The plumbing thread and @SuperTyke reply got me thinking it might be a interesting subject. I tend to avoid DIY but one I do recall scared the hell out of me is as follows. When we bought our current house a few years ago I was fitting all new plug sockets in the kitchen. So I turned off the downstairs sockets on the fuse box. Plugged my radio into all the sockets to check they were all off nice and safe. Away I went around the kitchen changing all the sockets. Got to the switch for the outside light unscrewed the sides started to pull it away. What followed was a almighty bang and spark followed by me jumping back screeching in fear. A scorch mark up the switch and me sweating buckets. Silly bugger I am I had turned the downstairs sockets off but not the lights. The outside light was of course on the lights circuit. Now if I do anything electrical I turn the fuse box off completely!
I always check every socket or switch with a meter or mains test screwdriver. Must admit I don’t usually turn off the whole box Of course you could always do it live with a pair of marigolds on and wellies like a guy at a previous job did when wiring in a new machine. So he didn’t have to shut down the other machines on the same circuit. Boss had kittens when he fiund out
...or as Frank Spencer said to his wife, Betty, "If you get an electric shock, go and put your rubber boots on".
Once put limescale remover down the toilet. instructions were for cleaning a kettle...put liquid in kettle,fill with water and boil so put a kettle full of boiling water down the bog. Cracked the U-bend with the heat but it got rid of the limescale
I'm a self-confessed DIY novice and much prefer to pay a professional to do jobs, especially plumbing or electrical. I have braved the odd project though, including whipping out an old cooker and wiring in a new one (successfully) as well as other low-level jobs like light fittings and such. Of course, you can't always trust an electrician to get it right. A good example was some years ago at my old house in Gloucester. It soon became clear that the previous owners had done some electrical work badly and one day I had a man in to do some electrical work in the bedroom. It involved taking up floor boards under where the bed was and he had no idea that there was a LIVE wire lurking down there from some previous botched project. Needless to say he accidentally made contact with it and promptly flew several feet backwards. Luckily he was shocked but not badly hurt. He was lucky. Good lesson for me, as well as him. Since then I have always cut the power to the entire house before attempting anything. I know it's not necessary but I'd rather be alive than make a fatal error through turning off the wrong circuit.
When I moved in to my current house there was a wire dangling in the airing cupboard. Just to be sure it wasn’t still live I touched the end with a mains test screwdriver as I expected it to be dead I wasn’t too careful and it sparked across the live and neutral. Took the end of my screwdriver it did but so glad I checked it
I once got caught masturbating in the shower. Apparently they don't take too kindly to that type of behaviour in B & Q.and I was asked to leave.
Oh that just reminded me - same Gloucester house. We decided to get rid of the old aluminium framed double glazing in favour of white Upvc. When the fitter was taking out the front door frame a couple of suspicious looking wires dropped down. They had been part of an old electric door bell system and at least one of them was still live. Luckily he had the skills to deal with it. Just one of many surprises with that house
Many Many moons ago when I first got married,we had a dog.Decided to build a kennel but as the weather was a bit crap decided to build it in the kitchen.Brilliant job only trouble was I couldn’t get it out of the back door too bloody big.Knocked it down and the dog slept in the house.