Power problems

[Steve Rowland]

Hi I have been asked to look at an electrical fault for a friend of mine. 

The fault is he's had an aircon system fitted by an electrician and is not working. There is power from the rcd to a junction box that connects the flex cable to an armoured cable that runs thru the building to the outside aircon unit but the problem is that there is power at the junction box and the start of the armoured cable but nothing in the other end of the armoured cable outside. Could sombody please help.

many thanks 

 

[steptoe]

first port of call would be to get the installer back,

 

[Steve Rowland]

The problem is he's run off with the money and can't be contacted. I thought I would check first if anybody had ideas what to check and test for before we got another electrician out. Thanks

 

[Andy™]

well if there is power at one end but not the other, either you have a faulty cable, or 2x bits of cable at each end with nothing in the middle...

did it ever work to start with?

 

[Murdoch]

Were you given a certificate of test results before you  paid him?

 

[Steve Rowland]

Hi Andy, there is power going into the cable at the start and it's a continuous cable with no joins, when disconnected at the aircon end it reads 36v yet at the start of the cable it reads 230/240v but when connected up there's nothing.

well if there is power at one end but not the other, either you have a faulty cable, or 2x bits of cable at each end with nothing in the middle...

did it ever work to start with?

 

[Andy™]

that sounds a lot like a dodgy connection or faulty switch

 

[Steve Rowland]

Were you given a certificate of test results before you  paid him?

He was paid in advance and never came back to finish the job. For example light fittings didn't get installed, ect

 

[Andy™]

bad idea paying in advance...

 

[Murdoch]

He was paid in advance and never came back to finish the job. For example light fittings didn't get installed, ect

I've NEVER asked for payment in advance - why do people agree to this? Are they MAD?

How are you "reading" the voltage?

 

[Steve Rowland]

I've NEVER asked for payment in advance - why do people agree to this? Are they MAD?

I'm not too sure about the ins and outs of the payments as I didn't have anything to do with that. I've just come to help him out and try to get this working and find out what's happened. 

that sounds a lot like a dodgy connection or faulty switch

Could it be anything to do with how it's connected at the problem end? Like a bad earth or something? Thanks

 

[Murdoch]

How are you "reading" the voltage?

again!

 

[Steve Rowland]

I've NEVER asked for payment in advance - why do people agree to this? Are they MAD?

How are you "reading" the voltage?

I'm reading the voltage with one of these multi meters. The voltage was read using the contact probed and not the clamp. Thanks

 

[Murdoch]

hum... without an MFT you are going to struggle to do the basic tests required.....

 

[Steve Rowland]

This is how it's connected outside. Hopefully sombody may know if it looks correct. The terminals on the left are from the armoured cable coming in and the ones on the right are going to the indoor aircon  blowers/units thanks. 

The picture is too big to upload sorry

 

[ProDave]

If the sparky has done a runner with your money,. then start proceedings at the small claims court and inform trading standards for a start.

I don't think you can post pictures until you have 10 posts, so make a couple more posts

Describe how many cores the cable has, what colours they are, and how they are connected at each end.

Have you physically followed the entire route of the cable? Otherwise I would fancy the crooked git has just put a short bit of cable at each end with nothing in the middle.

 

[binky]

could be a dodgy bit of cable???

 

[Steve Rowland]

If the sparky has done a runner with your money,. then start proceedings at the small claims court and inform trading standards for a start.

I don't think you can post pictures until you have 10 posts, so make a couple more posts

Describe how many cores the cable has, what colours they are, and how they are connected at each end.

Have you physically followed the entire route of the cable? Otherwise I would fancy the crooked git has just put a short bit of cable at each end with nothing in the middle.

Hi Dave, I've followed the complete length of cable as its visible in the cable harnesses across the ceiling and all looks intact with no joins. There is a couple of 90' bends so I'm not sure if that has damaged the armoured cable. As for the colours I'm going back there now so I will update as soon as I know

 

[Murdoch]

Hi Dave, I've followed the complete length of cable as its visible in the cable harnesses across the ceiling and all looks intact with no joins. There is a couple of 90' bends so I'm not sure if that has damaged the armoured cable. As for the colours I'm going back there now so I will update as soon as I know

You need a met to undertake dead continuity tests, the IR

 

[binky]

what he's got is OK for a few dead tests, simple resistance along cable should indicate a broken conductor.