Issue with lighting after lifting sockets to paint

[DDDDDDanny]

Hey,

I lifted a few sockets from a wall so I could paint without having to cut in around them. I haven’t lifted any light switches yet.

When re-fitting them I noticed one was a very tight fit (3 cables stuffed in to a shallow 25mm knock box. End of the ring and an extra socket coming off it?). I was a bit wary pushing it in thinking it might damage/loosen a wire but went ahead as it’d been in there previously. Then I switched the ring back on at the consumer unit.
All seemed fine but I noticed every ten or fifteen mins my lights (separate circuit) were dimming temporarily for a split second.
The problem persists even when all sockets are empty and individually turned off at the sockets. The problem only stops when the ring is off at the consumer unit (all RCBOs).

I then pulled the sockets again to check the wiring was all okay and whilst I was at it I chiselled out some more brick to fit a deeper knock box. I also stripped the wires back so they were fresh. This didn’t resolve.

I’ve been round and checked every socket on that ring to make sure all connections are tight and they’re all fine.

I also removed those sockets from the ring and completed it with wagos temporarily to eliminate the prospect of faulty sockets.

Anyway, I’ve got the ring off at the consumer unit now and an electrician potentially coming over the weekend to investigate.

I’m just curious if anybody has any idea what the fault is likely to be. Nothing is tripping at the consumer unit.

I wonder if I’ve damaged a neutral wire further up the cable by stuffing it in to such a shallow knock box.

 

[telectrix]

possibly the lighting feed goes up with the socket cables and you have disturbed it, could be a long standing Almost a fault ith the cable/s ad the disturbance has brought it to light. forgive the pun.

 

[DDDDDDanny]

possibly the lighting feed goes up with the socket cables and you have disturbed it, could be a long standing Almost a fault ith the cable/s ad the disturbance has brought it to light. forgive the pun.

Hey I did think this could be the case but then I can’t figure out why the issue would stop when the ring is off at the consumer unit.

 

[DPG]

I think this is going to need an electrician and test equipment unfortunately.

 

[OnlQQker]

So the only thing you did was unscrew the sockets from the backplates?

Are these backboxes galvanized?
Do they have a rubber grommet where the cable passes through?

If so are these backboxes bonded to the sockets you removed?

A photo might help...