# Poor advice / poor products



## Minky (Dec 30, 2007)

*Poor advice*

Worked beside an apprentice for around 6 months,when my boss decided to let him off the leash....

Scenario, Phone call from old guy in his 70s,have no lights working can you send someone round to repair.Apprentice toddles off for a look,while i continue some minor shop repairs,phone call 1 hour later,can you help need to lift carpet locate joint box,to trace cabling and repair fault.I didnt believe him,so i toddled along was there 5 mins diagnosed a faulty 1g 1way switch.What had happened was when the guy went to switch on the light the bulb had taken out the breaker,but the switch by the old mans admission had been a bit dodgy.It later transpired the apprentice was testing across the switch,coloured red and black conductors with a lampholder with 2 pieces of wire attached and a faulty lamp!!!..


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## Minky (Dec 30, 2007)

*Poor products*

Where do I start........

Anything with the name tamlite on it
Anything with the name ring lighting on it
Anything with the name Silavent on it

Why oh why do these companies bother,my suggestion would be to try and sell their inferior tat elsewhere...its just wrong...

Another one just popped up on the radar and dare i say it.....
MEM 2000 range,what happened you guys.You cant just decide to flush 50 years of quality switchgear down the toilet in on go can you!!!
but then again has anyone tried getting one of those MEM breakers fitted in industrial boards circa mid 80s ( sorry dont have part number ),yes you can still get them,but the lead time and cost!!!,dont tell me you are in league with the dreaded CEF.


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## cornishsparks (Oct 14, 2007)

*Mem*

Those MEM 2000 boards what a pile of crap, what sort of number
ing do they have, i bet those cheap plastIc covers go well with a lighter
on them bring back MEMERA 21 boards'
I need to find a triple pole type c mcb 16A or 20A to gp in MEM memshield board circa 1991 have tried wholesalers too long to get and not really interested looked on ebay but no luck. I have a good stock of SP Mcbs bu/t no three pole does any one know a good source of breakers for sale or a salvage company that might stock them, find federal hard to get too.


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## Trimix-leccy (Dec 4, 2007)

*Cornish MEM MCB*

Do you know the part number of the MCB that you want?

I have got boxes of the bloody things, makes I have not even heard of!!

Mind you 99/100 I have every type but the one that I want!

Even got a few Wylex HBs still in original boxes [no not for sale, sorry]:no: they are my holiday fund:laughing: 
May even have some federals, I will have a look tomorrow


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## frank (Feb 6, 2007)

Hagar Boards. The bottom end of scrap. Old Crabtree C30. Could not get any higher

Frank


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## Trimix-leccy (Dec 4, 2007)

Why when you fit an MCB to a Hager board do you have to install it 'the wrong way around'?? ie with the din rail clip to the busbar side of the board instead of the outside ? I t even tells you to do it this way stamped onto the board 

Ever used GE panelboards??

I fitted 2 on a job 800A [i think]. Only product which would fit in space available without knocking a wall down [retrofit...don't you just luv 'em]

Absolute total and utter s?ite

Busbar shroud is made out of bent perspex looks like the labourer made it. EVERYTHING has to be hammered to fit. Cover so pi55ed that there is a gap of 1" between mccb and lid at top of board. Every necessary part was an optional extra that the Rep had omitted 

I would rather use Proteus!!:no: :no: :no: 

Merlin Gerin is my distribution system of choice .


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## cornishsparks (Oct 14, 2007)

*Hager*

Once warmed to hager when i was getting good deals on split board 
Since they changed the design would not ever use again. The doors will not shut properly and stay shut, blanks the wrong colour and labels so small and piss poor you cant write on.
To rave about Merlin Gerin TPN boards easy for doing live installs on breakers. recently made a double pole board for 110V sockets easily done with a kit found to be good product.
Prefer Crabtree starbreaker for SP boards they make easy kits.
Cant beat Telemacanique contactors and starters.


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## Minky (Dec 30, 2007)

*Preffered material*

Merlin Gerin great stuff when i first used it in the late 80s,early 90s,started to get a bit funky when the range changed from multi 9 to the recent model.
The build quality of MG is good is my first choice for industrial/commercial work.
Square D is also reputable but a little harder to get round these parts
Dorman Smith is also worth considering and a little cheaper than both of the above,well certainly has been for me,easily fitted too. 
For domestic installs,there is a wide selection out there and very cut throat,like the split boards that most wholesalers including CEF will almost give away,however call me a snob but i do have a soft spot for MK.
I would fit most switchgear,but do try toavoid ACEL own brand as it really is total s**t,it is cheap but a pig to install,and dont think about a retro fit for this coz it just wont happen.  
Nothing shouts louder than cowboy or whistles the good the bad and the ugly than a cheapo plastic enclosure as a retrofit on a industrial install.Take note Hager!!


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## cornishsparks (Oct 14, 2007)

*Boards*

Used to like Square D quikline boards but none of the wholesalers will stock their kit now. I think they could not get a good deal for themselves.
The old MK SENTRY units where great quality boards not so sure they are as good now but i do fit them still sometimes the covers can be a swine to get on.
Never use HAGER ever !!!!!!!!:001_huh:


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