Neutral wiring problem

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Andrew Parkes

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Hi on my electric shower pull chord/isolator there's two lives and only one neutral. In the loft on the contactor the neutral wire isn't connected to it. The light is staying on on the pull chord. This can't be right, I'm presuming the neutral wire should be connected at both ends from the neutral out on the pull chord and on the contactor in the loft. Any advice would be great . Thanks Andrew
 
The neutral isn't isolated through the pull cord then. What is the contactor for? Would also like to think the fan isn't wired directly into the circuit without a fcu 1.5 on shower circuit is not good
 
Thanks, the wire from the switch is wired directly to the contactor. The two wires from the fuse board run to the pull switch. The wires from the shower and fan run from the contactor. There are neutral wires from there.
 
On the isolator/ pull switch there is a live and neutral from the fuse board, there is also a neutral that isn't connected at either end plus a second live that runs to the contactor. The red light stays on in the off position. In not sure which wires goto the contactor apart from the ones I've mentioned. All three wires on the isolator are wired correctly, just no neutral. The out live wire can't go in the neutral part of the isolator can it? It must of been like it for 40 years. Thanks Andrew
 
I'll take some later, I spoke with a friend who's an electrician last night. Without looking he said he thinks the live wire from the isolator is just being used as a switch wire from the isolator/switch. He's coming out Friday. Does the out live wire have Togo in the out live port on the switch and not in the out neutral port? Thanks Andrew
 
It sounds like the contactor has been installed to switch the light and fan on whenever the shower isolator is turned on.
If the correct fuses are installed in the right places then this us OK, however from your description it sounds like there may be a live taken to the contactor directly from the shower isolator and the neutral from the lighting circuit which is a dangerous situation.
 
Sounds to me as if the switch has been fed from the Fuse box with a line and neutral, so that the neon will work when the switch is on.
Sounds like it’s wired to the wrong terminals if the neon is on all the time.
Only needs the line from the switch to the contactor, if the switch is fed from the same MCB as the lighting.
 
It may be that the switch is fed from the same MCB as the shower.
In which case the neutral that needs to be used to operate the contactor is the neutral for the shower from the same MCB.
 
Yep looks like the the wires are in the wrong holes.
The black and red wires from the same cable, should be wired to the in terminals.
You really ought to sleeve the bare wires with earth sleeving and terminate them in the earth terminal.
 
The earth sleaving insulates the bare earth conductor and prevents it from coming in to contact with a live conductor when its all squashed together in the box. Ideally it should be dressed in a bit neater to help prevent this as well.

I would recomend getting the electrician to check the entire circuit to make sure the correct sized cables/contactors/fuses/MCBs are installed for each part of the circuit. It's not a common method of controlling the shower and someone could have repaired or modified it without fully understanding the implications.
 
Thanks, I'll have a chat with the electrician. I'll also get him to put some sleeving on the earth wire, wouldn't it be easier if the sleeving was already on it? Regarding the neutral wire, what would happen if it was connected up to the shower etc from the pull cord? Thanks Andrew
 
An electrician will be able to confirm about this and the neutral wiring when he checks it out. Then you know it will be nice and safe.
 
Andrew Parkes said:
Thanks, think I might just have a bath ha ha. In all seriousness it should be sorted on Friday. Why isn't the earth already sleeved like the other two wires?
Click to expand...

There's no real need for the earth conductor to be sleeved in the fixed twin and earth wiring, as the 2 live conductors are insulated. Obviously it just needs a small piece of sleeving adding wherever it enters an accessory though.

Spin got there before me with another good reason!
 
The switch front is plastic.
Terminating the earths in the front plate, will only earth the screws.
The screws getearthed by being in contact with the metal back box which is already earthed.
Shame we can’t do dumb as well as disagree.
 
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