Please Help

[ParkySparky]

An earth wire came out and the lights stopped working???????

 

[Adamrobertson11]

everything working now

 

[Sidewinder]

Worrying that a circuit protective conductor that is designed only to carry current in the event of a fault coming adrift from a connection prevented the function of more than one accessory.

This infers that it is operating in a functional sense, NOT a protective sense.

I suspect that if this is exactly the case, then there are dangerous if not potentially lethal wiring faults within the circuit that could cause electrocution or fire.

If I was there and this was the case I would be looking at an EDN.

A cpc cannot act as a live conductor as it is NOT insulated.

Only live conductors take part in the functional operation of a circuit.

 

[ProDave]

+1

The OP needs to confirm EXACTLY which wire had come loose. Picture?

If it was indeed an EARTH wire that had come loose, and re fitting the earth wire made the lights work again, then he has a dangerous install with one or more faults that needs sorting out quickly by a proper electrician.

 

[Adamrobertson11]

+1

The OP needs to confirm EXACTLY which wire had come loose. Picture?

If it was indeed an EARTH wire that had come loose, and re fitting the earth wire made the lights work again, then he has a dangerous install with one or more faults that needs sorting out quickly by a proper electrician.

I'm going to call someone in on Monday because that's exactly what happened, 4 earth wires in total 3in1 and in another plastic connector

 

[Sidewinder]

Monday, could be too late!

 

[betty swollocks]

Potentially you might need one of these two 24hr 7 day services, its the same number and they usually arrive in around 10 minutes and although they won't solve your problem could save your life

Telephone number - 999

Ask for ambulance or fire

Unusually for me I'm being sarcastic however if what you are saying is correct

And bearing in mind you admitted to have limited experience

You had a fault, which you have solved connecting an earth wire

This MUST be incorrectly connected somewhere to have any effect on the live operation of a lighting circuit

Therefore, in doing so, how do you know that you have not inadvertently caused a fault somewhere on the circuit that wasn't there before or that you are not aware of?

This fault, if it involves an earth wire could now be causing a fault at any accessory on the circuit

An example of this could be a metallic light switch plate in any other room becoming live If this has not been correctly terminated (I have seen this where switching the light on caused the screws to become live)

One or more of the light fittings casings you have now working in the en-suite/bedroom could now be live, or may become live once the lights are switched on

You may have a cable or cables in the loft which are now live awaiting some unsuspecting person to reach into the loft for the Xmas decorations or maybe crawling in the loft and touch it perhaps months or years later

Only this week I came across an junction box with the earth wires twisted together outside the box with one separated

Earth wires twisted like this are not uncommon in older houses/installations but the single wire stood out and was in fact live, investigation showed what I suspected was at some point as a live switched live and neutral supply for a long since removed extractor fan

All of these scenarios are realistic potential problems and for your own peace of mind an electrician will be able to test, check and leave you with peace of mind

You may well have nothing to worry about but no Internet forum in the world could tell you that for sure

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

There could be a fault or more than likely Adam robertson moved a loose connection whilst reconnecting the earth, probably the loop live or neutral. If the earth cable was loose enough to fall out the other connections are probably just as bad.

 

[Steve3948]

I have many times seen the lives on a 3 plate system connected to the earth terminal on a light fitting because that was the only connection point left, then the earths were either cut off or just twisted together.

I wonder if something similar has gone on here.

 

[kerching]

Slip Slap [yet again] has concurred with my prognosis AND again beaten me to it, I will now go and don my outerwear.... :coat

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Slip Slap [yet again] has concurred with my prognosis AND again beaten me to it, I will now go and don my outerwear.... :coat

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Or, Great minds think alike :Salute

 

[kerching]

Mmmmmm

Great minds think alike....fools seldom differ!

I prefer to go down the 'Great Minds route'

 

[Adamrobertson11]

sorry for the delay in response to your comments the wife is back from a few days away and she said she hit the light hard while rotating the mattress and that was when it happened

 

[Sidewinder]

Adam,

This changes nothing really, if you have a cpc that became disconnected and changed the function of several accessories in the circuit, then you have SERIOUS problems!

 

[Andy™]

Adam,

This changes nothing really, if you have a cpc that became disconnected and changed the function of several accessories in the circuit, then you have SERIOUS problems!

probably wasting your time - it now works, so i doubt he will be back

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

probably wasting your time - it now works, so i doubt he will be back

I'll second that Guinness

 

[batty]

Woman drivers.

:shakehead eadHorse: