Morons on TV

[Steve]

I was watching Discovery Real Time earlier, more specifically, 101 things you dont need a builder for.

It was the one where they build a home office. They wanted 2 wall mounted lamps. On a stud wall. So they drilled 2 holes high up where they wanted lights, and 2 holes low down next to sockets. Then they fished through some wire, intending to plug these lamps in.

Next scene was them mounting the lights. "Ive connected the flex from the lights to this offcut of speaker wire we had left over, to reach down to the sockets" Now as if this wasn't bad enough. There was no sign of terminal blocks on this connection, it was simply wrapped in red insulating tape (I doubt they had a set of crimps handy)! And they were going to shove this down the stud wall!

"And by keeping all the wiring on the surface, we have saved £100 on an electrician!"

Morons. This is the worst bit of TV DIY I have ever seen. I am surprised nobody complained to them. Surely they consult the trades before they air this sort of stuff, especially where it concerns electrical work and plumbing??


Oh God, i've just put it back on and they're doing a kitchen. Heaven forbid.

 

[securespark]

Don't forget to let us know how they extended a ring with blocks tape and 1mm2, forgot the groms, ran spurs from spurs, upgraded the cooker and left the circuit as was, etc....

 

[Steve]

The guy just referred to a RCD as a REDUCED CIRCUIT DEVICE

It'd be funny if he wasn't giving advice on TV!

He was on about using it on a power tool, narrating over the film of him cutting a worktop up, yet on the film, you could see there was no RCD plug on his power tool!

 

[didthathurt]

I've just realised that I'm way undercharging if these quotes of cash saved are anything to go by!!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I was watching Discovery Real Time

You pay for that, don't you?

Hit them with a small-claims-court claim for a partial refund on the grounds that what they are transmitting is not fit for purpose.

 

[supersparky]

great advice from bas there, please do it

 

[dingbat]

Sounds like they might have advised a recent client of mine. He'd moved a shower about eighteen inches sideways by extending with choc-block from the old position, using some 1.5 sq mm T&E he had lying around (yes, 1.5!!) and tiling over. He reckons it worked for about three weeks before it went bang - a big enough bang to completely sever all three cores!

Love it.

 

[plugwash]

it doesn't surprise me, at the end of the day even if the plastic is molten if there is nothing to disturb it then it may take a while before the live and earth/neutral (though live-earth is more likely than live-neutral with T&E) cores happen to touch (out of interest was this shower on a rcd).

 

[RF Lighting]

and why did the fellars wear dust masks wile applying contact adhesive? What exactly do they think that will achive?

Oh and the wiring wasn't actually quite as bad as crafty made out. The scrap of speaker wire was only used as a draw wire, and not actually for the power.

They also mentioned a bit about part P but got it sooooooo wrong.

 

[securespark]

How many times would we attempt a similar cabling exercise, only to find numerous bits of tree in the way?

 

[RF Lighting]

I might be getting a bit obsessed with this program now, but they just put an external joint in a black bag, wrapped it in tap and burried it in concrete.

That'll be money well saved when the damp gets in and it all goes t**s up

"were installing low voltage lights outside so we don't need an electrician"

 

[Adam_151]

I remember a series of DIY videos covering many aspects of DIY, can't remember what they were called now, but the electrics one springs to mind, they showed how to install wall lights, chase at 45 to make sure you have got room fo your fixings, lay the cable and fill up with expanding foam....

 

[RF Lighting]

I remember a series of DIY videos covering many aspects of DIY, can't remember what they were called now, but the electrics one springs to mind, they showed how to install wall lights, chase at 45 to make sure you have got room fo your fixings, lay the cable and fill up with expanding foam....

I have the very same video
I must dig out the video recorder and watch it again

 

[breezer]

video, must be old then. date any one?

 

[Adam_151]

video, must be old then. date any one?

Early to mid '90s afaik