Bloody Wind

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by biffer

Talking of gennie. I've been thinking of installing a mains crossover switch so I can run the house on a generator. Looks a simple enough conversion My mate said just use a lead with a plug on either end

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yep, I do that, two plugs. Be sure to switch off your main switch first tho or you'll feed current back into the supply. Could make you unpopular with the folk trying to repair your lines I guess. While the power is off, take the opportunity to wire a neon into the live side of the main switch then you can see when the power comes back on.

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by biffer

Talking of gennie. I've been thinking of installing a mains crossover switch so I can run the house on a generator. Looks a simple enough conversion My mate said just use a lead with a plug on either end

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I used to use a double plug arrangement until I lent it to my dad one day & he picked up the wrong end. The exposed plug was live He had his hand bandaged up for 2 weeks whilst the burns healed. It got cut up after that & I bought a proper crossover switch from a local salvage yard for about 30 quid. I have wired a buzzer & relay into it so that if the switch is in the "Generator" position & the mains side becomes live, the buzzer sounds. The switch means that it's impossible (Barring malfunction) to have both generator & mains on at the same time.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by jwalker

yep, I do that, two plugs. Be sure to switch off your main switch first tho or you'll feed current back into the supply. Could make you unpopular with the folk trying to repair your lines I guess. While the power is off, take the opportunity to wire a neon into the live side of the main switch then you can see when the power comes back on.

J, whilst working on the live side of the main switch how do you ensure the engineers don't make you live again...

[SPR]

buy a 15A plug and socket , safer than a 13A plug!

[C-NUMB]

165mph storm wrecks a wind turbine | The Sun |News

Good catch taking the picture...I always believed turbines have kind of a auto switch off but
obviously did not work this time?

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by Polwart

J, whilst working on the live side of the main switch how do you ensure the engineers don't make you live again...

Hehe, well there is a big switch on the pole in my garden but I can't claim to have ever used it. I tape up my screwdrivers to insulate them, take care and live a bit on the edge.

One has to have confidence in one's abilities....

[Poly]

Originally Posted by jwalker

Hehe, well there is a big switch on the pole in my garden but I can't claim to have ever used it. I tape up my screwdrivers to insulate them, take care and live a bit on the edge.

One has to have confidence in one's abilities....

I have been known to work on live circuits but never without at least some sort of fuse / breaker between me and the sub-station. That might be false belief that it makes it any safer though.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by C-NUMB

165mph storm wrecks a wind turbine | The Sun |News

Good catch taking the picture...I always believed turbines have kind of a auto switch off but
obviously did not work this time?

Aye, if you notice this turbine is 180 deg rotated from its neighbours (which are off) so clearly something went wrong. Interesting trajectory of the burning bit though... is that ejected out and then blown back toward the windmill?

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by SPR

buy a 15A plug and socket , safer than a 13A plug!

Yes, the bare pins could be dodgy but how I do it is to run my genny at my garage and I plug in the cable before start-up but make sure to have the socket switched off so as not to load the genny when is first starts. I press the switch when I'm ready to apply power. Depending on your genny you may have twitch off some house stuff first... Fridge n freezer maybe. Automatic outside halogen lights will start up when first powered too.

Health n safety...... NONE OF THIS IS RECOMMENDED IF YOU CAN'T TRUST YOURSELF.

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by Polwart

I have been known to work on live circuits but never without at least some sort of fuse / breaker between me and the sub-station. That might be false belief that it makes it any safer though.

Yes, your trust in a fuse or domestic circuit breaker may be a little misplaced. 30ma is prob a reasonable value to protect yersel.

[jwalker]

A good ending for a wind turbine imho. They make no sense to me, economically or reliably, nor wave power. Tidal is the one. Unless the moon falls outa the sky there will always be tides, slack water could be balanced by tides elsewhere and there's plenty of possible sites around the UK.

[SPR]

polwart : keep your left hand in your back pocket when working with live circuits, this will stop the full current going across your heart and direct it down your side.

one of many useful useless information in my head!

S.

[Natalie123]

Originally Posted by Ruari 29

Im moving to Wales!

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You would be better off to go the whole hog and move to Oz

[biffer]

I've worked it out. I'll pull the main fuse and remove the tails from fuse board and wire them to the switch. Them from the switch to the fuse board. I'll then wire a gennie plug to the other side of the switch. Two feeds in one out. I'll have a word with Jizm as I'm sure I can common up all the neutrals and leave them out of the switch

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[Poly]

Originally Posted by SPR

polwart : keep your left hand in your back pocket when working with live circuits, this will stop the full current going across your heart and direct it down your side.

one of many useful useless information in my head!

S.

I'm left handed so using my wrong hand probably increases the chance of going bang in the first place!

[SPR]

Originally Posted by Polwart

I'm left handed so using my wrong hand probably increases the chance of going bang in the first place!

trust you to be different ! I believe the idea is prevent a short across your chest! so we were taught left because we are righties...prob your right for lefties...

no expert though and do sue if you get fried, playing with mains is not clever!

just remember you need to submit any changed to building control for approval! :hides unless you part B qualified and member of trade association that exempts you...

[willk]

Originally Posted by SPR

trust you to be different !

Yes. Still, he should be OK. I was complaining to another user about Polwart's overactive bilging tendency and he said "Yes, but his heart's in the right place."

[BruceB]

Personally, if it was me, I would put a double pole changeover switch with a male socket feeding on it in from the genny side of the switch.
This stops any backfeeding into the mains and also means there is no possibility of having the genny connected to the mains. This is potentially very bad when the mains is restored and things are likely to go *bang*
If you are fiddling with a 80-100A domestic supply remember that this is enough to cause quite a bang if you get it wrong.
You also don't want to fiddle with mains when you are only protected by a fuse which have unpredictable characteristics, 30mA is the maximum safe allowed current and a fuse is almost guaranteed to exceed this.
I have never heard of the left hand in pocket idea but it will be more to ensure that you are not holding onto a goo earth with your other hand rather than having to be in your pocket.
Would I rely on this working live to keep me safe? nope!

[SPR]

bruce - the idea is not to have electric cross you chest ie heart . earthing s foot might better!

[Ruari 29]

Started this post 2 days ago, hour later lost power to the house, been sitting in the cold dark for 2 days.
....Bloody Wind
And to now make things worse bbc have issued another wind warning for Mon/Tue west coast of Scotland

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