N-E Issue

[Dambo]

Hi,

Just after a bit of advice regarding a N-E issue i've come across.

I've been working on a job where the customer would like all their sockets and switches replacing, amongst other things. When coming to do this on a hallway socket upstairs (an unfused spur) i've plugged in my socket tester and it shows there is no E present. I've taken off the faceplate and the E is there, securely connected. I've tried to trace the cable to find where the issue may be originating from but it disappears under a soild wood floor in the bedroom. I've then decided to connect the earth in the hallway socket to a nearby cable for a bedroom socket (Just the E) but when i've done this and plugged my socket tester into the hallway socket it's now showing both the E and the N aren't present. I've obviously checked and double checked all the connections are they are fine, and when I disconnect the E again the socket tester is again only showing the E not being present in the hallway socket. Does anyone have any ideas what might be causing this?

Thanks very much in advance.

 

[ProDave]

You want some proper testing.

Measure R1, R2 and Rn individually using the wander lead method. That will determine without a doubt what is what.

Is this just a single cable at the spur?  i.e it's not part of a ring final directly.  If so you need to determine where the spur originates from and fix the fault, but that could well be a junction box now firmly inaccessible under that new solid wood floor.

If you can't find the fault, personally I would abandon and make safe that cable, and route a new feed to that socket from an accessible point that tests good. I would not be happy having a "borrowed earth" to "fix" it.

 

[Dambo]

Thanks for the reply ProDave. It is a single cable spur. I agree, I think running a new cable from the nearby socket and making safe the current cable is the best option. I'm curious what's causing the fault though so I'm going to investigate further. Thanks.