Owning your own home

It's the modern version of a fuse box. In the clear or a cupboard somewhere.

It looks like either: a fuse running just above its rating, where it gets very hot but fails to blow. Either the fuse is underrated or the machine has developed a fault. Has the fuse actually blown?

It could also be a loose wire causing arcing inside the plug.

I don't think an RCD would trip for either case.

Something like this:

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/CPDDS10188SPMSdashPO1.html?source=adwords&ad_position=&source=adwords&ad_id=415703895090&placement=&kw=&network=u&matchtype=&ad_type=&product_id=CPDDS10188SPMS-PO1&product_partition_id=874058290055&campaign=shopping_switchgear_distribution&version=finalurl_v3&gclid=CjwKCAjw4871BRAjEiwAbxXi2_9cD_6zMr6BToQCy4fJeicHahOo14OtzOWRmWHzQX2eiG8Yi2Rr1hoCIqEQAvD_BwE

You need an electrician to fit it, but then all your sockets will be protected, massively reducing the risk of fire due to an earth fault, and also of anyone inadvertently electrocuting themselves.

Oh yeah got one of those! New too. Will have a peak at it now....

Interesting. I assumed that a fault generating enough heat to melt the plug would trip either the RCD due to current going to earth or the MCB on over current.

But just an assumption.

@chrisbmx116

Spot on. I'm only going by what I've been told by Sparx I've worked with in the past here so I could well be wrong. An RCD or Residual Current Device monitors the earth in a circuit if there is a short to earth it will trip and turn off the current, even if the circuit isn't drawing power. It is possible to have circuits on a consumer unit that aren't protected by an RCD, especially on older installations.

I'm sure that @Mr_Sworld can tell you more.

I'd get your electrics checked by a qualified Sparx if I were you and I'd also invest in a new plug (with correct fuse) and one of these to run the appliance through if you have no other option.

Cheers all.
Yeah, had one of those big boxes put in when we had work done last year and nothing has tripped... so I'm inclined to think something came loose in the plug.
Too many GnT now, and its been a hell of a day, so will put a new plug on tomo huingover, sure it'll be fine.

Something tells me that is not the correct course of action based on the post immediately previous, and melted plug :')

Get an electrician in!

We went down a fake plykea route - local diy store with a proper table saw cut some nice bb ply sheets to the size of each for the fronts. I bought the cheapest ikea door to use as a jig to drill the holes in the right places. Cost a it £150 compared to the £1k quoted and took a day.

Presumably you could do this for most kitchen brands?

Got any pics?

Sorry missed this my kitchen? Yep Plykea.

#metoo I was thinking of doing the same later in the year.

Boiler has just stopped having electrical power. Didn't trip the fuse, was working this morning and hasn't been use since.

Any things to try before calling someone out?

Such things quite often have their own little glass fuse on the circuit board.

Could be on a fused spur or a plug in some cases. It would help if you can test for the presence of 240v at the boiler.

Could be a poor connection between the fuse and its holder inside the plug. Replaced one at my in-laws place where the live pin had a bit of a wobble and over the years it has been causing arcing leading to the contacts becoming more carbonised which probably over time would lead to increased resistance and heat.

Cheers for the reply! Have changed the plug after trimming the cable and all appears fine, keeping an eye on it and installing a smoke alarm as well as not putting it on when we are not about...

Just remembered this. Architects have to make sure there is a written contract for the construction work. For domestic work this is likely to be one from JCT (homeowner, minor works or intermediate). The standard contracts all have a section in them about dispute resolution and adjudication. Is the architect the contract administrator?

I now understand more.

It was a fixed price job, complex renovation. The builder deviated from the architect instructions and the result has been delay whilst the architect and my friend tried to get them back to plan. They've come back to plan, but not without significant delay. That delay has meant that the fixed price work isn't profitable any longer... in addition the builder screw up a job elsewhere and that one is profitable (time and materials)... so the builder is now dragging their feet significantly on the job they were asked to do, which is creating distress.

My friend and the architect have offered a "finish the structure and we'll do the polish with additional trades" but the builder hasn't bitten.

Hence, they're in limbo and living in a half-finished structure, which is taking a toll on their health.

An RCD monitors live and neutral, specifically the phase , it should be about the same. An earth fault shifts the phase on the neutral and this mismatch trips the rcd.

So house viewings are going to be possible again as of Wednesday
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52640696

Need to decide how keen I am to sell my place.

I am giving away a 4 burner gas hob, it is less than 2 years old.

https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/347171/

Technically no decent gas engineer will fit a used gas hob but you could do it yourself then get an inspection...

Likewise, have gotten calls from a few of the estate agents we had look at our place back in February

Dredging the kitchen chat... currently have a quote from a big kitchen place and an independent chap.

Does anyone have any real world experience of MFC doors vs solid wood? It's the only difference between the two quotes, with each party recommending their choice as the best...

Did you tell the lowballers to do one?

And what's happened with the place you were buying?