Outdoor Lighting

[SpencerD]

Hi Everyone,

First time caller and all that.

I'm having our garden landscaped  and I've been attempting to install the lighting myself. I have picked up the power from an outside RCD socket using 2.5 T&E, sent it under the ground to the shed in flexible conduit, wired it to the supply points of an outdoor fused 13A spur and the red light is on. Yay. I'm now trying to send electric on to 2 additional RCD sockets in the shed and this is where the problem is. Using the same T&E and sending it on from the LOAD to the new socket, no power appears to be going to the new socket. I've tried an outdoor switch too and whilst the red light comes on for the outdoor switch, still when I plug anything in nothing happens. In fact when I try to test an appliance the red light on the outdoor switch goes off! 

What am I doing wrong? Should I be using a different cable from the fused spur? Any help or guidance would be appreciated.

 

[UNG]

What test equipment do you have for fault finding?

Have you checked what voltage drop you have

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Before energising any amendments and alterations you should verify continuity, and insulation resistance with the circuit dead...

TBH to try and guess what you are doing wrong is a bit tricky to say the least...

Two questions that do spring to mind are;  What sort of cable have you buried in this flexible conduit?    

Your description suggests you have RCD's supplying further RCD's ??   why? 

You could have terminations ar5e about face in your RCD's so they cannot be set..

Could have damaged cable...

Could have poorly terminated connection...

Could have a faulty device for testing if the power is there..  So seeing incorrect symptoms..

Broken neutral back at the supply..  

Neutral & earth crossed / continuity prevent RCD's from resetting..

etc..

I would want to do full tests on your circuit in accordance BS7671 guidelines before sticking any power back on..

:coffee

 

[SpencerD]

Thanks. I've laid 2.5mm Twin & Earth using a flexible conduit. The newly installed fused spur has its red light on and the tester shows power at the back. Part one complete! Part 2 was to connect up the new sockets off the new fused spur. 

The reason for multiple RCD's is because they're all outside. The initial RCD is on the outside of our new extension, I just want to get power up the other end with plug and play lighting. 

I've used the same Twin and Earth I sent from the house to fused spur (connecting the LOAD) to the new socket and what baffles me is the new socket shows power at the terminal when I test it with my circuit tester but the new RCD is just not responsive. I can't test or reset it, its lifeless. To ensure it wasn't a dodgy unit I've also tried a switched single 13A outdoor socket too. Once again, that shows as having power at the back, the red light comes on at the front but again if I plug anything in, regardless of the appliance, nothing is happening. Baffling me. 

What test equipment do you have for fault finding?

Have you checked what voltage drop you have

Ive been using a standard screwdriver tester from Wickes, nothing sophisticated. I've used the same Twin and Earth I sent from the house to fused spur (connecting the LOAD) to the new socket and what baffles me is the new socket shows power at the terminal when I test it with my circuit tester but the new RCD is just not responsive. I can't test or reset it, its lifeless. To ensure it wasn't a dodgy unit I've also tried a switched single 13A outdoor socket too. Once again, that shows as having power at the back, the red light comes on at the front but again if I plug anything in, regardless of the appliance, nothing is happening. Baffling me.  

 

[SpencerD]

PLEASE IGNORE ME. I had everything correct but the neutral had slipped out at the original point at the house! Half a day of testing and faff! Sorry to waste everyones time!

 

[Murdoch]

 Half a day of testing and faff! 

What tester were you using?

R1 + R2 is the standard dead test, but in your case RN + R2 is often a good idea especially on lighting circuits

 

[kerching]

A proper "tester" instead of a neon screwdriver , along with a bit of "process of elimination" would possibly have sorted the issue out in about 10 minutes

lesson learned

neons are useful in the right hands, in the wrong hands they are as much use as any politician

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

PLEASE IGNORE ME. I had everything correct but the neutral had slipped out at the original point at the house! Half a day of testing and faff! Sorry to waste everyones time!

Before energising any amendments and alterations you should verify continuity, and insulation resistance with the circuit dead...

TBH to try and guess what you are doing wrong is a bit tricky to say the least...

Two questions that do spring to mind are;  What sort of cable have you buried in this flexible conduit?    

Your description suggests you have RCD's supplying further RCD's ??   why? 

You could have terminations ar5e about face in your RCD's so they cannot be set..

Could have damaged cable...

Could have poorly terminated connection...

Could have a faulty device for testing if the power is there..  So seeing incorrect symptoms..

Broken neutral back at the supply..  

Neutral & earth crossed / continuity prevent RCD's from resetting..

etc..

I would want to do full tests on your circuit in accordance BS7671 guidelines before sticking any power back on..

:coffee

One of the possibilities I mentioned!  :Salute

A neon screwdriver is not device that can prove circuit continuity..

you need to invest in a continuity tester to verify ALL of your wires make a complete circuit from supply to load then back to supply..

If a conductor has 'slipped' out of a termination then I would guess that you are probably not securing your terminations correctly..

i.e. ensure all connections are electrically sound...

as loose joints can cause overheating and problems later..

I also hope none of your earth wires have popped out somewhere as well..

As I am guessing you haven't actually proved earth continuity on your alteration..

Which is a rather essential safety test!.

Guinness  

 

[Andy™]

Thanks. I've laid 2.5mm Twin & Earth using a flexible conduit.

T&E buried in flex conduit is not an acceptable instllation method

 

[kerching]

This isn't what is known as a Bucknall ( Google Barry bucknal)

it is wrong

end of

is the flexible conduit capable of having a SWA cable pull d through it?

ismit flexible conduit OR even worse 'hosepipe'?