Rules and Guidelines
Want to participate in the discussions? Please read our Community Rules and Guidelines. Need some help? Visit Support and Answers.

  • Locked Locked
  • Replies 161 replies
  • Subscribers 9 subscribers
  • Views 2471 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
You may also be interested in
This discussion is locked.
You cannot post a reply to this discussion. If you have a question start a new discussion

Confessions of an Electrician...

Lisa Miles

So while we’ve not been able to log into the community (you can do so now if you didn’t already know) I’ve been keeping myself out of mischief Blush by going through some of the discussion topics on the old Wiring Regs forum and came across this one: Walking off site where some of you were sharing stories about your experiences with client's pets while on the job. 


So I thought it would be a bit of fun to ask you to share some of your funny/bizarre or just weird stories (keeping it relatively clean and protecting the privacy of others please!) from any jobs you’ve been on or done.


… And I’ll send some swag to the author of the story that gets voted the ‘Most helpful/liked’ from the community so don't forget to hit that 'Good Answer' link on any that make you chuckle! (Log in required)



  • Not really 'my' confession but a bit of a funny story related to the IET's office at Michael Faraday House...


    When I started work here around 16 years ago now, there was a set of lights on the first floor that were always switched on, day and night. Reason being because no one could work out which bank of light switches controlled them! There were many tests done over the years and the conclusion was just that they must have been wired in that way somehow. 


    Fast forward a few years and our new Facilities Manager was having some remodeling done of the offices on the first floor to accommodate some new meeting rooms/offices for the Senior Managers. While the contractors were taking down a partition wall (that I suspect was originally put up in the past major building refurbishment back in 2002) they found a light switch nestled in the gap between the wall studs and plasterboard... and it was switched on... ?

  • Chris Pearson:




    Legh Richardson:

    Surely, the ferret was protected as it was in a Faraday cage?




    I am not at all sure that it was a Faraday cage because it was not protecting the occupant from an external electrical influence.


    Voltage is, of course, a relative value. So from the ferret's perspective, everything in its environment was at zero volts. However, if the cage was opened, or the ferret poked its snout through the bars, a potential difference could have arisen.


    Nonetheless, Kelly's mentioning of the risk to the critter was astute 'cos some folk will show more concern for their animals than themselves. Odd isn't it!


     




    I suppose then it must have been a Ferret'sday cage.


    But what then would be the definition of a Faraday cage?

    A cage that was impossible to make contact externally while being enclosed?

    However, the nature of the protection is still the same as long as you didn't wriggle.

    I digress.......


    Legh

  • I fitted LED cabinet lighting in a kitchen supplied by not realising that although all from the same manufacturer and looking identical that some were 12 volt and others were 24 volt; and I had mixed them up.


    The kitchen fitter passed comment that one set of lights were a odd shade of white just before they turned purple and went up in smoke.


    The kitchen firm sent another set and I fitted them, we blamed the manufacturer as identical sets of lights had been ordered and it was the manufacturer who had dispatched lights of different voltages.


    I didn’t pay for the replacement lights, so I assume the kitchen firm got another set of lights as a free of charge replacement from the manufacturer.


    Andy B.
  • Not me but my brother (honestly)...

    Working as part of a hospital radio station team, they found an old piece of equipment and they didn't know if it worked. The circuit board said it was 240V (at least it would have said this if the zero hadn't been worn away, which was evident from the large gap between the 24 and the V.....). As he said later, who on earth puts such a large gap so it says '24     V'.

    Putting 240V on a 24V circuit board resulted in a wrecked piece of equipment, the station off-air and possibly the fire alarms going off (though I can't remember if this last bit was part of the story).
  • Hey Lisa you don't look old enough to have been working at IET for 16 years how do you do it?

  • Hey Lisa you don't look old enough to have been working at IET for 16 years how do you do it?





    It's best you don't ask questions like that Kelly Marie - we're talking dark arts here! ??
  • Lol ok

  • Kelly Marie:

    Hey Lisa you don't look old enough to have been working at IET for 16 years how do you do it?


     

     


    Ohh I'm a lot older than I look, or behave to be quite frank...   I put it down to some good genes... 


    I also tell people that yes my profile photo is me.. on an exceptionally good day... but yes it is me. 


  • OMS:




    Zoomup:

    I had better not join in as my post will probably be removed with no reasons given.


    Z.



    Will you get a grip  - you've been told they've been moved  - not deleted


    If you moan anymore we'll send you over to Mumsnet


    OMS


    That simply is NOT the case.


    Z.
     


     




     

  • Former Community Member
    Former Community Member
    OK, Z - have you looked in the Online Community Support and Savoy Place Virtual Club 


    Are you suggesting that other posts you've made (other than the ones highlighted above) have been deleted ?


    If not, it's Mumsnet for you


    OMS




Join us to get the best from IET EngX.

Joining EngX lets you personalise your experience so you stay up to date on the topics that interest you, plus you’ll be able to make connections who are looking to collaborate, exchange ideas and more.

Join us Not now

Community Rules & Guidelines