Chinese Take away

[Wontdothatagain]

Just got back from an rapid response job, customer called there supplier as there was a loud bang from the meter cupboard and a smell of burning.

Got there. It was a Chinese Take away with living accommodation above for 8 staff. Put the PPE on and had a poke around. Very quickly pulled the fuse.

No bonding on this and no Earth to DB in flat above. Metal case lit my drummond up like a Xmas tree

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• Wontdothatagain
• 21 Apr 2011
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• Wontdothatagain
• 21 Apr 2011
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Last week he had a problem with the 2 deep fat friers not working. Got a friend to have a look and fitted a new 2 way CU with a 63A, 30ma RCD and 1 50A MCB going to an isolator and a piece of 6mmCSA feeding both friers.

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• Wontdothatagain
• 21 Apr 2011
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• Wontdothatagain
• 21 Apr 2011
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• Wontdothatagain
• 21 Apr 2011
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The rest of the DB was still operating 4 RF & 2 lighting.

Got to the meter,

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• Wontdothatagain
• 21 Apr 2011
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Those 2 strands were still powering the entire installation

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• Wontdothatagain
• 21 Apr 2011
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• Wontdothatagain
• 21 Apr 2011
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He was not a happy bunney when i told him i was not going to turn the power back on until he had brought his installation up to current standards.

 

[westie101]

You just can't make these sort of things up.

 

[aptsys]

What caused the bang?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Got a friend to have a look and fitted a new 2 way CU with a 63A, 30ma RCD and 1 50A MCB going to an isolator and a piece of 6mmCSA feeding both friers.

I trust you'll be reporting this to the council, and then following it up with letters to your councillor(s) and to the District Auditor about their failure to enforce the Building Regulations (assuming they do SFA re your report)?

Again, if the council do SFA, if you're aware of any local papers/journalists who are hostile to the council they might be interested in running a story, with photos, about how they do nothing to stop illegal and dangerous electrical work taking place on their watch.

He was not a happy bunney when i told him i was not going to turn the power back on until he had brought his installation up to current standards.

You can't stop him turning it back on, though.

 

[westie101]

You can't stop him turning it back on, though.

If the organisation Wontdothatagain is anything like the one I do, he's welcome to try and the REC can just cut the cable outside in the street.
We did that to a local Kebab shop in 2009, the final bill he had to pay to get re-connected was higher than any fine! Not counting the fines from the council as he tried to run the shop via a portable generator (oh, they confiscated that)

Never forget that the REC's can instigate prosecutions through the ESCQR and the Electricity Act, and as has been done have the power to disconnect a supply (which I don't thing the councild have)

 

[Symptoms]

Sure, the electrics might be a danger to the 8 staff but consider the hundreds of punters scoffing grub from a place like that ... a food outlet with an open tray of what looks like rat poison on table just below scorched CU.

 

[bernardgreen]

a food outlet with an open tray of what looks like rat poison on table just below scorched CU.

What's the problem ? If it is rat poison it won't affect humans

But seriously how can a business serving the public be allowed to operate with that diabolical installation. What about the environmental health inspectors who must at some time inspected the place. Why couldn't they "informally mention" to the relevant people that the electrics looked bit dubious. Or does "political correctness" prevent people raising concerns about matters they are not professionally involved in ?

 

[Wontdothatagain]

What caused the bang?

I am pretty sure it was being overloaded. The friers on there own are 5500W each (big comercial ones like in McDonalds) and they had 8 chest freezers as well as 4 rice cookers at 1600W each. That was just for the shop, you then had the flat above and all this was running in 16mm CSA tails.

I trust you'll be reporting this to the council

We HAVE to report this to the Council, their supplier and the DNO as the status of the MPAN is held on a national database. If they do anything is another matter but i should find out as i have put a follow up tag on the report.

a food outlet with an open tray of what looks like rat poison on table

I am certainly not making excuses for this place but this was in a floor level cupboard with doors.


Forgot to add, all the seals were present so the "friend" who fitted the new DB did so "live".

 

[efiste2]

Put the PPE on and had a poke around

I know its probably an everyday thing for most of you guys, but take a pat on the back for the PPE.....well done.
Only just had a call from a collegue that one of our cable jointers has cut through a live service cable at the cut out, believing it to be dead, he wasnt wearing his overalls and visor, hence is now in hospital with nasty burns and at the moment cant see out of one of his eyes, This guy has lots of experience and is a DNO employee so he should have known better and will probably be sacked or asked to leave for his actions, but heres wishing him a full and speedy recovery
.....but my point is its good to see other electirc chaps treating the stuff with respect and worth passing on that knowledge and experience......

 

[RF Lighting]

Was that in Liverpool?

 

[efiste2]

As far as i know it was mate yes.......

 

[RF Lighting]

I was working on that site. Sounded pretty nasty waht happened to the lad.

 

[efiste2]

I dont know the full story only Who it was and an outline of what happened, He is a good bloke and a good jointer too.....

 

[RF Lighting]

It's a big construction site. There was an 200A TP feeder for the site supply.

The building is just about finished and now fully running on the new supply, and nothing was connected to the old site supply, and for whatever reason it got cut off whilst still live.

That's as much as I know I'm afraid.

 

[westie101]

Ouch that is sad on so many levels,