ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

What a pain in the **** it is....Our consumer unit was upgraded to 17th ed specs last summer. RCDs and RCBOs you name it, it has it. I can shove what I like into electrical outlets, mow over electrical cables and remove smashed light bulbs whilst still switched on without fearing for my life....wooo.

Well it seemed great not having to pay attention to electrical safety anymore until I try to do some redecorating. The steam and humidity from the wallpaper stripper trips the damn things. Plunging me into darkness whilst standing on a ladder with scalding hot steam (steamer is still working) in my right hand. How very f***ing safe.

Now before with the old consumer unit, I could get the room soaking wet and nothing would happen, even get the sockets soaking wet. Now a bit of steam and it kills the power. Not on just the lights RCD...but also the sockets RCD too!

After the third time I was plunged into darkness last night, I thought sod the ultra safe electricals, and disconnnected the earth from the lights. And ran the steamer off an extension lead fed from a socket in another room, where again I disconnected the earth from the plug on the extension lead (steamer has a moulded plug so I couldn't disconnect the earth).

Problem sorted, if now somewhat more unsafe. Yup, thanks IEC for forcing me to make my wiring unsafe to get some work done.

Don't you think there are just too many red-tape nanny standards about these days that prevent someone from just getting on with it?

(Note: RCDs should still work if there is a decent live/neutral imbalance, I've just made it harder for the power to "leak" to a convienent earth)

David_Dickson

I am in two minds about it, I suppose.
One side says that people with clipboards should just butt out of our lives and leave us to get on with things, and these electrical regs are one of thing things which are a bit too nannying fr my liking.

The other side says that there are a lot of people out there who should not be trusted to use a knife and fork unsupervised, never mind re-wire their houses.
Some tennants did some electrical work....

Consumer unit hanging by its wires. Some exposed live wiring still hanging from the old unit.

joins like this all over the house....


Fortunately, they have pissed off before they got any further. I will have to re-do the lot though.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

I wish you could have seen my French house: ONE 16A ceramic fuse "protected" the whole lot, there was no earth, lighting and sockets all on one circuit and open ANY junction box, it's a lottery with white, black, green/yellow, and blue wires, ANY OF WHICH might be live.

dpb

yep thats exactley how it was with the house my mothers just bought and moved into in france

kingofturds

iTrader: (1)

Older cookers are a right pita on split load boards now a lot of them are on rcd protected circuits, the slightest bit of moisture mineral insulated elements and you are in trouble.