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Live - Neutral reverse from plug in tester

Former Community Member
Former Community Member

Hi, being retired for 2 years i was in trade as domestic electrcian for 10 years then commercail for next 40 years. So have high level od experience in field, yet never experienced the below unrational fault.

Really baffling me now (and an  independant competant electrican contractor) is a recent problem where i found using Martindale plug in tester (also using  independant contractors KEW plug in tester) that on a ring circuit somewhare in its middle 2 outlets read L-N reverse.

Yet taking off the outlets, the cables are connected correctly and live tested live in its correct position so Plug top fuse was correctly protecting appliances. This is on a recently extended ring circuit for room extension. I have read other blogs where they say the earth could be live or at least have a voltage presence, or that the earth CPC in fact could be floating so having volts induced to it.  Both scary thoughts.   

Any one had same issue please and what was found to then correct fault. 

I have yet to do a local earth test of the cpc at the two outlets and check the consumer unit earth connection to the main incoming supply.  Also all other outlets in house test correctly so assume main earth connection is not a problem and the RCD as main isolator passes its tests,

  • 0

    whjohnson: 
     

    100% check as required for initial verification is good. Trouble is Zoom, most post-installation PIRs or rather EIHCRs only ‘sample’ a few, or indeed none at all, with just the end to ends being recorded as being intact, and the r1+r2/4 results being ‘calculated’ one might say.

    That unearthed accessory might stay in service for years without the missing earth connection ever being detected.

    I test ‘em all. Otherwise how can I, hand on heart and after quoting the girl Guides’ Oath, say that the installation is safe and suitable for continued use.

    Z.

  • 0

    Zoomup: 
     

    AJJewsbury: 
     

    As a PS when the ring was first mooted in the 1940s some of the early advice suggested that the condutors of the ring shoult be unbroken. Now I presume this advice was not written by anyone with much practical nouse, as threading conduits or indeed just about anything, and s stripping cores part way along at each fitting is a non-starter

    +1 for that - and the idea hasn't entirely gone away - certainly quite recently MK still produced a rectangular 30A JB specifically designed so that the main cable could be run through uncut. (Although that did beg the question of how to sleeve the c.p.c. to meet BS 7671 requirements)

       - Andy.

    Green and yellow coloured P.V.C. tape.

    Z.

    Still doesn't comply - 543.3.201 requires 'sleeving complying with BS EN 60684 series'…

       - Andy.

     

    edit … unless you're suggesting splitting the sleeving lengthwise and then sticking it back together with PVC tape… 

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