Double Socket Blew Up !

[pancholi]

Hi Im very new here. Need some MAJOR HELP
Fitting electric underfloor heating. Says it requires a fused spur.
I fitted a 13 amp switched fused spur from a double socket (with only two cables going into it). I used 2.5 cable between the socket and spur.
Got the wife to switch the mains on and the double socket just blew up. On closer inspection one of the live wires and split due to the heat I guess. PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!!why did this happen ? what on earth am i going wrong ?

 

[Steve]

You're sure it was the double socket? Not the spur?

Only one thing you can do wrong - a dead short. I'm thinking maybe you got the terminals wrong on the back of the spur.

You say the cable split? Could it have been trapped against the sharp metal of the backbox in the wall?

 

[Chivers7]

I fitted a 13 amp switched fused spur from a double socket (with only two cables going into it). I used 2.5 cable between the socket and spur.

How many did you expect to find? Have you used earth sleeving? Sounds like a short so put it back as you found before doing anything else to see if its ok.

 

[pancholi]

WOW thats a fast reply VERY APPRECIATED !!!!!
I connected the 2.5 cable to "supply" not "load" at the back of the fused spur.

Cable between spur and double socket intact. Its one of the mains "Live" cables that split due to some type of overload.

So you think I might have got Live and neutral cables the wrong way in the double socket whilst reconnecting ? simple as that ? Im wishing your right... I might give it another shot.

 

[pancholi]

I fitted a 13 amp switched fused spur from a double socket (with only two cables going into it). I used 2.5 cable between the socket and spur.

How many did you expect to find? Have you used earth sleeving? Sounds like a short so put it back as you found before doing anything else to see if its ok.

Sorry ..by two cables I meant that the double socket was not already a spur or supply a spur....
I put everything back and it all works OK....

 

[Steve]

simply reversing live and neutral on he cable to the fused spur will not cause a short, it will just mean reverse polarity to anything on the spur. (Most appliances can handle this)

If any cables are damaged, cut back to new cable.

 

[RF Lighting]

It sounds to me as though you have trapped the live wire either under a socket front fixing screw, or crushed it into the backbox or earth bar on the rear of the socket.

Can you see a blast mark on the rear of the socket or on the backbox?

Can you take a photo of the affected socket (unscrewed) and post it on here for us to get a better idea of what the problem may be?

 

[pancholi]

This forum is simply amazing....you guys do sterling job !!!!

Ive tacken pics but dont know how to upload

black mark exactly on the copper bar of the double socket and in the centre of the back box...what do you think ?

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[Lectrician]

Squashed the live

Simple.



Host your pic at www.imageshack.us, and then paste the link imageshack gives you here, using the

tags.

 

[pancholi]

THANKS A MILLION......

 

[securespark]

It's possible you trapped a live conductor on a fixing screw when pushing the whole lot back into the box. With an extra cable, the room behind is reduced.

I often find sockets fixed with countersunk screws that stick out, leaving a sharp edge protruding.