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GERRY ARNOLD: WE DISCOVERED THIS LITTLE FIND IN AN ADAPTABLE BOX AT A WORKING MEN’S CLUB WHERE THE W.C LIGHTS HAD STOPPED WORKING
Whether its fault finding or an EICR, an inspector needs to understand or have a good working knowledge of previous installation techniques and legacy equipment available to an installer at that given time. Equipment and advanced termination devices that we use today simply weren’t around or commonplace 15+ years ago.
Historically, termination blocks and adaptable boxes (metal or plastic) were the ‘go-to’ wiring centres for many applications. This type of arrangement was commonplace (as shown here in the photo) and I’d imagine there are thousands more still out there. If they’re put together correctly, they’ll continue to give good service with no requirement or need to upgrade them. Unfortunately, they can wear with age, deteriorate and need replacement, as with any installation.
I should also point out that I see numerous modern termination devices that are damaged by heat, incorrectly sized or not fitted in accordance with their manufacturer’s requirements, that have failed or caused more sinister damage.
In general, the photo shows a site-built wiring centre that looks to have been put together as well as a site-built centre could be. It’s not that visually stunning, admittedly, and could have been tidier, and some identification wouldn’t go amiss, but other than the thermal damage, is it a real issue?
The thermal damage to the terminal block could be heat build-up over many years, or it could be that the circuit has been modified past its original design parameters. Larger capacity accessories may have been installed, which may have caused the thermal damage.
Simply upgrading the damaged terminal block with a similar accessory or a newer variant may not solve the problem. I feel the whole circuit should be investigated to ensure that the existing accessories and replacements are adequately rated and consider any modifications to the original design. Although the original design may not be available, the equipment there now is available for inspection, and any design deficiencies can be understood via a retrospective circuit design process.
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