Decorating Guru

Karen's been really busy - bit of a closet DIY guru me thinks.

She's removed all the wallpaper and the new paper is up ready for painting.

She's stripped the ceiling paper off. Got it (by hand) down to the plaster - then re-skimmed it so now it's also ready for painting.

The carpets have been bought and will be here on Tuesday.

We've got the new three piece suite - the new PC desk has arrived, as has the display cabinet.

I did help a bit - I removed the storage heater and unwired it from the wall but electrocuted myself in the process

I'm really impressed with what Karen has done, but I've got to ask how on earth did you electrocute yourself by removing a storage heater. did you forget to flick off the MCB in the consumer unit? Also don't forget that they are turned on by your local BBC radio station so make sure that you put on a cable connector on the supply cables before the swtich the MCB back on.

Colin

That was all a bit over my head

The storage heater doesn't work so (as we're decorating) I thought we may as well remove it in case the replacement is a different size.

Anyway we turned off the electricity to the circuit that powers the storage heater and I removed it from the wall.

Then so I could take it out of the room I unscrewed the face of the box (like a light switch) from the wall and exposed the wires.

Three wires into the box from the mains cable - three wires out of the box to the storage heater.

Stupidy I just thought the quickest way was to use wire cutters and sever the 3 mains wires coming into the box.

That's when I realised that the damn thing wasn't actually on the circuit we'd switched off. As soon as the cutters took hold there was a crackle, a spark, and a fizzy hand.

Change of plan.

Turned off all the power in the house then unscrewed the 3 wires from the box that go to the heater.

The 3 mains wires are still now wired into the box (with nothing wired into the 'out' bit) and I've screwed the box face plate back onto the wall and turned the switch on the face of the box to off.

Is it safe now untill we get the new heater ?

It would be nice to know - I can post some close up pics if need be.

Who needs a man phil , good for you karen , big hugs phil , hope you are not badly hurt xxdk

I'm sorry Phil, but reading your reply has just had me in stitches with laughter. Sorry mate!

First of all regardless of what heater you have you shouldn't have what looks like a light switch on the wall, it should be a 13 Amp Switched Spur with Flex Outlet and Neon.



Secondly storage heaters should be on 15amp if rewire fuses or 16amp in MCB in your consumer unit.

Thirdly can I just clarify what we are talking about is it a normal 2 or 3 Kw storage heater or are we talking about night storage heaters which have the bricks in them, as it sounds like your old heater had been wired into your ring main circuit.

Also do you also have Economy 7?

Phil, i should get a nice glass of wine get yourself comfy call the other half to join you and give her the drink she deserves. Its men like you that gets us a bad name lol

16 bricks - Diplex XL (no model number) it was a biggie - white night or something. Input only charges during the night - output whenever. No light on the box face though.

Phil first of all you should have a separate consumer unit on the time switched side of the meter, which controls the night storage heater which incorporates the signal receiver supplied by your electricity supplier between midnight to 06:00hrs .

Now depending on how your house is wired you should be able to run your heater on automatically during the night via the radio signal, or override it manually during the day in excess cold weather by switching it on.

Now if that is the case then you need to turn off both the 15amp breaker and whatever ring main breaker (upstairs or downstairs) as you will need to turn off both circuits.

If you only receive power during the night the just turn off the breaker in the secondary consumer unit.

Now if you don't have Economy 7 then it sounds like it has been wired directly into the ring main which is illegal to do under the Part P regulations.

Phil, get youself a mains tester, they're like a small pen, just touch the live wire, if the led in the pen glows, it's live.

ouch! ..........