15/01/2021
Yesterday, we were asked to investigate a tripping RCD within a consumer unit at a domestic property. This property also had a second distribution board in the rear utility room. This contained one RCD (faulty) and three MCBs. The MCBs provided power to four socket outlets and lighting within the utility room, along with power to the swimming pool pump distribution board, Garden lighting, water features and garden socket outlets. So what I hear you say? Well the power to the said Distribution board was taken as a spur from a single socket outlet within another room. Not only that, the cable had been joined with connectors, before the distribution board as you will see in the picture. It was found that a fire had started within the spurred socket outlet, and this had caused the tripping. Further inspection revealed that the fire damaged socket was on the same circuit as the other Socket outlets within the Villa. Which meant three bedrooms, lounge, two bathrooms, kitchen, dinning room, laundry room, some outside lighting and five, yes five, air conditioning units were on the same 20 amp MCB. To add insult to injury, the power to the house had reverse polarity, meaning the Line/Live cable was now the neutral and the neutral was Line/Live. To make matters worse this wrong connection had been made at the meter by the supplier, meaning the overall last form of defence, the meter fuse, was on the neutral side. In other words it was useless. Unbelievable shoddy and dangerous work! Please everyone, don't take electricity for granted, it has a habit of kicking back. B-Safe and stay safe.
