# Forum More Stuff Oops!  DIY Disasters

## Bloss

Doing a few things at my daughter's place including just 'replacing some light shades'. But when I went to remove the shade the fitting simply dropped down (held by a tiny end bit of one screw) to expose this delight (see pic). 
A DIYer who knew enough to get into trouble and not enough to get out. Had used a bit of 3-core flex to extend a light fitting and had connected Blue (Neutral) to Active (Red) and Brown (Active) to Neutral (Black). But that's alright, he realised the wall switch wasn't doing what he wanted so he re-wired that too . . .  :Mad:  
Ah well, it's worked for many years, but through luck and his ignorance getting the single circuit working (he swapped the colours behind the wall plate - so was switching active, but using the black wire up to the fitting as the active!). 
Sigh . . .

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## chalkyt

My latest was putting my hand up an el cheapo lightshade to hold the cord grip lampholder while I changed a bulb. Hmm... that feels funny, guess what,  the top shroud of the lampholder was missing so you simply grab a handfull of exposed screws and wire. Pleased the power was off... it is a bit of a bugger getting tossed off a ladder even at that low height!

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## SlowMick

Glad I'm not the only one. 
Was helping my sister move house when i got my first bite from electricity. 
I was uncrewing one of those articulaed desk lights from her desk and couldn't figure out why my elbow was starting hurt.  realised later when the glob blew that the shade was live and i was getting bitten while removing it from the desk. 
decided that day i was too stupid to work with electricity - can't tell when i am getting electrocuted. :Doh:

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## hoss

haha when re plastering one of the kids rooms i removed the light fitting thinking the light is turned off so i wont get a shock! zap! yeah i now know there is power there all the time so turn it off at the mains or better still get a sparky!

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## jatt

Yeah had to go around a joint and replace a heap of flouro tubes.  Found one that had more serious isses.  Went to the board to isolate, before the guru came in, no joy.  Maybe there was something I missed .  Explained to him the story and couldnt figure it out either, made me feel better.  Next thing I hear the familiar cursing of someone copping a belt.  Hey I warned him.

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## Wombat2

25 years ago (showing my age) after completeing a year of Physics with a lot of electrical and electronics content for my Pharmacy Degree ( don't ask  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):  ) I decided I knew enough to build a stereo amplifier.  Nearing completion and at 3am in the morning I was keen to finish - final wiring completed - plugged it in and turned on. Lights go out - Hmmm - check the fuses - none blown. Assumed the fuse on the pole in the street blown. Go to bed and in the morning tell my mum what happened as I left for Uni.  She rings the SEC and says "I have no power - it was alright when I went to bed last night" - they come out and sure enough fuse on the pole was blown and fixed it and left scratching their heads. 
When I had a chance to go over my workmanship I discovered I had turned the On/Off /volume pot through 90 degrees and the active and neutral were connected when I turned it on.  Now I triple check everything and multimeter everything before thowing the switch.

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## Geoff2005

> 25 years ago (showing my age) after completeing a year of Physics with a lot of electrical and electronics content for my Pharmacy Degree ( don't ask  ) I decided I knew enough to build a stereo amplifier.  Nearing completion and at 3am in the morning I was keen to finish - final wiring completed - plugged it in and turned on. Lights go out - Hmmm - check the fuses - none blown. Assumed the fuse on the pole in the street blown. Go to bed and in the morning tell my mum what happened as I left for Uni.  She rings the SEC and says "I have no power - it was alright when I went to bed last night" - they come out and sure enough fuse on the pole was blown and fixed it and left scratching their heads. 
> When I had a chance to go over my workmanship I discovered I had turned the On/Off /volume pot through 90 degrees and the active and neutral were connected when I turned it on.  Now I triple check everything and multimeter everything before thowing the switch.

  I assume the implied failure of your fuses/circuit breakers to act were rectified.

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## watson

Nope.............been the same for 25 years  :Biggrin:   :Biggrin:

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## diydude

A licensed electro guy came to change some switches and lights, he was bitten when change the kitchen light switch. I heard he was shouting and saw he jumped away, swearing...
Actually he alway uses a device to detect the switch is live or not, unfortunately everytime he forgets he was bitten, in his 7 years professional life, eventhough he hangs the device on the neck.
It was the 6th switch he changed in the house, then he forgot to detect...
Must be 1000 percent sure with Electrical work!

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## plum

> A licensed electro guy came to change some switches and lights, he was bitten when change the kitchen light switch. I heard he was shouting and saw he jumped away, swearing...
> Actually he alway uses a device to detect the switch is live or not, unfortunately everytime he forgets he was bitten, in his 7 years professional life, eventhough he hangs the device on the neck.
> It was the 6th switch he changed in the house, then he forgot to detect...
> Must be 1000 percent sure with Electrical work!

  Geeze, you'd think after 7 long years he'd know.   :Wink 1:

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