I know I shouldnt have done this, but familiarity breeds contempt..

Saturday I was doing an install. Ripping out old equipment and panel and ancient omnicron communiator LOL

Took out fuse spur fuse, I carried on cutting old mains cable out of old panel - one core at a time and taping up as well to be on the safe side LOL - I know you lot are cringing here LOL, when bang, me jumped, end of my red line cutters dissapeared across the room

Yes you guessed it - the soft sod who installed it had wired the NEUTRAL through the fuse side of the spur - the live was live ALL the time.

I know I shouldnt have cut corners and I should have disconnected all cables fuse spur side first, but as I said you get complacent! - NEVER, NEVER again.

I need new red-lines now and underpants

I should imagine most of us have done the same at some stage.

Not quite the same thing in my case, but the same end result

Wonder how many will admit to it..?

I was wiring a fused spur in a cramped little cupboard that, once you were in, you wanted to be finished when you came out! I'd forgotten to isolate the supply before getting in and decided to spur off the live socket. (yeah, I know too!) Obviously, I wired the panel and the spur before attempting to connect to the socket. I was being extremely careful with my insulated driver when I got a small belt (30 second arm tingler). "Hmmm" I thought "I'd better be more careful" as I continued to finish up. Then the second (20 minute arm tingler) belt was enough to make me extract myself from the cupboard and isolate the circuit!

I've stopped doing it now

LOL - why do we do it - it ends up taking longer anyway! - ive learnt now - but when I find the bloke who wired the fuse spur...

Good for the heart!!

I know I shouldnt have done this, but familiarity breeds contempt..

Saturday I was doing an install.  Ripping out old equipment and panel and ancient omnicron communiator LOL 

Took out fuse spur fuse, I carried on cutting old mains cable out of old panel - one core at a time and taping up as well to be on the safe side LOL - I know you lot are cringing here LOL, when bang, me jumped, end of my red line cutters dissapeared across the room 

Yes you guessed it - the soft sod who installed it had wired the NEUTRAL through the fuse side of the spur - the live was live ALL the time.

I know I shouldnt have cut corners and I should have disconnected all cables fuse spur side first, but as I said you get complacent! - NEVER, NEVER again.

I need new red-lines now and underpants 

29260[/snapback]

Had the same thing happen to me as well, same fault as well, neutral wired through the fuse

I've still got the side cutters though, it blew a lovely little notch in the end of one side, just right for cable stripping

Regards

Bellman

Edited October 25, 200421 yr by bellman

bloody alarm engineers....never heard of a meter check then check again....i can see the sparkys kicking off now

it blew a lovely little notch in the end of one side, just right for cable stripping

Mine are like that

had the same happen to me in a bank. had pulled the fuse and dissed the flex(having cut the ends) removing the camera controller to replace it the live touched the mettle case.letts just say I was not best pleased.found live and neutral reversed, checked the spur for the alarm panel next to it....same.couldn't test live/earth for fear of elcb's...have now got a fluke volt stick & thick rubber gloves

Thx guys - you all made me feel better now, at least I know it happens to the best of us!