Fusebox off but still got an electric shock

[Elliot]

Hi,

I turned my fuseboard completely off to change a plug socket in my house but when I was changing the plug socket after the fuseboard was off, i got an electric shock?

Do you know why this could be?

Thanks,

 

[Murdoch]

That's not good.

How many fuseboards do you have and are they labelled? (most labeling is poor /misleading)

House ? Flat? Converted building? 

PS in future plug in a lamp to a socket you want to change, switch on light - then turn circuit breaker off.

Hope this helps

 

[Elliot]

I have 1 main fuseboard with 9 fuses in the house. Here is a picture of my fuseboard below:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16kBNetSuDtTD9wPsdhhnm0FLCYS2Nb_Q/view?usp=sharing

I can't see any other fuseboards around the house.

 

[Murdoch]

^^ handy

picture

Which switch did you switch off?

 

[Elliot]

I switched the main red one (right hand side) down to the off position.

 

[Barx]

Could be a few things.

• The socket is 'rigged' straight into the service head to bypass the meter (and by default, the consumer unit)
  
• The neutral tail maybe put into the neutral bar inside the consumer unit AND the polarity on the tails wrong way round
  
• The switch may be faulty
  
• Some other voodoo inside the consumer unit.
  
• Socket could be fed from next door if the property has been split at any point.
  
• The earth to the property could be made live.
  

Some of these sound far fetched, but I've seen them all in my time.

What di you actually get a shock off? i.e. what did you touch exacly?

 

[Elliot]

Thanks for this, i actually changed from a plastic to a metal face plate and while i touched the metal face plate, i got the shock.

As I was screwing the black wires in, I got the shock.

Images below of the faceplate and how the wires are currently looking like. (I stopped touching it when i got the shock)

Faceplate - https://drive.google.com/file/d/15DydzUgCUVn287GIM1y-ZuDHfMtw30_i/view?usp=sharing

Wires - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lALiNtzF0iOdRXIkpy62PrUyo08udC-8/view?usp=sharing

 

[ProDave]

So you got a shock by touching the earth cable (that is connected now to the metal faceplate)?

I suggest you call an electrian out, there might be something very wrong with the installation.

 

[Andy™]

and this is exactly why you check what you are working on is correectly isolated and dead before starting to work on it...

 

[Evans Electric]

I was about to say there could be a cross over between two ring mains giving you a back feed on the neutral  ...BUT  .  ...back to basics ...you switched off the big red switch .  

So as said above  , looks like you need a sparks .    Did you clonk the big red switch right down  ?  

(I stopped touching it when i got the shock)

That was one of your better ideas  ,   you can't hang on to them for long and remain alive .           

I'm looking at your consumer unit ....what is that MCB for right next to the big red switch  ?      I'm wondering how that is wired in , possibly  by-passing the main switch  who knows .    

 

[Elliot]

The MCB right next to the big red switch is the one that's causing the issue (image below higlighted in yellow)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sVclyNowXSD-k_ERhkUaDvBCxoikKJ3U/view?usp=sharing

That is the one that trips. I have left this switch off and the whole ground level floor plug sockets are now off so the switch must be connected to all plug sockets?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[ProDave]

There was no mention of anything tripping before that last post?  Or did I miss it?

That extra "high integrity" MCB looks like it has been added after the main installation, look how it has pushed the main switch and first RCD apart so the labelling does not line up any more.

So that (now tripping) mcb feeds the downstairs sockets.  If i were a betting man, I would say someone had an issue with the downstairs sockets tripping the rcd, and rather than find and fix the problem they bodged this mcb in to feed the downstairs sockets without an rcd.

It is looking more and more like you have some serious issues and you really need a competent electrician to sort it out.

 

[Elliot]

But to my original question, why is there still live electricity when I switched off the main Red Switch on the far right?

Thanks,

 

[Elliot]

Also just to add, I think the MCB next to the Red Switch was added as the previous owner had a conservatory built afterwards.

 

[ProDave]

But to my original question, why is there still live electricity when I switched off the main Red Switch on the far right?

Thanks,

That's what an electrician can answer.

Can you clarify.  Was it touching the metal front plate that gave you a shock?  Or did you touch one of the black neutrals and that gave you a shock?

I have seen a split load consumer unit wired wrongly inside so when you turned off the main switch, it still left the L (but not N) connected to one half.

If you fancy taking the cover off the CU (be very careful) and take a picture inside that might shed some light. 

 

[ProDave]

Also just to add, I think the MCB next to the Red Switch was added as the previous owner had a conservatory built afterwards.

Which introduced a fault causing it to trip the RCD?

I am still worried about the way it is wired and suspect there are some problems with your instalation.

 

[Evans Electric]

But to my original question, why is there still live electricity when I switched off the main Red Switch on the far right?

Thanks,

Can you  switch everything OFF  , all the MCBs  & RCDs   & the RED swicth   ......then switch ON that  MCB  next to the red switch  .      See if ground floor plugs come on  by plugging in a lamp  or the radio.   

How do you feel about removing the cover for some pictures ?       As Dave says  , don't touch anything  in there .  I'd like to see how that MCB is wired in .

 

[Murdoch]

Op is this your own property or rented?

 

[Elliot]

@ProDave Just to clarify, i was screwing in the last black wire which is the one in the picture that has not been screwed in yet. However it was my other hand which was touching the metal face plate that got a shock.

This is what it looks like behind the faceplate: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Vbnrswygq8iCivk1u3HrrCAh9T7-68mW/view?usp=sharing

Thanks,

 

[ProDave]

@ProDave Just to clarify, i was screwing in the last black wire which is the one in the picture that has not been screwed in yet. However it was my other hand which was touching the metal face plate that got a shock.

This is what it looks like behind the faceplate: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Vbnrswygq8iCivk1u3HrrCAh9T7-68mW/view?usp=sharing

Thanks,

Was that using an insulated screwdriver or an ordinary screwdriver with a bare blade?  i.e. do you think one hand might have touched the screw that you were tightening? (touched a bare screwdriver blade)

An electrician would not use anything other than an insulated screwdriver.