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[Johnmelad502]

I received a telephone call from an Indian chap yesterday asking me if I could connect up his copy machine for him. No prob thought I, it probably just needs a plug connecting and plugging in. Should earn me a quick £36.00. I explained that I charge £12.00 an hour for a minimum of three hours. The conversation was a bit difficult as English was not his native language.

When I turn up, this is what he wanted connecting...

Untitled

• Johnmelad502
• 22 Oct 2009
• 1

A coffee (not copy) machine - Industrial - and I had to decline the work as I would not have known where to start.

I did look for a plate on the machine just to show him that it was not something that could be connected to a 13 amp plug.

I don't even know why it had a blue and red twisted together and two blacks twisted together.

My electrical knowledge is limited and I suspect this would have required a dedicated line back to the CU.

So, next time I deal with a language barrier, I will make sure I really know what the person wants done.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Room Service ( RS): "Morny. Ruin sorbees"

Guest( G):: "Sorry, I thought I dialed room-service."

RS: "Rye…Ruin sorbees…Morny! Djewish to odor sunteen??"

G:: "Uh…yes…I’d like some bacon and eggs."

RS: "Ow July den?"

G:: "What?"

RS: "Ow July den?... pry, boy, pooch?"

G:: "Oh,the eggs! How do I like them? Sorry,scrambled please."

RS: "Ow July dee bayhcem…crease?"

G:: "Crisp will be fine"

RS: "Hocay. An San tos?"

G:: "What?"

RS: "San tos. July San tos?"

G:: "I don’t think so?"

RS: "No? Judo one toes??"

G:: "I feel really bad about this, but I don’t know what ‘judo one toes" means"

RS: "Toes! Toes!...why djew Don Juan toes? Ow bow singlish mopping webother?"

G:: "English muffin!! I’ve got it! You were saying "Toast".fine. Yes, an English muffin will be fine."

RS: "We bother?"

G:: "No…just put the bother on the side."

RS: "Wad?"

G:: "I mean butter…just put it on the side."

RS: "Copy?"

G:: "Sorry?’

RS: "Copy..tea..mill?"

G:: "Yes,Coffee, please, and that’s all"

RS: "One Minnie. Ass ruin torino fee, strangle ache, crease baychem, tossy singlish mopping we bother honey sigh, and copy…rye??"

G:: "Whatever you say"

RS: "Tendjewberrymud."

G:: "You’re welcome!

 

[Stoday]

One day I'ma gonna Malta to bigga hotel. Ina morning I go down to eat breakfast. I tella waitress I wanna two piece toast. She breeng me only one piece. I tella her I want two piece. She say go to toilet. I say you no understand, I wanna two piece onna my plate...

Later I go to eat at the bigga restaurant. The waitress breng me a spoon and a knife, but no fork. I tella her I wanna fork. She tell me everyone wanna fork. I tella her you no undestand. I wanna fork onna the table...

So I go back to my room inna hotel and there is no sheets onna ma bed. I calla the manager anna tell him I wanna sheet. He tella me go to toilet. I say you no understand, I wanna sheet onna ma bed...

I go to check out and man at desk say "Peace on you". I say p*ss on you too, I gonna back to Italy.

 

[Paul_C]

I did look for a plate on the machine just to show him that it was not something that could be connected to a 13 amp plug.

Did you find one?

I don't even know why it had a blue and red twisted together and two blacks twisted together.

Is that actually red, or is it brown?

My first thought on seeing the 5-core cord is that it's just a common Continental flex for a 3-phase appliance: Brown for L1, two blacks for L2 & L3, blue neutral, green/yellow earth.

Maybe the twisting of the wires together was the owner's original (failed) attempt at getting it working here?

 

[plugwash]

or it could be a three phase appliance that has been converted to single phase and some of the cores in the flex doubled up to increase the flexes current carrying capaicty.

Either way it needs someone who understands such applicances to take a look.

 

[Paul_C]

Either way it needs someone who understands such applicances to take a look.

Definitely. Further investigation needed to be sure.

 

[ebee]

Anyone know Unwinese aka Gobbledegook


Gldielollipers and the three bearloaders ............. oh folly folly

 

[Fred_Fanackapan]

Deep joy!

 

[WabbitPoo]

My electrical knowledge is limited

and you were thinking of receiving money for doing electrical work for him?!? Can of worms, there....

 

[Johnmelad502]

My electrical knowledge is limited

and you were thinking of receiving money for doing electrical work for him?!? Can of worms, there....[/quote

Yes, and as long as I know my limitations and work within the law do you have a problem with that?

On Wednesday I will be replacing 12 plastic sockets, double and single with brushed chrome, 7 plastic light switches with brushed chrome for a customer (for £40) whose ceiling lights (10) I replaced last week for £70.

A local spark had quoted £210 for the same jobs.

 

[RF Lighting]

Do you have insurance incase you burn the house down or electrocute the householder?

 

[disinfo]

On Wednesday I will be replacing 12 plastic sockets, double and single with brushed chrome, 7 plastic light switches with brushed chrome for a customer (for £40) whose ceiling lights (10) I replaced last week for £70.

How will you be testing that the CPC is connected and is good enough to operate the protective device in the event of a fault?

 

[Johnmelad502]

On Wednesday I will be replacing 12 plastic sockets, double and single with brushed chrome, 7 plastic light switches with brushed chrome for a customer (for £40) whose ceiling lights (10) I replaced last week for £70.

How will you be testing that the CPC is connected and is good enough to operate the protective device in the event of a fault?

Ring circuit continuity will be carried out as per 713-03-01 and as described in section 2.7.6 of IEE guidance note 3 and Tthe NICEIC Inspection and test book pages 224-227.

 

[ricicle]

And the lighting CPC effectiveness ?

btw Ring circuit continuity is not strictly checking for CPC effectiveness either .

 

[disinfo]

So you'll be checking earth fault loop impedance as well then I presume?