Tripswitch problem

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

Good morning fellow metal bashers,

I wish to replace one of the trip switches in my consumer unit, but I have found that the screws are so tight that I cannot move them [and I mean TIGHT !]. Before I resort to blunt force, which I doubt will help anyway, has anyone got any idea how to proceed ?.

I came across something similar in those strip connectors, where the screws were just rusted solid [one time they used to be brass ] and could not be moved, so I just cut them away.

Open to all ideas !

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

It sounds a little extreme … but ‘needs must’

… I would try using my electric impact-screwdriver [cautiously]

MichaelG.

[EmgeeParticipant @emgee]

Have you tried to loosen any of the other mcb’s to see if they are the same ?

Using a chunky handle screwdriver may help.

 

Emgee

 

[Andrew TinsleyParticipant @andrewtinsley63637]

The electricians in my area seem to delight in overtightening connections to MCBs. Their excuse is that overtime the copper relaxes and the screw becomes loose, causing contact problems and overheating.

I took my electricians ticket and the associated testing qualifications, so I am no longer plagued with this problem.

I always found that a screwdriver with a large diameter handle did the trick. Failing that I used a mole wrench on the screwdriver handle, the latter never failed.

Andrew.

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

Thanks for the quick replies,

Yes all the other units are just as tight, seems like we have the same breed of sparks here too.

In this case, I have a bonus, in that the entire unit is mounted right up into the corner between the wall and the ceiling, making it very difficult to get at anything. The whole wall area was available, but the corner must have had some attraction !  I often wonder about these people, I really do.

I will try a bigger handled screwdriver and see how it goes.

Michael, impact drivers and tight Posi drive screws do not always get on well together, but still worth a try !

PS  The only good thing about it is the fact that I am lefthanded !

“Normal” guys would really have a problem !

[ZanParticipant @zan]

Don’t like the sound of using the impact driver as such,   Could cause a lot of damage but the head on mine fits a 1/2” socket. So use it with a ratchet wrench will greatly increase the leverage. Plenty of axial pressure though!

this has sorted me on numerous similar problems

[Zan]

On Zan Said:

Don’t like the sound of using the impact driver as such […]

Perhaps that’s because we are referring to different things

Mine is a Bosch GDR 10,8 VLI which is the compact ‘pistol’ device that takes 1/4” hex bits, and matches the drill/screwdriver.

MichaelG.

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[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

As Michael says carefully which I presume he means using the lowest setting to start with and gradually increasing, sounds like a plan to me.

[ZanParticipant @zan]

Ah thought you were referring to the whack the end with a hammer type!

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

I like the short 1/4″ hex drive ratchet levers for this sort of job. Both the cheap type based on pair of sheet steel frames having the ratchet wheel between with a handle holding all together and the proper “socket set” style ones work well.

Nice thing about the cheap ones is that they have a rotating knob on the side opposite the hex drive so it’s vey easy to apply pressure directly above the bit straight down onto the screw drive. With a proper style one you have to push the top which is harder to keep straight or use a single thumb so pressure is limited. My proper style one is in a LiDL set with a very full selection of hex bits. Nicely made and remarkable value. The two cheapies are from the likes of Rolsen et al. Pound shop or market stall fodder “mumble-mumble” years ago so probably amortised cost is a fraction of a penny for every time they have dug me out of a potentially tricky problem.

Impact drivers are a no-no for me. Its just too hard to keep the screwdriver bit properly engaged.

Clive

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