought I'd share a couple of unusual "fault finds" with you. Last week, RCD tripping due to phase to earth fault. Turned out to be a slug inside the 13A plug top in an outdoor weatherproof socket, customer had not secured the lid properly. Today phase to earth fault on a ring. Did the usual sub-dividing of the circuit, starting to fear the worst. Then I noticed that the inside of a socket was wet, felt the top of the box thinking maybe a leak from above. Long story short, the cat had peed on the socket, nice.
Does anyone have any other unusual "faults to share ?

 

[Murdoch]

In a similar vein to your first one. Customer told me that they had been round and unplugged everything - went round with him, out into patio .

What’s that cable I ask - oh yes he said and inside a storage area was a IP socket and plugged into that was a standard 4 way extension sitting in a pool of water

 

[Nicky Tesla]

Just thought I'd share a couple of unusual "fault finds" with you. Last week, RCD tripping due to phase to earth fault. Turned out to be a slug inside the 13A plug top in an outdoor weatherproof socket, customer had not secured the lid properly. Today phase to earth fault on a ring. Did the usual sub-dividing of the circuit, starting to fear the worst. Then I noticed that the inside of a socket was wet, felt the top of the box thinking maybe a leak from above. Long story short, the cat had peed on the socket, nice.
Does anyone have any other unusual "faults to share ?

Mine was worse. It was the fat lazy beer drinking son that couldn’t be bothered to go to the bathroom when he needed a piss.

 

[Phoenix]

Went to an infant school for power tripping out in a classroom, turned out to be a portacabin block with RCD main switch board, moved all sorts of clutter and took the boxing in off so I could get board cover off *roll eyes*. Quick global insualtion test with L&N linked on the whole board, very low, 0.1* ish. Ok break it down, turned out to be a newish looking 2.5 twin dobbed in with something else on a 16A. Test rest of board, fine so needed to find out what this supply fed as it wasn't marked

Traced where cable seemed to be going, heading towards the toilets, find with voltstick that saniflow spur is now dead. Test at spur, same reading, so thats the issue, was about to disconnect the saniflow, put everything back together and pass it back for a plumber to attend to swap the thing out, when I tested the thing in isolation and it was fine. I think at first I convinced myself I'd fallen into the trap of the fault being to true earth and the test to CPC, but verified that wasn't the case. It was then I noted yellow liquid in the back of the back box. The spur was badly positioned just behind the toilet and the little darlings had been missing and pissing on the spur. I changed the spur like for like now, explained the issue to the class teacher (who was a little mortified) I said we could change it out to a weather proof one (I didn't have one on van at the time) but perhaps they should look at house training the kids first. They did want it changed, so I put on my job card that it requires a visit to fit an "I-PEE rated spur", I don't think my colleague he went back found it that funny tbh (But fairs fair, he had been out the week before, reset the RCD and decided it was all fine as he didn't want to try and make space to get in the DB)

 

[binky]

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Had a call to a single female occupied property.. (can't remember if it was a Dual RCD or single RCD split-load CU)..
who couldn't reset the power to get the kitchen sockets, plus a few other circuits back on...

It was quite a few years back during a period of heavy rain with some problems of flooding reported around the country.

IR tests at CU give very low readings on the kitchen sockets ring...
Check everything I can find in the kitchen. all unplugged, IR still low!

Kitchen is at the rear of the property so I walk around outside to check for an outdoor socket.. No joy!!

Then during conversation with the customer she mentioned that there used to be a shed at the end of the garden..
but her "ex-partner/boyfriend/common-law husband" dismantled the shed when he moved out..

Walk up the garden to where the shed used to be and find a bit of 2.5mm T&E feeding a double socket lying on the ground exposed to the elements that was still live!!!

Further investigation and I find it was spurred directly off the back of one of the kitchen double sockets..
No isolator switch, and no fused spur!

Once disconnected IR tests all good, power restored customer happy..

(I never actually re-tested to see if it was the cable or socket!!)

 

[Andy™]

electric shock from anything metallic in downstairs flat. cpc, bonding etc very live with reference to earth. isolate upstairs flat DB and no problem. upstairs empty and getting some refub work done. TT supply, no RCD's. dead short L-E...