How common is reversed polarity?

[pc1966]

Looking over the best practice guide to electrical inspection condition reporting the C1 "danger present" conditions are basically exposed live parts or reversed polarity. I guess the seriousness of reversed polarity is the lack of any meaningful over-current protection for faults to earth.

This forum's thread on dodgy pictures has several examples of exposed wires, etc, but how often have any of you seen a case of L & N swapped at the consumer unit?

 

[MJPD29]

Once. And it had been that way for a long time from what I could see.

 

[littlespark]

It must be very rare to find reversed polarity at a CU. Whoever did it would have to be a special kind of stupid to get them mixed up.

although I have seen plenty of tails using the same colours and only a bit of red or black tape to distinguish which is which. Mistakes can happen.

 

[Zerax]

I came across one once... I was convinced I must have made a mistake but no, it really was wrong and had been from new. It was about 10 years old.

 

[telectrix]

and beware when fitting any schneider CU's. the terminals are back to front.

 

[R-fur]

I have seen a couple of cases of wrong polarity from the DNO, also a few cases of polarity wrong at sockets.

 

[pc1966]

I have seen a couple of cases of wrong polarity from the DNO, also a few cases of polarity wrong at sockets.

That is scary!
Reversed sockets from bad DIY is something I would expect to be seen occasionally, but not at the DNO point.

 

[R-fur]

The sockets were installed by professionals. On a large site the single sockets had a different termination layout from the doubles, guys on piece work were just rattling them in and not checking the terminals.

 

[electric al]

Once. And it had been that way for a long time from what I could see.

I also have seen it once and I reckon it must have been that way a long time

 

[freddo]

That is scary!
Reversed sockets from bad DIY is something I would expect to be seen occasionally, but not at the DNO point.

Seen twice on the same site of houses we did, meter fitter connected outgoing tails back to front in both.