Problem this afternoon

[uksparks]

Thanks Badged01, I'd nicely reply to your comments like you have but on the iPad so it's not so quick and easy.

Nothing on that circuit works when plugged in due to 0v on L-N

I am confident everything was unplugged and no loads

The breaker didn't trip

The rcd didn't trip

Both were holding fine.

I got an acceptable R1 + R2 at each socket which suggests which suggests line and earth are in those two places, but not the right way round.

If they were the wrong way round, because they had been switched somewhere near the origin lets say, then that would explain why by line to neutral readings were duff as it was really neutral to earth.

I am still confident that they have been switched, I know socket testers ate not the best gadget, but there mus be ome truth it in, isn't there? Like I say I did plug the MFT in to check properly.

 

[davesparks]

On a Friday night at beer o clock I would leave the whole house switched off. :driving:

I wouldn't!

 

[uksparks]

So you have left the customer without downstairs sockets until Tuesday?? Well your customer won't be enjoying their weekend then, will they!!

Not exactly the best approach for customer care, and i wouldn't blame the customer at all, if he called in another electrician to sort the problem out....

Fault finding on a radial socket circuit is a doddle, a methodical approach would have found the problem within the hour...

He said it had been like it for two days and he had extensions running from upstairs, he was happy to wait, unfortunately for him I am tied up until Tuesday afternoon. It is a doddle usually, but when mr DIY is not telling you the truth it makes things difficult.

 

[davesparks]

I am still confident that they have been switched, I know socket testers ate not the best gadget, but there mus be ome truth it in, isn't there? Like I say I did plug the MFT in to check properly.

Not necessarily, ive got a socket tester that regularly reports a missing neutral on perfectly OK sockets, but since I only use for the noise to give an indication of when I've pulled the right fuse i'm not going to replace it any time soon.

 

[Engineer54]

Well, it was the householder mincing around with the electrics to begin with, so, tough -------!

And now he is ''Paying'' for a professional to sort his blunders out, except it's not being sorted out is it?? lol!!

 

[davesparks]

Yeah it is being sorted out, by those of us daft enough to help on here!

Do you think he's charging for the time spent here researching basic fault finding?

 

[uksparks]

Well, it was the householder mincing around with the electrics to begin with, so, tough -------!

My thoughts entirely, it was commical actually, his mate comes in from over the road who has been helping him this week. He has moved light switches and extended the cables etc, extended the plug circuit with the problem, he did show me the joint which I redid as it was twisted ends with tape...

He had cut the old boiler thermostat off the wall as he said it was for the old boiler and not used so the wire was dead... He buried the cut end in the wall. He showed me where, I said so why is my volt stick (stop laughing) glowing red then when it goes near your dead cable? Pulled it out the other side of the wall, it was live so made safe.

Its a DIY mess, it's probably been like this for a week.

 

[davesparks]

A whole week, blimey!

there's houses out there that have been like it for a whole decade or more!

 

[uksparks]

And now he is ''Paying'' for a professional to sort his blunders out, except it's not being sorted out is it?? lol!!

It will be sorted, but as it was early Friday evening and had plans, I really didn't want to be there and would rather arrange to look at it properly with more time. He rang me to say he had changed a plug socket and now it's not working, I only went because it sounded like a quick job...

 

[uksparks]

A whole week, blimey!

there's houses out there that have been like it for a whole decade or more!

I know how to find faults and don't usually have problems, just this one seems a little more irritating and probably not being told the truth from mr DIY doesn't help.

 

[uksparks]

Not necessarily, ive got a socket tester that regularly reports a missing neutral on perfectly OK sockets, but since I only use for the noise to give an indication of when I've pulled the right fuse i'm not going to replace it any time soon.

They are handy for that.

 

[Silly Sausage]

And now he is ''Paying'' for a professional to sort his blunders out, except it's not being sorted out is it?? lol!!

So uksparks has to work all Friday night and maybe beyond, possibly putting other work off, to fix this geezers problem (of his own making) out? Customer's happy with a later visit, No Problem!

 

[GLENNSPARK]

I do get it, I just don't explain myself that well, I know it's a difference in potential, and know it doesn't go up one way and down the other.

any load has a phase & neutral connection yes?

so normally the load is connected in parallel across the 2...

lose the neutral and what you effectively have is the load in series..yes?

so you will have a voltage to earth on the neutral minus any voltage dropped across the load...yes?

do as you`v been told and get the wander lead out when you go back...

its a radial so go from point to point...i would be starting as far upstream as you can (first point from the origin of supply)...as you say that all points are affected...

 

[uksparks]

I have said I'm not working weekends anymore as I'd rather have a life, I used to go out every Saturday but the mrs was starting to get ratty to be honest.

 

[davesparks]

In a word, YES!

If he didn't want to work late on a friday he should have turned the job down, everyone knows there is no such thing as an easy fix job on a friday afternoon!

Once you have started the job it becomes your responsibility and you work till it is finished.

And yes I do practice what I preach and do work late into the night and have done over 24 hours straight in the past to get a job done.

 

[uksparks]

any load has a phase & neutral connection yes?

so normally the load is connected in parallel across the 2...

lose the neutral and what you effectively have is the load in series..yes?

so you will have a voltage to earth on the neutral minus any voltage dropped across the load...yes?

do as you`v been told and get the wander lead out when you go back...

its a radial so go from point to point...i would be starting as far upstream as you can (first point from the origin of supply)...as you say that all points are affected...

It certainly does appear to be every point that's been affected,

I appreciate your comments, it's given me a few ideas, I'll keep you posted when I've been back.

Im off to sleep now, night all.

 

[davesparks]

I have said I'm not working weekends anymore as I'd rather have a life, I used to go out every Saturday but the mrs was starting to get ratty to be honest.

Then turn away callout work on a friday afternoon and let those of us who do work 7 days a week have it.

 

[NickD]

If he didn't want to work late on a friday he should have turned the job down, everyone knows there is no such thing as an easy fix job on a friday afternoon!

Once you have started the job it becomes your responsibility and you work till it is finished.

And yes I do practice what I preach and do work late into the night and have done over 24 hours straight in the past to get a job done.

They do not preach that their God will rouse them a little before the nuts work loose.
They do not teach that His Pity allows them to leave their job when they damn-well choose.
As in the thronged and the lighted ways, so in the dark and the desert they stand,
Wary and watchful all their days that their brethren's days may be long in the land.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

They do not preach that their God will rouse them a little before the nuts work loose.
They do not teach that His Pity allows them to leave their job when they damn-well choose.
As in the thronged and the lighted ways, so in the dark and the desert they stand,
Wary and watchful all their days that their brethren's days may be long in the land.

hmm..

yeah allrite Nick if you say so...

 

[jaypp]

To be fair, he took the callout on the 'word' of the customer saying 'I've changed a socket and now it's not working'. Plus, the fella had left it 2 days (or probably more) before contacting a spark.
Personally though, I'd rather be at work than with the missus!!:smile5: