Help with Home DB board

Nsteyn

Nsteyn

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Hi guys.

Hope someone out there can help me with this.
I have a slight problem with the wiring on my houses DB board, and what I know of electricity is dangerous. (See images below)

I have two geysers, and their brakers are next to my main switch (the one with the green handle) the 15 and 20 ones...

My problem is if I switch off the 20 one, my other geyser also is switched off, even though the breaker remais ON ( in other words, they do not work independent)

To me the neutral(black wire) at the top connecting the two breakers seems strange, but what do I know....

If anyone out there can assist me in figuring out why the two breakers are "Linked" to each other, and direct me on how to fix it, it would be greatly apreciated.

Tnx a million!


My Problem:

1-1.jpg


2-1.jpg
 
i would need to see where the red wire on the 15A breaker goes, looks like they trying to share the neutral but wired them in series
 
Dallas, tnx for looking. I have no idea. It goes "out" - i suspect to the geyser?
 
it shouldnt go out, most breakers are elec in on top and out at bottom
but will email the pic to my sparkie here and see what he says
 
Oh no misunderstood you. The red one at bottom of breaker goes "out" the red one at top of breaker goes to top line of breakers. If that makes sense.
 
Last edited:
that red should go to a ripple re lay which will switch off the geyser off between 6 and 9 pm. I would not play with it spend the bucks and get a sparky to have a look.
 
Well there is no ripple relay in my DB board, suspect the previous owner removed it.
I propably should, but im sure it is just connecting two wires or bridging something, but lets c what others think...
 
thats what i forgot to mention is that doing it yourself in a no-no, need a sparkie who can give a COC
 
from our sparkie
[FONT=&quot]Simple expalnantion is [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The breakers are double pole what that means is that neutral is disconnected as well.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]They have bridged the neutral between the breakers. Fed from the bottom bridged at the top and then feed to the geysers, so iff you switch of either one the neutral is broken and both geysers will go off.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]What needs to be done is the cable from the neutral bar (all the black wires are connected to it!) Must move to the top of the breaker and then bridged to the next breaker.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]It seems as if they have paralleled the neutral to both geyser from one cable.[/FONT]
 
Dallas. You are a star. Will def follow your advice on the sparkey though. The db seemd a bit too messed up and i only purchased the house last year with a certificate and all.
 
Looks odd... Normally would just be bridged on the "top" which is the "in" side but on those the neutral bar is connected to the bottom of the breakers. Guess it probably doesn't make much of a different but it's strange how it's bridged on the other side of the breakers. Makes it rather pointless using dipole breakers there.
 
First of all you have a legal right to contact the person that issued you the certificate in the first place to come and fix his f-up His name and ID number with hios reg number is on the last page. And if he refuses you can phone the Electrical contracting ass the number on the first page and report the matter to them as you have a R10000 guarantee if he is registered with the ECASA for them to appoint someone if the original COC issuer doesnt fix his shit. The guys takes chances as they under cut other guys just to issue these papers. And i f hate it. The agent selling the house makes R100000 on the sale of the house and the electrician signs of his life for under R2000 for the sake of making sure he gets the job how screwed up is that. And the agent does not even have to blink an eye as he payed someone to sign of the work.

First off there is no main breaker fitted before the earth leakage as THAT earth leakage needs a 50 or 60 amp single pole breaker mounted before it for overload protection of the main cable AND your DB. The other problem is the neutral looks as if it is hanging loose and needs a samite bracket so it can clip in to it. The neutral or black wire of the breaker should be taken to the TOP of the double pole breakers and the bottom should FEED the geyser.

If you battle dallas get me the guy on the back of the forms info and numbers and ill speak to the ECASA for you to find out what they gonna do about it as im a registered Master Installation Electrician and also have a wiremans license. So if you battle email me ill try and help.

BUT DO NOT WORK ON THE WIRING YOURSELF it will cancel the protection you have from the ECA
 
Tnx man, only now saw your answer. Thanks.

I got in a sparky and he fixed the issue.

He did not mention anythibg else though. Will follow up on this thoug, sounds really wrong.

Tnx again.
 
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