[Craig - CW Window Cleaning]

went to a carpet clean today, set up portable halfway through job (stairs and landing) the power cuts out.
Investigate where fuse/trip box is and socket section is tripped, reset then turn on machine again.
Both vacs work but the pump light is on but not pumping...
So I'm wondering if it was my pump tripping out electric. but the plot thickens the seperate sockets I used dont work at all and the trip is reset.
I then call a local electrician who removes one of the socket fronts to find the earth bar at the back had become detatched and when you put a plug in it moved. It seemed these sockets have a further fault as even though the damaged socket was replaced the still didnt work.
My pump is now knackered and have ordered a new one.

Would it be a good idea to take a socket tester with you on every job and test the power before working?
Would I need to get my machine PAT tested again?

cheers craig

[Neil Williams]

Do you want 'Best practice' answer or common sense answer?

Best practice would be to test sockets, fit RCDs, get elctric items PAT tested every morning. Feel free if you have the time and money.
Common sense would PAT test once per year (although this is not law), fit RCDs.
All you seem to have done is show that there is a problem with the property electrics, not something you have done, unless you have been kicking the sockets.

[Adam P]

i'm not experienced in this so this question is coming from a complete amateur view on how this works.

we use RCD's every time for all our machines, even the vacuums, sebo duo etc. would RCB's prevent anything from breaking like what has happened to craig and his pump?

[Jim_77]

Yes, I think.  If an earth fault is detected the RCD trips?

[Hilton]

many years ago I was cleaning a carpet in a very large property using a Prochem machine ( I have forgotten the name of it),

Any way it was placed in the kitchen I was cleaning the hall carpet and the lady of the house was in another area of the kitchen preparing ingredients for a meal.

I could smell something but thought no more of it because of what she was doing, then the smell grew stronger and something made me go and check the machine, when I got there it was glowing, as the casing was blue you could not see the flames just this glow  inside the water tank  .

The heater element had caught alight ,I quickly switched off the machine and POURED WATER ON IT,    ( In my defence I was having a bit of a  panic and not thinking straight)

BING BANG BONG.... it went  and the element blew apart.

All this time the lady is still cooking ( as I said it was a big property and the kitchen was huge). Everything alright she say's, Yes says me being all cool 

Amazingly no fuses blew, nothing tripped in the property so gingerly plugged the machine in again, obviously with out the heater ( I am not a complete idiot  ) and  off it went and I finished the job she was none the wiser.

That day to this every bit of kit had a breaker on it.

Bloody marvelous machine, went on for years.

Someone tell me the name of it......Prochem, blue, with folding handle, open solution tank with heater element inside.Only had about 80 psi (I think) . It will drive me made now until I remember or some one tells me.

[Neil Williams]

Yes, I think.  If an earth fault is detected the RCD trips?

I'm not quite sure about that. Isn't the earth pin just there to protect items should there be a problem. You don't need an earth pin for electrical items to work just a live (for in) and neutral (for out) although an electrical item will work if you get those the wrong way around.

I thought the idea of an RCD was that if there was the slightest leakage of current to earth then it would trip.
Not sure I would want to put it to the test but in theory if you grabbed hold of a live wire you would allow the current to go to earth but the RCD would instantly cut the power (live current).
Therefore if there was no earth in the socket items should work but Mr Human will become the earth connection if something bad happens.

I'm basing this on when I was in Germany many of the round sockets didn't have an earth wire and the socket could be placed into the wall either way round. Also many electrical items here don't have the yellow/green earth wire.....and they work!

[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

Hilton

That was my first ever machine also - Steameasy 400, single vac, 70 psi, single jet wand and it cost me £1300 new in 1997 !

[clinton]

Thats a blast from the past that litle machine..a good one too if i remember..

[steve scotter]

It is not the law to PAT test but it is the law to maintain electrical items under the electricity at work regulations.

How do you prove that you maintain electrical items? well a good way is to have them PAT tested every year or sooner.

A good carpet cleaning machine repairer should PAT test your machine after repairing it.

We have 230 volt electricity in our properties and it is one of the most dangerous supply systems in the world.It can kill in 200 milliseconds.

Steve
City and Guilds PAT tester
Nebosh General Certificate.

[Len Gribble]

Steve

Have you still got that PAT equipment and can I borrow it 

[Neil Williams]

How do you prove that you maintain electrical items? well a good way is to have them PAT tested every year or sooner.

So I take it the rest of my 'electrical explanation' was correct then
But PAT testing is a bit like MOTs for vehicles, it's 'passed' certificate is only valid for the moment it was tested. One week, ten weeks, 51 weeks down the line a 'passed' certificate means very little to the actual condition that item could be in, and in the case of electrical items nearly all the wires are hidden away inside casings.....so how do we know what is going on in there?

[markpowell]

BAck to the original fault, sounds like the brushes, end bell needs changing in the pump, 10 min job £30 off ebay or woodbridge
Mark

[steve scotter]

Neil

The important thing is that you know enough about your machine and the electrical supply to work safely. From what you are saying you seem to understand this and would spot problems that may occur.

Yes a PAT test only is a safety test of the equipment at the time, it is a test just like an MOT, but try driving your vehicle without an MOT and then try to explain to a policeman that the test means nothing!

Before I started cleaning carpets I was an emergency ambulanceman, I have seen people killed and some seriously injured by an electrical shock.

We are dealing with electric and water and need to be careful.


Steve

[Hilton]

Hilton

That was my first ever machine also - Steameasy 400, single vac, 70 psi, single jet wand and it cost me £1300 new in 1997 !

Thats it, cheers Steve.

Had a couple of these, ( a few years before you  )

[steve scotter]

Len

You would be welcome to borrow my PAT, but its in Romford at the moment, I lent it to someone.

Take care

Steve