plumber in doubt

Discussion in 'Electricians' Talk' started by spannered, Jan 20, 2009.

  1. spannered

    spannered New Member

    Hi all. I went to service a boiler today and for the first time that I've seen it didn't have its own spur to switch off the power first. So I went to the fuse board to see if 'Central Heating' was labeled on one of the fuses, but it just had 'lights', 'sockets', 'shower'... I thought 'sockets', but, feeling unsure, I decided to kill all the power and service the boiler wearing my head-torch.
    I could've found out easily which fuse served the boiler if I had been confident that it was the same circuit as the one that serves the programmer. Is this always the case? I'm pretty sure it is (otherwise the programmer wouldn't have any control over the boiler, right?), just wanna confirm with you guys... If this happens in the future (no boiler spur), and I turn the 'socket' fuse off and check the programmer has gone dead, I can be 100% sure the boiler is dead too?
    Cheers everyone.
     
  2. Lokkars Daisy

    Lokkars Daisy New Member

    what you say would normally be the case BUT YOU CAN NEVER BE 100% sure that a dead programmermeans a dead boiler. In this case I would be happy using a volt stick just to make sure there is no power at the boiler.
     
  3. Joelp1

    Joelp1 New Member

    i had a boiler last week that you could turn off either by pulling its fuse, or turning off the cooker control switch. Thing is, pulling its fuse didnt turn off the oven!

    Turned out that something boiler related upstairs was borrowing the neutral of the actual cooker cable, hence when you pulled the cooker fuse the boiler was still on but if you flicked the (double pole) switch it went off.

    This was wired last year by British Gas, what a bunch of incompetent cowboys.

    And even worse, this lasses late husband had been a spark :( Turned in his grave i bet!
     
  4. Lokkars Daisy

    Lokkars Daisy New Member

    good example of what can happen tulip.
     
  5. betty swollocks

    betty swollocks New Member

  6. wise uncle

    wise uncle New Member

    Re: plumber in doubt
    Posted: Jan 20, 2009 9:52 PM

    less than £10 will get you a basic voltage tester, got to be worth it for your peace of mind i would think
    something like this would do you

    *
    (edited by admin6)
    beat you to it
     
  7. spannered

    spannered New Member

    Bunch of sparky angels. Cheers m'dears, I'm off to the toolbank for my tester...
     

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