boiler engineer or electrician?

[AMGasServices]

When you go through a live cable I'm sure you will notice it or won't you ?

A BG gas engineer went through a live cable and burnt his drill.

 

[Dannypipe]

I use the metal camping tins to catch water and done the same.
under the floor and water had missed the tin, there was a live cable just been chopped off.
live cable sat in water through the tin then to me, strange enough I had to touch it twice?? Peed me right off, I said to the custard anymore like that and I'm off.

Yeah, it makes you really grumpy doesn't it! I know what you mean about touching it twice. I know that sounds stupid but through water it's less harsh. More like prickles.

The strangest thing I ever saw. Was a live cable, stripped and taped with insulating tape to a length of pipe.

I have no idea what voltage was going through it. I put a neon tester on it and it glowed. So I called the sparky in who was working in the room next door.

I never got a shock off the pipe though on that occasion.

 

[Dannypipe]

When you go through a live cable I'm sure you will notice it or won't you ?

A BG gas engineer went through a live cable and burnt his drill.

Oh and if you go through a live and earth, neutral cable you will know all about it. FLASH BANG!!

As you make a short curcuit via your drill, screw etc.

If you hit just a live cable you won't know, unless you make it into a circuit. For instance if you then touched the live screw, and touched another conductor. Thus allowing the electrons to flow.

 

[REDSAW]

Oh and if you go through a live and earth, neutral cable you will know all about it. FLASH BANG!!

As you make a short curcuit via your drill, screw etc.

If you hit just a live cable you won't know, unless you make it into a circuit. For instance if you then touched the live screw, and touched another conductor. Thus allowing the electrons to flow.

tell me about it...
working on a c&a store in shrewsbury years ago, i put one straight through live and earth on a bus bar.
that was one hell of a bang as 3 sparkies flew out of the electrical cabinet as they was working on it and the whole place in darkness...woops.lol

 

[Dannypipe]

Dangerous!! Electrician was killed just before Xmas at my local "Marks & Spencer".

During a busy shopping day. Repairing a microwave in the staff canteen. Poor bloke, you can buy a microwave for £30.

You only need to get it wrong once and it can fry you.

 

[plumber0808]

The strangest thing I ever saw. Was a live cable, stripped and taped with insulating tape to a length of pipe.

I have no idea what voltage was going through it. I put a neon tester on it and it glowed. So I called the sparky in who was working in the room next door.

I never got a shock off the pipe though on that occasion.

Sounds like a mouse trap for plumbers. When you go to cut the scrap out it zaps you.

 

[Dannypipe]

Yeah, it was most odd!!

I couldn't believe it.

 

[plumber0808]

Yeah, it makes you really grumpy doesn't it! I know what you mean about touching it twice. I know that sounds stupid but through water it's less harsh. More like prickles.

yes it sort of goes tingly up your arm

 

[Dannypipe]

Yup, exactly. Not a pleasant experience. Feel sorry for the OP who was in the bath when it occured! May have had a close escape.

 

[Crinkmeister]

I spent an hour or so last summer watching Western Power engineers repair a live cable in the road outside my son's house. The interesting thing was that the guys doing the jointing of the live 3 phase cable were both in their 40's or 50's. Whereas earlier on in the day, the guys doing the locating, digging and preparing the site were all in their 20's. Electricity demands respect and I suppose the older chaps had plenty of experience to draw on.

Glad you got it sorted. I assume your installation is not RCD protected?

 

[REDSAW]

Yup, exactly. Not a pleasant experience. Feel sorry for the OP who was in the bath when it occured! May have had a close escape.

wonder if that helps erectile dis-functions?

 

[Linkyplumb]

This is where a live cable/pipe detector comes into its own. I have a bosch one, cost near on a ton, but well worth it.

To the OP, I am glad it was sorted and that no injury was caused to your family.

 

[andy empsall]

This is where a live cable/pipe detector comes into its own. I have a bosch one, cost near on a ton, but well worth it.

To the OP, I am glad it was sorted and that no injury was caused to your family.

Apart from minor profiles no damage done...unless you count the occasional chill down my spine when I think about the number of times I've bathed my four year old daughter since the boiler was installed...

 

[Howsie]

Good to hear its been resolved safely. I'd be have a word with the company that installed it. They should be checking this sort of thing.

 

[andy empsall]

Good to hear its been resolved safely. I'd be have a word with the company that installed it. They should be checking this sort of thing.

...back to square one! Pipes are being electrified before they get to boiler soborob is elsewhere 'apparently! Funny how it has coincided with the fitting of the boiler! Time to get an electrician out

 

[Howsie]

Oh dear. Who did you call out yesterday?

 

[Centralheatking]

Coincidences like that do not make me happy - get a spark out - he will check the
'coincidence' and the 'apparantly' sounds like one of our fellas who has messed up
and trying to dance out of his responsibilty for his mess up - ie fool me

...back to square one! Pipes are being electrified before they get to boiler soborob is elsewhere 'apparently! Funny how it has coincided with the fitting of the boiler! Time to get an electrician out

 

[armyash]

Scary stuff I'm reading.

 

[villa_tom]

Scary stuff I'm reading.

Wait till your out there ash mate

This is tame compared to some of the stuff I've seen. Especially when I worked at the council and people messed with their electricity meters to try and get free electric.

Electric is the one thing that truly frightens the life out of me :-(

 

[Linkyplumb]

Slightly off topic

Fitted a new ultracom yesterday, replacing and old energysaver. Marked out new boiler position, after taking boiler off the wall.Went to van to get core drill out, looked up and thought oh, i will just get that old flue out while out here. Pulled it out to find the whole of the house ring mains, lights and 10mm shower cable ruuning in the cavity, right where I was going to core.

 

[stevetheplumber]

Scary stuff I'm reading.

before touching any pipe work or boiler you should realy run a volt stick over it gas board and homecare blokes do it every time we all should

 

[plumber0808]

before touching any pipe work or boiler you should realy run a volt stick over it gas board and homecare blokes do it every time we all should

I often do this

 

[Mike Jackson]

Volt sticks can give false readings though so don't rely on them to check for dead.

 

[thompsonbrown]

this needs checked by a qualified engineer but a few things to consider are
1 it would be very unlikely however not impossible for it to be a live electrical short as the live would take the path to earth with least resistance.
other factors to consider are
do you live in a area of high electrolysis eg devon cornwall area.
do you have a ion exchange water softener or a mains powered magnetic filter fitted to your water mains.
what type of electrical consumer unit do you have and when was it last inspected for earth resistance or neutral leakage
i have raised these points purely as other things to consider if when the boiler is tested no fault is found.

 

[theanalyst]

I often do this

If you get a good one, they are a very effective testing method though. I've got a fluke live cable detector and it has saved my bum on several occasions.... It really is one of the tools that I can say has paid for itself without doubt.

Another tip is if as an engineer you are ever in doubt or concerned about pipes or wiring in your working area, firstly do all the checks you can to ensure it is safe, and if still concerned only touch things with the back of your hand until confirmed safe. The reason being is that if you do touch a live, your muscles spasm and grip on to whatever your touching... If its RCD protected you just get a shock. If its old style or somethings faulty, you might get fried, and if no ones there to get you off it, you are in big trouble!