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RE: Urgent question on AW10's


  • To: <ukha_d@xxxxxxx>
  • Subject: RE: Urgent question on AW10's
  • From: "Kenneth Watt" <kennethwatt@xxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 08:09:38 +0100
  • Delivered-to: rich@xxxxxxx
  • Delivered-to: mailing list ukha_d@xxxxxxx
  • Mailing-list: list ukha_d@xxxxxxx; contact ukha_d-owner@xxxxxxx
  • Reply-to: ukha_d@xxxxxxx

Title: Re: [ukha_d] Urgent question on AW10's

Kevin,

 

Of course I did not mean to work on a live circuit, but then I had assumed that anyone with an ounce of sense would know that so anyone in this group should be just fine in that department. You should never work on a circuit that is not dead what I meant was that if the wiring was wrong in any way an RCB protected circuit is far better for working on for people that are unsure as it just pops the breaker if there’s a problem and RCB’s have been a legal requirement for habitation certificates since the eighties. Also they are mostly retrofitted on any major electrical work carried out in the past 10-15 years so they should cover a great many people. I did also point out that a meter, obviously capable of reading mains voltages, was really needed simply as this is a far more accurate and positive way of checking for juice than a simple mains tester, which only tells you if there is a live feed, nothing much else unless its an LCD one that can give an indication of earth leakage if used correctly.

 

What my intention was was to point out the simplicity of the task at hand and if I’m still not 100% sure I ask a spark to have a look and either do the job or advise on the best way forward.

 

K.

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Kevin Hawkins [mailto:tivo@xxxxxxx]
Sent: 23 April 2001 01:20
To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx Subject: Re: [ukha_d] Urgent question on AW10's

 

   I must really say that I am gob smacked here - Mains IS a problem and it is lethal. Treat it with the utmost respect. There is an inference from this post you can experiment with live mains if you have an RCB all will be well - and that if you dont you'll just blow a fuse. This is NOT true and I don't think Kenneth meant it to sound that way. It's just ambiguous.

Whilst most 'sparkies'  flaunt the risks they also do so in an educated way. Whilst it is probable that you are unlikey to come to harm with RCB's in circuit the biggest risk is not knowing if they are protecting you, particularly if you are not knowledgeable.  

    I would strongly recommend - let me rephrase that - ABSOLUTELY INSIST - that you NEVER NEVER work on a live mains circuit - always ensure that the fuse is removed (or tripped) for that circuit before you do anything. ( also make sure also that no other person will reset the fuse if it is a trip type eg for a lighting circuit shared with other people).  Use a mains neon tester on the live wire to prove the circuit is dead, Make sure you are reasonably well earthed when you do this (it makes the neon indicator brighter and more definative) - and only ever physically touch the top end of the screwdriver.

   Having said that what you are trying to achieve here is fairly straight forward and lots of people here can give you advice. The timers are likely to be fed by one common llive supply (brown or red wire) that is split into 3 switched live supplies after the timer switches (still red or brown wires) it is each of these 3 that you need to intercept and either connect in series with through a relay (Timer ON permanent) or in parallel with from the main supply to the switched (Timer OFF permanently).

   I you have a fax I will send you a sketch of what to do if that would help but please never get complacent about the mains - and never work on it live even if there is an RCB on the supply. If in doubt get an electrician in.

   I am sorry if I am ranting and raving to people who know all these things but I have a past experience in this area that I would never wish to see happen again.

   Kevin

on 23/4/01 12:43 am, Kenneth Watt at kennethwatt@xxxxxxx wrote:


Mains is not a problem, you just need to follow some basic rules and have a
meter to hand :o) anyway, a little jolt is good for the heart now and then,
at least that's what my boss used to tell me! Don't worry about
experimenting, particularly if you have an RCD unit, you really can't do any
harm if you have one of those. Fused supplies are a bit more tricky if you
do the wrong thing, but still as long as your not holding an open live &
neutral the worst you can do is pop a fuse.



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