DEATH TRAP CONSUMER UNIT - Electrician Life

[@artisanelectrics]

🧰🛠 Tool Of The Day 👇 Unilite Pocket Light: amzn.to/3C0Agu7

[@makg4655]

INSTALLATION OF EV MIGHT BE EASY .. BUT HOW ABOUT SAYING HOW DIFFERENT EARTHING SET UPS EFFECT IT . And / if additional earth rods might be needed for it .. also what rating of 32amp idle needed eg 6/10/30 kw

[@matthewvincent9284]

Hyper volt sent us stainless steal templates for all our ev installers

[@artisanelectrics]

@@matthewvincent9284 yeah we have the same

[@curtismal1726]

Funny that Corey mentioned he thinks the consumer unit is secondhand by the odd labels. My house used to have a crabtree c50 too and one of the MCB's was labelled up as "vending machine"

[@TheOmegaRiddler]

phone the council and ask for your vending machine

[@Der_Radiotechniker]

I want to see that vending machine, that draws 50 amps.

[@shortcircuit7149]

Hi Cory. After over 40 years in the industry nothing surprises me now. All the time the DIY stores are supplying boards and any jo bloggs can buy one your going to get issues.

[@keithduthie]

12:50 - Don't sell yourself short, Cory. As performing monkeys go, you're doing a bang-up job.

[@SuperJoeyace1]

Great channel and content. At first Cory wasn’t my cup of tea, but I was proved wrong long ago. He is a great professional and explains things patiently and with care. Great asset to the company. Excellent work. Keep those videos coming.

[@philjones863]

Just started watching this channel over the last week, I'm not in the trade but this is enjoyable viewing. Cory from 5:00...I'm always incredibly impressed by leaders who can readily admit they don't know something. It's a strong statement of character. Best wishes from Sydney, Australia.

[@bigjd2k]

You don’t actually need a bag in a Henry, the “membrane” filter stops dust. But be prepared to pull the filter out in a bin bag so the dust doesn’t go everywhere, and bang the filter out on a tree or post to get the dust out of it 😀

[@grahamek86]

To be fair, the regs are pretty solid. Britain has some of the best electrical safety regulations on the planet. The problem is the lazy cheap buggers that refuse to follow them

[@johnchristmas7522]

That they may be but I used to be an Industrial electrical Technician and when all the immigrants come over from Europe they were given J.I.B CARDS for nothing! One guy I confronted, because he didn't know how to connect up a plug, openly admitted, in his country he was a farm labourer! So there are plenty out there, not qualified at all. Regs is one thing, but when it comes down to. cost cost cost all kinds of corners were cut.

[@grahamek86]

@@johnchristmas7522 yeah you can see that now with the quality of the new builds in the UK. Snagging lists as long as Santas Naughty List.

[@AJ-tj7jm]

​@john christmas We even harmonised our cable colours to European standards to make it easier for them, when Red meaning both live and danger being the most sensible. Red Yellow and Blue being vibrant clearly distinguishable colours to identify phases, are now brown black and grey. So what was once the colour to identify a live phase conductor is now the neutral and what was the neutral is now a phase. Brown is now a line conductor which many moons ago would have been the earth and probably still is in other parts of the world, the wonderful logic spawned from the EU never ceases to amaze.

[@OkenWS]

Having worked on the meters for 3 years, I cannot STAND henley 2-tier blocks. Luckily SSE was using 5-way Lucy blocks which you would wire up Line and Neutral separately and they were far, far easier to work with and didn't break as often. The same cannot be said for our isolators. Bet every spark out there has sheared the screw on the top cover of the new Wylex isolators.

[@mathman0101]

Here is a tip no charge Artisan😇. Before you do any work for any consumer you do a week of electrical data logging on usage by putting CT clamps on for a week. That way you have a great sense of the load usage and can really dial in the installation. It will provide you with more options and be confident with any additions that the installation is not going to be compromised by your additions. Moreover that extra step is in line with the Artisan way going above and beyond.

[@petermichaelgreen]

If the house has gas heating and the EV charger has a correctly configured grid limit there are highly unlikely to be any overloading issues even with a main fuse of "only" 60A.

[@heladas90]

If you put a CT on then why would you need to know the houses usage

[@bramcoteelectrical1088]

too much messing about...busy sparkies have jobs to get to

[@mathman0101]

@@bramcoteelectrical1088 😂 yep not for a standard install unless you go above and beyond. I do suspect when you do repair a property in the future with more DC smart devices, solar, EV and various other power needs - power quality issues are going to be become important and it will become an important part of future testing. At that point the busy sparky will be even busier.

[@jdaley197931]

Credit to you for venturing into the old crabtree unit. A useful lesson to be learned about checking all connections. I suspect whoever installed the small consumer unit for the submain neglected to check if the tails were secure in the crabtree unit.

[@mattlee3044]

Fantastic spot that the lights flickered when you wiggled a tail, great testing technique ! Impressive that you went after it, and fixed it. Entertaining and impressive video. Also learned about the plasticiser leeching issue from soft polystyrenes. So, educational, too. Next door left their house, turned the power off, then simply cut an external IP65 plug socket from the wall, snipping through the supply, which they poked back flush with the wall. Next contractor in turned on the power, and left it on. Dry day. When it next rained, we had our own lightening show and explosions from the live supply end of the external plug cable. All resolved with a call to the new owner, and no-one hurt - but REALLY ! You can’t write this stuff.

[@vjaceslavprants6258]

For that type of installation in a pitch-black electrical storage room, I would recommend an LED head torch band. Absolutely brilliant, both hands are free and as bright as day. Good job though as always!

[@RutlandG1zz]

BS88 blowing is always a brown trouser moment :) ... the march of time, love it :)

[@rexeady4325]

Cory, I still have a tin of that asbestos filler powder in my workshop. Must be over 40 years old now, and I haven’t touched it for decades. It was made by Rawplug, and came in an orange tin. It was good stuff in it’s day, and as the apprentice I always had to mix it up with spit - ahh the good ‘ole days!!

[@GodmanchesterGoblin]

I remember that too. We always had some in the toolbox at home in the 60s and 70s. Rolled it with a little spit in the palm of a hand and then squeezed it into the hole ready for the screw.

[@Gr33nMamba]

I might be missing something here, but if you're a regular installer of Hypervolt, surely they could issue you a plastic/metal template to keep in your kit & use every time. I imagine they are under pressure to cut down on unnecessary packaging. Surely there are more professional installers than DIY purchases.

[@heladas90]

Also for anyone needing to install a Type A RCD on a charger install, FuseBox do a miniature RCBO which is Double Pole.

[@michaelboyes4948]

Great video as per, one thing you should always do before re-inserting the main cutout fuse is a short circuit test, this will indicate whether or not you've accidentally put a line or neutral conductor in the wrong terminal of the Henley block. To do a short circuit test use your voltage indicator and go between both contacts where the fuse carrier sits in the service head if your probs light up saying there's 230v then you've mixed your polarity in your Henley block

[@brad30]

🤭 That's definitely due to experience 🤣

[@michaelboyes4948]

@@brad30 nahh thats how meter maids and dno are taught to insert the fuse

[@brad30]

@@michaelboyes4948 I thought you might have nearly blown yourself once upon a time

[@michaelboyes4948]

@@brad30 ahh nah I always triple check what I do 🤣

[@michaelboyes4948]

@@MrEnixa no you wouldn't you'd get a lighting bolt warning signal if your testers have single pole voltage indication, If you use Drummond tester it won't light up which is what you want

[@jayktee96]

I don't remember Rawlpugs made from asbestos, they were always brown fibre, there was an asbestos type loose in a tin which you had to moisten and roll into shape to fit the hole- I think it was called Philliplug. In my apprenticeship days we always used a Rawlplug tool and a hammer, could take 10 minutes to make a 1½" x8 hole, Rawlplug started to make 'Durium' drills around 1965, my boss had one No.8, he used to keep it in the safe!! I think they cost about 6/- (30p) then.

[@AS19283]

For estimating I think I saved about 20 hrs per month by having them send photos in. Even if some needed tweaked those quotes either eliminated customers quickly or got people booked in even with the caveat that costs may change if we found crazy stuff.

[@heladas90]

As standard we are fitting SPDs on all EV installs and would definitely be fitting SWA in a driveway.

[@andytap560]

Definitely SWA around door too

[@mdshovel]

That vacuum mounted on the SDS - I've had them on order for 4 months with Dewalt !! We get a lot of pre-2000 Artex and it looks like the best solution .... when I can get it

[@havoctrousers]

Still got a 3 phase C50 board in service (also second hand). The breakers only have a magnetic trip, no thermal but they still comply. You don't need RCD protection on earthed armoured cable (522.6.204), so as long as you're putting a board in the garden with an RCD main switch and your EV charger has an RCD you could technically come off that old C50. Not that I'd want to either :D

[@ewsclass6679]

That trunking on the neighbours wall during Cory's moan section 😂

[@titmando1199]

I couldn't help but notice that horrific sight as well 😂😂

[@chrishewlet5471]

So I wasn't the only one.

[@danmuygallo]

"Let me know if you've ever done this... I was digging out a hole with my vacuum cleaner" 😂

[@davidfaraday7963]

I used asbestos rawlplugs at one time as my Dad had a tin of it which I inherited. As it was both easy to use and effective it was a good system (apart from the minor matter of the health hazard!)

[@richardjones5255]

No one can remember everything, but knowing that something should meet a regulation and how to check the requirement, then doing it the right way, is pretty much the battle won.

[@antonarasanastasopoulos3482]

That reddy reddy tail almost got as a firework surprise ...cory what's out man better put on some insulated gloves on some of those ...we want more of yours😂..take care ,keep doing it ,we love it.

[@smartchip]

This guy is a clone of my best bud who also is a electrician, Stuart, he is hilarious and always happy, I used to say Henry blok,when I was a young en, everyone knew what I meant, did not correct me, lol, "I have safely isolated 'don't ask me how" sssssshhhhhh, 23:40, Oyeah part P came about because a mp' s daughter passed away in uni digs, so yeah, the guy on the video is spot on, good lad,

[@oldbutstillcurious3615]

? Is crossing the cables in a Henly block less 'explosive' with a TN-S supply, reversed polarity is definitely a no-no - particularly bad if left undetected.

[@jamesdean8864]

One thing to add - is the property on a linked connection for the main power line coming into the property

[@metrotechguru5863]

Cory is a true super hero.

[@nathanhedgeley8016]

Cory what's the model of blakladder trousers you usually wear? I'm looking to get a pair 👍

[@rayc1503]

Try the X1900 stretch 1999 super comfortable. I've got 1 different variants of them now. A little pricey but blow snickers out the windows. The Englebert Strauss e.s motion denim look pretty similar to what Corey's wearing they were pretty good but I've gone off denim now.

[@nickrundall]

Great video Cory, more of the wider process to the instal is exactly what I want to see.

[@davehill7398]

Are you using fire rated clips for the cable run outside? Also, what are your thoughts on fitting plastic sub boards outside near the intake cabinet?

[@jix177]

Would you need them on something so close to ground level? ie there wouldn't be a risk of it falling on someone or obstructing an escape route. Not disagreeing, just interested too.

[@johnchristmas7522]

I've come across a house wired in bell wire! Many years ago I admit but hey it was cheap!! Even the old mauve twin twisted flex, stapled to the wall, with the excess nailed to the ceiling! Our term was its a wet string job!

[@electrician247]

Nice video Corey. So true installing these is easy, simple radial. Thanks for sharing

[@brandonturton6304]

Refrence method B for bash it in... gave me a good chuckle

[@FinlaysFireSystemsElectrical]

Wow cant believe that tail was hanging out like that, it was a fire waiting to happen. Great vid!

[@donzotv1667]

Just as an FYI there is a EV install check list in the Code of practice 4th edition for EVCP installs in the back of the book.. it really helps

[@MICKEYISLOWD]

Hoover bags excite you...for me the sight of the hoover terrifies me.

[@solidus784]

It's funny hearing you talk about the state of regs in England. I'm in Ireland and if anything the regs are over the top in some cases eg. cable sizes but ye do have some crazy stuff like going on a short course and bang you are now an electrician how that is a thing just blows my mind.

[@artisanelectrics]

Totally

[@bramcoteelectrical1088]

this is thank god all stopping... the new CPD continued personal development you have to do for Napit and NICEIC is increasing the quality of workmanship now and not a day 🙄 sooner...

[@solidus784]

@@bramcoteelectrical1088 I didn't know that, thanks

[@geoffupton]

well found corey! that was a hell of an accident waiting to happen! nice work as per usual 😊

[@ianbird6997]

Wow Cory that was fing close, surprised the hadn’t caught fire 😲 Great work again Sir 👍

[@alanwalton5735]

With all the regs electricains go by. Have you noticed that other trades don't bother or their regs have lower z Standards. A few times fire ro escape routes have been mentioned. Did anyone notice gas pipe around building. Plastic clips?

[@Teaspoonlizard]

I need to get my house inspected - can you do a video showing what an inspection involves? Interested but will also mean I can ensure whoever is conducting the inspection is doing it correctly!

[@paradoxni]

Anyone watch these who isn't an electrician? Just wondering if it's just me that likes watching folks do interesting and high quality work? Not an electrician, no interest in being one or even DIYing it (petrified of electricity). So yea, I'm weird. Anyone else!? :)

[@Adamwarren27]

Same here

[@deewat9618]

Me too....

[@bramcoteelectrical1088]

I am a NICEIC sparky and Corey does lovely quality work he should be proud if himself top lad

[@AmosMoses777]

Good point about the PRS. Unfortunately, until someone starts actually enforcing some of the regs (electrical and otherwise) that are being brought in it only costs the good landlords. The bad ones don't do the work and get away with it. Ace channel!

[@CMH1971]

I want to see a video about how to dig a hole with a Henry

[@jaycee1980]

22:25 i think a short bad enough to blow an 60-100A fuse right in front of them wouldve wrecked anyone's trousers ;)

[@eamonnohalloran2254]

"O my Giddy Aunt" "The inevitable march of Time" Corey you are in the Zone drinking from the Cup of Life. Enjoy every minute. AGAIN GREAT VIDEO. Give Gretta a shout.

[@Ad-gn8pl]

So work have told me my next company car is a pure EV. Not ideal for the type of journeys I do but hey ho. They will fit a charger though. Which one should I be urging them to fit?

[@peterthomas9440]

Also going for company EV through octopus - only nice option is a zappy v2 from what I’ve seen that comes free install with car. Have to pay for a Anderson :-)

[@Ad-gn8pl]

@@peterthomas9440 Interesting, what sort of journeys do you do? Some of mine can be up to 200miles + the my list is fairly limited so probably an Audi Q4. The guy at Audi told me to get used to hanging around charging points. 😬

[@bramcoteelectrical1088]

zappy...lovely unit

[@tc6907]

So Jordan… What has been your greatest business decision to date? Jordan - “ Hiring Cory “

[@makg4655]

& RUBEN & NOW LEE … also not showing the paperwork needed for jobs eg RAMS ,METHOD STATEMENTS, completed certs etc etc

[@tommymack3210]

really good video, appreciated this different video Cory

[@pinchermartyn3959]

Useful info. Thanks. Awesome channel.

[@jdickson242]

Best form of knowledge is knowing when you don't know but knowing where to know lolol

[@davidfaraday7963]

Yes, Henley is a brand name. They make cut-out fuseholders as well as other stuff.

[@thedonmakaveli7546]

Ok Alan Partridge

[@wayneseidel3725]

What are those clips for the armoured cable called? I been looking everywhere for them.

[@coralbay00]

Top spark. Love your videos 🤝

[@artisanelectrics]

Thank you

[@bobbobby5724]

What a master.

[@callumrowley2203]

Corey get the 4 fingered kitkats at Costco get 24 for less than a tenner. Don't keep the whole pack in your van though or you'll turn into a big unit like me.

[@thefallenangel2]

Those c50 single phase boards are lethal. Probably owner was ex nhs or water board where there are still thousands of those boards in service and nicked off a job. Breakers in the board are worth a few quid just as blanks let alone functional equipment

[@bramcoteelectrical1088]

definitely my mate had rcd version it exploded and nearly took his eye out with the explosion it was the old metal clad craptree with rcd as main switch...be warned ..

[@rowanNClangley]

Met one on an EICR, lovely un-shrouded inputs on main switch. Some consequential operation limitations on the testing side as I am not putting my fingers or tools anywhere near that. Especially after finding such a good Ze and high PSCC value. The BANG which that loose line tail could generate on contact with the metal does not bear too much though

[@Thats_Mr_Random_Person_to_you]

You are right that changes do need to be made (in the rental sector as at the end of the day the landlord IS responsible for providing a property that won't burn down.......). It's sad that changes have been made, but already they are useless... The idea of forcing EICRs to be done in rented properties is, in theory, a good way to solve the issue. Landlords learn if their wiring is safe and what changes need to be made, prospective tenants can see if the wiring is safe before moving in (creating a market force for improvement) etc etc etc... and if something goes wrong the landlord has more liability if they ignored EICR recommendations etc... HOWEVER...... due to crappy trade body rules every man and his dog can sign an EICR these days and they are just not worth the paper they are written on. The person who did ours didn't unplug anything before doing r1+r2 etc.. admitted that he was odd jobbing for his mate and not an actual on the trades spark day in day out etc... (i can't control who the agent working on behalf of the landlord picks). A change that if well implemented could have led to changes has been turned into another paper filling exercise that isn't fit for purpose.

[@petermichaelgreen]

On the one hand, the government took the lazy way out. Rather than building a proper specification for what exactly landlord electrical checks should consist of and who exactly should do them they just wrote a vague law and left it up to people to interpret it. On the other hand I do belive that it has been an overall positive for the state of electrics in rental properties. Yes there are chartalans passing stuff that should probably fail* or worse issuing outright fraudulent certificates, but there are also many properties getting their first look from someone competent in a long time. * Though there is no official list of fail criteria.............................

[@nigelconnor2460]

excellent wee video! Thanks for this!

[@RichardArblaster]

Great job, good job you checked the connection on that switch 😮😮😮

[@tspirit99]

Older consumer units don't have the greatest grip on tails... you should know by moving the tails, you'll loosen them.

[@iancarbin567]

Do you find the OZEV grant money is taking longer to reach you and you are out of pocket for several months?

[@m.bmaintenance7834]

well said Cory on the state of the industry, i get sick off saying because nobody seems to listen, oh and the pixies removed the cut out when you was at the van or they do mine

[@bobturner3645]

what manufacturer of workbench is Cory using ?

[@Snartifartblast]

Really good job you didn't bash the back of your head on one of those nails under the stairs.

[@oyleyhands1332]

Just an observation, I did not see a DP meter isolation switch in there, if you were connecting into a Henley block, or repacing it, that main fuse would have to have 'fallen' out at some point, would it not,? for you to make your connections? That wall plug you were hesitant to touch looked like a mushroomed head of the old wooden Rawlplug... yes, the word Rawlplug has an 'L' in it as it is the company name, all the rest are wall plugs or expansion wall plugs... it aint 'Rawplug' That product you mentioned that contained asbestos was also a Rawplug product and it was named 'Rawlplastic' Originally a British company named after John Joseph Rawlings, original plugs were a mixture of jute fibres soaked in glue and animals blood !! I only discovered that last fact when checking if the company was still British, just now.

[@alanmarriott9216]

What's that attachment on your milwaukee drill please?

[@shaunlewis286]

fibre wall plugs aren't asbestos mate . you will be handling them. Jute cotten and glue, no damage to you

[@henryeadie7972]

Aside from being in contact with polystyrene is the gas bonding not also meant to be within 60cm of the meter, that looked a fair bit further away than that?

[@brad30]

600mm from meter or "point of entry" 👍

[@pinhigh3095]

Yes but if not then as long as bonding is in place it will just be C3 code so wouldn’t fail an eicr. Same applies if connection cannot be located and is confirmed by test.

[@joesouthgate]

Within 600mm of the meter, before the first T or at the nearest practicable location after the pipe enters the property.

[@AndyFletcherX31]

As it was a rented property there must be a current EICR on the place. I'm betting there isn't because if there is how the fsck did they not see the loose incomer?

[@philipsmith0752]

there was a long nail in the rise of the stairs and Corys head was all most on it a few times . but interesting video. heath and safety

[@SproutyPottedPlant]

Unilite ❤️ much better than a phone torch and they do high CRI!!!!!

[@tommahoney7940]

Great watch Cory.

[@Waynesworldofgaming]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 top workmanship as always

[@rattlehead85]

Nice Vid as always Corey. Sadly until they close the “open to interpretation” nonsense that always gets used to excuse shoddy work, you’ll always be dealing with crap like that bad connection inside that widow maker board. Also the ongoing joke that still exists regarding electrical engineers legally pulling a main fuse to permit safe isolation needs to be sorted out. 🤟🏻🤟🏻

[@JasperJanssen]

I don’t think there’s any open to interpretation that would make *that* okay - but there’s also the fact that it’s just been there forever. It’s entirely possible that it was tight, or at least more or less tight, when it was installed (and of course that was pre-torque settings). All the other screws on the board Cory checked were also getting an extra quarter turn or so. Things just loosen up over time (to be more accurate, over thermal cycles - that’s why the main tails got it worst) and as long as the regs assume “as long as nobody touches it it’s going to remain okay if it was okay at one time” this can happen. Not sure how you could fix that, especially given that most electricians wouldn’t want to certify this as safe, or probably even as “as safe as it could be given that it is to 1965 standard”, and yet mandatory replacements of anything but the very oldest crap is a hard sell. Here in the Netherlands, pulling the main fuse is straight up allowed, but *reinstalling* it is where you need a certified electrician that can put a seal in with his personal number on it, who also certifies that the entire consumer unit area is up to standards (but not necessarily the rest of the house).

[@engdarfatgalalyelectrical1076]

Your information is good

[@scotspie501douglas7]

what is the hilti tool after the asbestos mention

[@paulosoares]

Did anyone else notice put the inspection date the same as the installation date?

[@Distinctly.Average]

Electrics aside, the frightening part was the nails sticking out of the wall behind your head. I was cringing at the thought of a noggin-nail interface moment.

[@mumblingsole]

Great content as always. If you wasn't far away I get you to rewire our house next year.

[@D4nB0161]

What’s the score with some properties being on a looped supply? Can car chargers still be installed?

[@MrBobmeadows]

Tough to confirm without asking the DNO or checking surrounding properties. I had 1 cable into the main fuse, but after notifying the DNO of the install (EV & HP application - ENA form), the DNO informed that the supply is looped (which I checked by asking the nearest neighbour to look in their meter cupboard and VOILA, two cables into the main fuse). The DNO stated ".... the installation may remain connected to our distribution system subject to the completion of minor works." The following paragraphs stated "I have identified that a further system study which may lead to potential upgrade works and removal of a looped service is required. We will contact you in due course to make arrangements to complete works, which will be carried out free of charge".

[@bramcoteelectrical1088]

looped supplies are abit of a mare guys..

[@angryscottishidiot]

"If it's not educational then I might as well stop it now." :( Educational or not, the entertainment value of these videos alone should be enough to keep you going. I am not an electrician and I am addicted. Better and less bull-shitty than anything TV has to offer. Please don't speak such scary words again. Every job you do has something different - I have binged several EV installs and it never gets boring. Nothing wrong with being a performing monkey. Monkeys are fun.

[@hudatahseen3568]

Brilliant video as usual 👍

[@sanregal]

Hei Cory, greetings from Romania. I really appreciate your content,a lot of things to learn . Maybe in the future you can share with us how are you doing quotes and surveys for bigger jobs ? Thanks you and keep up the good job!!

[@tonyclarkthesailingspark1509]

I Guess the reason you don’t use a head torch is you cant show off your new short back & side’s?

[@jstokvis]

Excellent

[@saschastevenson1231]

Great Video guys, good catch with that tail.

[@aidie26]

Hey Cory, What have you done with Reben ? Not seen him for ages.

[@muffinmonster8511]

U get a reusable Henry bags on Amazon for under 5 quid cable ties are too expensive to keep using 🤣😂

[@johannjoubert1592]

Love the videos💪💪💪

[@carlseddon2392]

Excellent as normal

[@pwaelectricalltd29]

Another great video 👍

[@artisanelectrics]

Thanks

[@skinautique30]

Tns depending on tail size you can use 6mm

[@bramcoteelectrical1088]

most people have 10mm on van but your right buddy. 10mm is just over Engineering but saves going back to cef

[@Deiphobuzz]

Get yourself an easyroller dude. Cable comes off nice and straight, no loops.

[@jgharston]

Yeah, unexpected circuits can be simple with a bit of thought. Some years ago a potter wanted me to wire up his electric kiln. WTF? A kiln? But a bit of research and essentially, treat it as a commercial cooker. So, max current draw with no diversity. Simple.