Had a bit of an accident...

[woosey]

Hey Guys,

So i wisely decided to do some electrical work after getting home from a long day at work...bad idea.

I was re-attaching a faceplate that had been annoying me for a while, then when i turned the circuit back on (kitchen socket ring) it tripped both the breaker and RCD at the same time. Unscrewing the faceplate all the way shows that i had managed to screw straight through both live conductors giving a short to earth.

I cut off the damaged bit of live and connected them both together again (checking further down on the cable for any issues, but it looks fine) reconnected the socket, turned the ring back on however whilst it doesn't trip there is clearly a bad connection as the fuse board is making a 'buzzing' sound (i don't leave the breaker on for long!) and even just having the phone plugged in the kitchen (i've turned off all other appliances, the fridge is currently connected to the separate downstairs ring main) it beeps every few seconds as if it's being plugged and un-plugged, so clearly there is a bad connection now in place.

I've checked all the connections on the faceplate, i've even taken the faceplate off, soldered the wires together and used a 30a chocblock (so no faceplate connected) however still the problem persists.

My only thought is that it's either -

1) Cable is damaged past the socket where i can see it, however it's in the kitchen and i really don't want to start pulling that apart
2) I've damaged the breaker in the CU (is that very likely?!)

Thanks guys

 

[plugwash]

It does seem likely that the breaker needs replacing. Short circuits are very hard on breakers (fault currents can often be in the kiloamps) and they don't always survive them.

 

[woosey]

Thanks, i'll swap the beaker for a known good one and see if that sorts it

 

[Taylortwocities]

 

[mfarrow]

A short circuit may also have had an effect on other bad joints. Check behind other sockets if a new breaker doesn't solve it.

Remember that just as much current goes through the neutral as the line. You've checked both I hope?

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

Remember that just as much current goes through the neutral as the line.

Except when there's a short to earth, as in this case. In this case it might be the earth which needs checking as it won't be so obvious if it isn't complete.

 

[JohnW2]

Remember that just as much current goes through the neutral as the line.

Not if, as the OP described, the fault was 'a short to earth'!

Kind Regards, John

 

[woosey]

Thanks for the feedback guys, i'll be swapping the breaker out tonight.

Regarding the wiring i checked all the wiring i could in the back box including remove the earth sleeving to check that was all ok, and it was (visually)

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

I think it would be worth your getting one of those socket checkers which would show a missing earth, and try it in all your sockets.

Better would be to have someone do 'continuity' checks on your ring final, but that's going to cost of course.

 

[woosey]

Hi Guys,

Just to update you, got home and swapped the breaker for a spare in the board and what do you know, it's all working beautifully! Thanks so much for the help

 

[mfarrow]

Not if, as the OP described, the fault was 'a short to earth'!

I asked him to re-check the connections he's done already, i.e. neutrals at the back of the faceplate he worked on. Hence the new paragraph.