Long live the RCD!

This week I have been really busy, everything from a consumer unit change to a 1st fix in a bathroom. I do sometimes wonder why people call us electricians in to do a job then try to tell me that a mirror non IP rated with lights in it can be fitted in zone one just above the bath! Because the shop that sold it to them said it could! When I told them that it could not I can't remember how many times they asked me “ am I sure? “. When I said to them I will not be starting the works nor giving a certificate for it, they then decided to change where they wanted it. Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind!

Another interesting one we had this week was a consumer unit change, before we stared we did our usual tests, all seemed fine so we changed the consumer unit, also changed a light in the customers extension and replaced a broken socket front. I feel I must tell you all of my findings in the customers house as I have got to admit I have never come across this in such a great scale before.

After we changed the consumer unit and done our usual tests we went around the house plugging all the appliances back in, and I can honestly say that about 90% of their appliances tripped the RCD's.
Almost every plug top was wired with the neutral in the earth pin and the earth in the neutral pin! And the flex's were stripped back so far that the bare coppers were touching each other, Like I said I can truly say I have not seen this in such scale in one property before. Although this is a great example of how an old fuse box would not pick these faults up. Long live the RCD!