05-11-2017, 02:20 PM
We used to work on some odd properties, flats and bedsits converted back into houses or flats.
Finding 2 or more radial circuits "converted " into rings were common. Often they were a tangle of 4 or 5 circuits joined together hopefully as rings. Multiple fused feeds happened quite often, frequently on different floors even.
As we were often in partially occupied buildings were all power could not be turned off, the risk of electrocution was to be considered at all times.
We also had commercial properties converted into housing, with 3 phase supplies.
The golden rule was to test isolation twice preferably using 2 methods, then before touching anything, the old screwdriver across the connections finally guaranteed confidence.
A memorable job was an old building with all the meters and dis boxes in an external passage.
An art cut and paste business had taken over lots of different offices and store rooms. There were 13A sockets everywhere on all sorts of sub dis boards, radials, spurs, rings. Lights were mix of dedicated circuits and switched spurs off the power circuits.
We went through the lot identifying fuses and insulation testing circuits. The business was pushing to get up and running fast so they started before we had finished.
There was a complaint one morning that at certain times of the day some of the power sockets went off, but came back on again usually next morning.
The answer? some of the socket had been removed storage heater outlets that had had 13A sockets fitted, but the remote room thermostats were still in circuit!
Finding 2 or more radial circuits "converted " into rings were common. Often they were a tangle of 4 or 5 circuits joined together hopefully as rings. Multiple fused feeds happened quite often, frequently on different floors even.
As we were often in partially occupied buildings were all power could not be turned off, the risk of electrocution was to be considered at all times.
We also had commercial properties converted into housing, with 3 phase supplies.
The golden rule was to test isolation twice preferably using 2 methods, then before touching anything, the old screwdriver across the connections finally guaranteed confidence.
A memorable job was an old building with all the meters and dis boxes in an external passage.
An art cut and paste business had taken over lots of different offices and store rooms. There were 13A sockets everywhere on all sorts of sub dis boards, radials, spurs, rings. Lights were mix of dedicated circuits and switched spurs off the power circuits.
We went through the lot identifying fuses and insulation testing circuits. The business was pushing to get up and running fast so they started before we had finished.
There was a complaint one morning that at certain times of the day some of the power sockets went off, but came back on again usually next morning.
The answer? some of the socket had been removed storage heater outlets that had had 13A sockets fitted, but the remote room thermostats were still in circuit!
Boater Sam.
