electric shock

[Softus]

Interesting thought.

 

[bernardgreen]

I had a lamp plugged into this socket, which went out when I turned the main switch on the fuse board off, therefore there should not have been any power going to the socket. So why did I get a slight shock when I touched the wires?

A light going out is NOT an indication of safe to work. The switch could have broken only the NEUTRAL connection which would turn the light off but leave ALL the wires LIVE.

If the shock was short duration then it was static electricity on your body or clothing discharging through your finger to ground. If it lasted more than a second it was NOT static and suggests there is someting not right with the installation if the main switch was onboth live and neutral and was OFF

 

[ron237]

Thanks for your advice. I do know what an amp meter is and I can use one to measure current I was just wondering if you had any other ways to use one to check for leakage. However, I think that it must have been static as there is no current flowing with the mains switch of the distribution board, switched off. I have now changed the socket with no problems.

Thanks

Ron

 

[Softus]

I do know what an amp meter is and I can use one to measure current...

Perhaps, but it's quite likely that you aren't aware of the danger in attempting to do so on a domestic mains circuit, and you're probably not aware that electricians don't do that.

 

[breezer]

i concur (i bet bob transformer does too)

I suggest to ron237 that you invest in a multimeter and learn how to use for next time

 

[tim west]

Although not related, I once worked at Whiteleys in london( before the fire, not guilty ), the sockets were fed by pyros and when making off the ends having meggered one end you'd move off to the next end and even after a break of 5 mins when stripping back the other end a large splash would occur or you'd end up getting a belt unless you shorted the end with your pliers first, this was the first time i'd experienced pyro having a capacitive effect, first thought was that a colleague was having a laugh and meggering the other end whilst trying to strip the cable but as you could see the other end most of the time this wan't the case, it seemed to only happen with a few coils and i wonder if it was a rogue batch?

 

[ricicle]

You should measure the AC voltage between the live terminal and an earth, and between the neutral terminal and an earth. Before and after doing that you should find a way to prove that the meter works, but do it safely.

Don't forget between live (phase) and neutral as well

 

[Softus]

Don't forget between live (phase) and neutral as well

You mean in case the CPC is disconnected/broken/damaged/compromised?

 

[ricicle]

Don't forget between live (phase) and neutral as well

You mean in case the CPC is disconnected/broken/damaged/compromised?

Exactly