Attic Wiring

[306james]

Hi All.An electrician friend of mine has wired my 3 rooms in the attic with double sockets.
Having done so he tested each socket with a 13 AMP PLUG tester which showed power and no faults.He has now moved to Cyprus.The problem now is when I plug in a table lamp (25 watt bulb)it trips out all sockets in the house.So I isolate the attic MCB breaker reset the RCD (which trips out as well) and all remaining socket work again except the attic ones. He took the power cable that had been left on a roll in the attic in case anyone wanted to convert the space which we have now done.One end of the cable was inserted into a junction box and from there to the different rooms.Then the other end which was in the main board and connected it to the board via a 32amp breaker.I have changed the breaker to a new one and it made no difference.By the way a clock radio will play from the sockets but as I said nothing else.ANY ADVISE WOULD BE APPRECIATED.Many Thanks. 306james
 
 

 

[Blue Duck]

Was he an electrician? Was he running off to Cyprus to escape his customers?

Socket testers are f'in useless they will only pick up obvious wiring faults at the sockets and are used by cowboys to scare old ladies (look there's one red light you need a rewire love).

Sounds like an insulation fault you'd better get someone out to have a look anyone here in your area?

 

[Andy™]

sounds more like N&E reversed at some point, or shorted together

 

[batty]

You certainly will need an electrician to sort this out and as it is a new circuit it will need signing of by someone good luck with that. Cheap jobs quite often cone back to bite you.

 

[steptoe]

sounds more like N&E reversed at some point, or shorted together

which a plug in tester will NOT detect,

I'd agree with that,

 

[ProDave]

Hi All.An electrician friend of mine has wired my 3 rooms in the attic with double sockets.
 
Having done so he tested each socket with a 13 AMP PLUG tester which showed power and no faults.He has now moved to Cyprus.
 
The problem now is when I plug in a table lamp (25 watt bulb)it trips out all sockets in the house.So I isolate the attic MCB breaker reset the RCD (which trips out as well) and all remaining socket work again except the attic ones.
 
He took the power cable that had been left on a roll in the attic in case anyone wanted to convert the space which we have now done.One end of the cable was inserted into a junction box and from there to the different rooms.Then the other end which was in the main board and connected it to the board via a 32amp breaker.I have changed the breaker to a new one and it made no difference.By the way a clock radio will play from the sockets but as I said nothing else.ANY ADVISE WOULD BE APPRECIATED.Many Thanks. 306james
 
 

I very much doubt your friend was an electrician.

Lets just hope it's 4mm or even 6mm this spare cable that he has bought into use for a 32A circuit.

I strongly suggest you get a proper electrician in to test what he has done and put right his faults.

If as I suspect this one spare cable that has been uses is only 2.5mm then the 32A MCB will need to be changed for qa 20A or possibly a 16A one.

As others suggest the fault is likely to be N-E reversed or shorted. A competent electrician will diagnose that quickly.

 

[steptoe]

http://martindale-electric.co.uk/martindale-ez150-eze-check-xtra-earth-loop-impedance-indicator-p-285.html

:innocent

:shakehead

NO,

it will measure the resistance impedance of whatever is connected to the earth pin,

read the small print,

will not detect N-E reversal,

:red card

 

[Andy™]

http://martindale-electric.co.uk/martindale-ez150-eze-check-xtra-earth-loop-impedance-indicator-p-285.html

:innocent

it even says on the plug that it doesnt detect N-E reversal!

 

[kerching]

Well i THINK that the board is a split one, and the neutral has been taken off the wrong BAR..............BUT. I may well be wrong, see avatar for details

Just guessing and stabbing wildly in the dark whilst clutching at straws with the skin of my teeth....well that is what some seem to do

 

[ProDave]

Dare we ask what the test results on the certificate say?

 

[kerching]

Dare we ask what the test results on the certificate say?

N/a

 

[steptoe]

Well i THINK that the board is a split one, and the neutral has been taken off the wrong BAR..............BUT. I may well be wrong, see avatar for details

Just guessing and stabbing wildly in the dark whilst clutching at straws with the skin of my teeth....well that is what some seem to do

that wouldnt take the MCB out though,

 

[ProDave]

Of course there could just be a short on the flex of that particular table lamp?

He didn't say he had tried any other "proper" load (the clock radio works), and he didn't say he had tested the table lamp in a different circuit?

 

[kerching]

that wouldnt take the MCB out though,

Pick picky Mc Picky..

.....i should have read the question really

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Hi All.An electrician friend of mine has wired my 3 rooms in the attic with double sockets.
Having done so he tested each socket with a 13 AMP PLUG tester which showed power and no faults.He has now moved to Cyprus.The problem now is when I plug in a table lamp (25 watt bulb)it trips out all sockets in the house.So I isolate the attic MCB breaker reset the RCD (which trips out as well) and all remaining socket work again except the attic ones. He took the power cable that had been left on a roll in the attic in case anyone wanted to convert the space which we have now done.One end of the cable was inserted into a junction box and from there to the different rooms.Then the other end which was in the main board and connected it to the board via a 32amp breaker.I have changed the breaker to a new one and it made no difference.By the way a clock radio will play from the sockets but as I said nothing else.ANY ADVISE WOULD BE APPRECIATED.Many Thanks. 306james
 
 

Correct way electrical work should be done..

1/ Identify if any work is Part-P notifiable, agree with customer who is going to notify such work if required.

2/ Check existing installation is OK for new load & earthing & bonding are good.

3/ Design new/amended circuits.

4/ Install alterations/new work.

5/ Dead tests on work carried out

6/ Energise circuits.

7/ Live tests.

8/ Write and issue electrical test certificate to client. 

9/ If electrician notifying work contact LABC or contractor scheme to initiate issue of building regs compliance certificate.

Now from what you have said it sounds as though steps 5, 7, 8 and/or 9 have not been carried out... 

If they had IT WOULD BE WORKING!!!!

Therefore it is safe to assume the person doing the work was either:-

Not an electrician.

Too arsed to do a proper job as they were not getting paid proper money.

Or a blatant cowboy charging good money for a rip-off job...

or a combination of them all!!!

To solve your problem you need proper testing done...

fix the anomalies found and a new certificate issued.

This is recommended by a "Proper" electrician.

opcorn

*****************************************************

post edited re Steptoes correction on next post!

 

[steptoe]

mmmm

point  /8  has absolutely NOTHING to do with any electrician as a normal course of their work

of course, if they do do it on behalf of their customer then that is up to them,

but it is in no way a requisite of a competent electrician that they should do it.

 

[steptoe]

:slap

You bit  :innocent

do you even know what the back of a 13amp socket looks like?

you you 240mmSQ jockey you,,,,,,,   :|

 

[steptoe]

anything worth plugging into has 3holes dont you know,

unless you want to go a bit more broad spectrum, then you get 2 terminal varieties, as well as the 4 and 5 pole versions,

i prefer working with the 3slot versions myself, Im a bit of a traditional sort of guy, 

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

mmmm

point  /8  has absolutely NOTHING to do with any electrician as a normal course of their work

of course, if they do do it on behalf of their customer then that is up to them,

but it is in no way a requisite of a competent electrician that they should do it.

I stand corrected..

Post edited :Salute

 

[steptoe]

I stand corrected..

Post edited :Salute

now,

that makes my post wrong as it looks like a good competent electrician shouldnt issue a certificate,,,,,,,,, which we all know is wrong/correct.[?]

my post should maybe be deleted in view of this correction.

:C