eec247 Homepage

DIY DISASTER
 DO NOT COPY ANYTHING SHOWN IN THIS GALLERY

Home Gallery Emergency Help Contact Us
CASE STUDY 1     -     A DIY ELECTRICIAN FOR 40 YEARS
Location: A bungalow in Nursling, Southampton.
Job Description: The electrics in this bungalow were "done" by the owner over a period of 40 or more years.
Although the interior decoration looked very good, hidden out of sight behind light switches, sockets and
in the loft, there was serious cause for concern.
It was totally rewired and made safe by EEC Ltd.


THERE IS NO MEANS OF EARTHING TO THIS PROPERTY

Looking at the incoming supply, the first thing to note is that there is no earthing.
It's common in rural areas to have an earth rod as a means of earthing, but in this case
THERE IS NO EARTH TO THE PROPERTY. Although the earth pin on the sockets are connected together,
they never connect to a real means of earthing.

The box resting below the meter is a doorbell transformer, fed from one of the many nearby fuseboxes
and the 12V connector block to the doorbell switch & chime dangle dangerously close to the mains service head.
THERE IS NO FUSE OR OVERLOAD PROTECTION DEVICE ON THIS CIRCUIT

To the right of the meter, there's a 1950's fusebox feeding the "Freezers".
The Live (Red), Neutral (Black) and Earth (bare copper, but should be sleeved) wires should
terminate inside the fusebox (i.e. the white outer sheath of the cable should enter the fusebox)
and you should not see and Red, Black or Green cables and certainly not any bare copper cables.

Below the "Freezers" fusebox, there's a "Service Connection Block", normally called
a "Hendy Block" by Electricians after the long forgotten company that invented it.
It's a junction box for the heavy duty cables from the incoming supply, and here it's missing the screw seals.

The box marked "House" contains a 1970's style RCD which is very twitchy and difficult to reset when it trips.
It feeds two fuseboxes in the loft (more on that later).

The rightmost box is another RCD of unknown age, possible 1980's marked "Bedroom" although most of the
sockets in the bungalow are fed from this box. As with the "Freezers" fusebox, the Live, Neutral and Earth
wires are outside the enclosure. This box also feeds the doorbell transformer seen earlier.
But more worrying than anything else - THERE IS NO FUSE OR OVERLOAD PROTECTION DEVICE ON THIS CIRCUIT.
An RCD is a safety device designed to trip on leakage of current to earth, it will not trip on an overload or short circuit.
In the case of an overload or short circuit on the "Bedroom" sockets, the 100A house fuse
is the only overload device present and the socket wiring would burn out long before the fuse reacted.

The tangle of wires in front of the "Bedroom" box is for the telephone extensions.

DO NOT COPY ANY OF THE PRACTISES SHOWN HERE !
One of the fuseboxes in the loft, almost impossible to get access to in an emergency

One of the fuseboxes in the loft, almost impossible to get access to in an emergency.
A second fusebox in the loft, this time with a piece of the side broken and missing

A second fusebox in the loft, this time with a piece of the side broken and missing.
Closeup of the fusebox above showing that the copper busbar just inside the broken cover is LIVE !

Closeup of the fusebox above showing that the copper busbar just inside the broken cover is LIVE.
The mess inside the 1st fusebox

The mess inside the 1st fusebox, with an open back, close to flammable material and uninsulated earth wires.
EARTH CHOPPED OFF!

The 2nd fusebox is fed from one of the circuits on the 1st fusebox by some twin & earth cable WITH THE EARTH CHOPPED OFF!
Also note different size cables fed from the same fuse and uninsulated earth wires.
a stubby death trap on the white fuse holder

On closer examination, there's another stubby death trap on the white fuse holder.
A collection of dangerous junctions and a socket showing signs of starting a fire

A collection of dangerous junctions and a socket showing signs of starting a fire.
DO NOT COPY ANY OF THE PRACTISES SHOWN HERE !
A pair of terrible twins

A pair of terrible twins - just waiting to knock you dead!
DO NOT COPY ANY OF THE PRACTISES SHOWN HERE !
I'm a fire starter

I'm a fire starter - a twisted fire starter!
DO NOT COPY ANY OF THE PRACTISES SHOWN HERE !
a dangerous fire risk in the loft

Polystyrene packing material, in contact with PVC cables, combined with heat in the loft leaves things in a very dangerous state.
DO NOT COPY ANY OF THE PRACTISES SHOWN HERE !
safety earth not connected

The bare copper earths on the left are twisted together (does not comply with the wiring regulations), but more of
a concern is the earth on the right that is not connected. This indicates A DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY LETHAL EARTH FAULT!

NEVER DISCONNECT AN EARTH CONNECTION FOR ANY REASON

DO NOT COPY ANY OF THE PRACTISES SHOWN HERE !
A VERY REAL POSSIBILITY OF KILLING SOMEONE!

THE WIRING OF THIS JUNCTION BOX IS DANGEROUS BEYOND BELIEF AND HAS THE VERY REAL POSSIBILITY OF KILLING SOMEONE!
Note the rightmost terminal - the GREEN/YELLOW wire is being used as a switched live connection and is LIVE under some circumstances.

THE GREEN/YELLOW WIRE MUST ONLY BE USED FOR EARTH AND NO OTHER PURPOSE!

DO NOT COPY ANY OF THE PRACTISES SHOWN HERE !
your house insurance will be invalid when this is found - even if was not the cause of the fire!

This arrangement is totally inappropriate and dangerous on so many levels.
And you can guarantee that your house insurance will be invalid when this is found - even if was not the cause of the fire!

DO NOT COPY ANY OF THE PRACTISES SHOWN HERE !
Never modify a 13A plug, wire it with twin and earth cable, fit more than one flex or a 2 core flex.

Never modify a 13A plug, wire it with twin & earth cable, fit more than one flex or a 2 core flex.
DO NOT COPY ANY OF THE PRACTISES SHOWN HERE !
unacceptable junction terminations

unacceptable junction terminations

unacceptable junction terminations

This type of junction block, wrapped in tape or unwrapped are not acceptable and very dangerous.
DO NOT COPY ANY OF THE PRACTISES SHOWN HERE !
unacceptable method of clipping cables

unacceptable method of clipping cables

Nails are not acceptable cable clips and notching ceiling joists is against Building Regulations.
DO NOT COPY ANY OF THE PRACTISES SHOWN HERE !
An extension lead in the loft - but it's powering the external lights

An extension lead in the loft - but it's powering the external lights.
DO NOT COPY ANY OF THE PRACTISES SHOWN HERE !
A 13A socket above the hob in the kitchen

And finally, a 13A socket above a hob and switches too close to the hob.
Sockets & switches should be at least 300mm (about 1ft) to the left or right of a hob and never above.
DO NOT COPY ANY OF THE PRACTISES SHOWN HERE !

eec247 Homepage