When it comes to criminals and cowboys in the electrical game, I have to tell you that the worst culprits at it were the DIYers back in my day, tape joints, connectors in extension leads, loose fuses in plug tops, you wouldn't believe how many council tenants blamed the socket on the wall for burning out when it was in fact a reused plug poorly put on with the fuse holder worn so as the fuse was making poor contact- getting hot and burning the socket, the other favourite was dropping the kettle lead in the sink and wondering why the power wouldn't go back on- even if they turned off the switch RCDs detect flow to earth from the neutral cable too (which isn't switched at normal socket outlets) it's another common sense thing here too, we have been in every field dumbing people down so much with technology and making them safe without them having to think for themselves, that many are now a danger to themselves - not even got the common sense to treat candles with care, I remember one event involving my own father in which the metal kettle went bag, and I mean shotgun bang not party popper, I was qualified at the time but still an apprentice, he turned to me and said have you got a spare fuse for this, I said Father you do not need a fuse you need a new element or kettle trust me, he went on saying it was worth a try, I went on saying things don't explode like that then work again as if by magic with a replacement fuse and that the fuse was there to prevent further damage to the rest of the system, yet he would not give in, so I put another 13 Amp fuse in the kettle plug for him ( the lid was off the kettle this time) stood back and said carry on prove your point Father, I dare say you've guessed it, another almighty bang and a flash accompanied by a fountain of water from the now lidless kettle under his nose... when I had finished having a near miss of the toilet accident kind (only in my case from laughter)I asked "are you going to take my electrician's word for it in future"?
Statistics: Posted by Plymtom — Sun Nov 17, 2013 12:49 pm