MARTINDALE

[tashie]

was just curious 2 day and put my martindale in one of my sockets in kitch and 3 lts were on indicating earth fault, now my sockets are on a up and down system no seperate kitch,i only had 2 skts in kitch 1st one ok go to second fault into liv room 1skt fault i have lived ere for 14 yrs and no probs but am currious any one any ideas and should i try to run a sep earth to the socket any advice thanks

 

[Spark123]

Please can you refrain from using text talk. It makes it pretty difficult to understand.
If you have a fault it should be rectified properly, not bodged together with separate earth cables. If you like you can check the cable to it at both ends to see if it a loose connection (turn the power off and check it is off before removing any covers).
By Martindale I take it you mean one of these: clicky

 

[Deleted member 54734]

If it is one of them does 3 lights not mean OK?

 

[ColJack]

depends on the colour on some models..

 

[tashie]

sparky yes its similar but its around 20 yrs old and 3 lights say earth fault everythings still working in sockets so what do you think problem could be.oh sorry about my text writings

 

[bernardgreen]

A socket can have an earth "problem" as bad as having no earth connection at all but appliances plugged into it will still work.

 

[tashie]

so would like some advise on how to sort prob out rather than major expense am pretty clued up but suggestions would be greatfull what about a 4 m earth back to my stop tap as its a kitch socket

 

[bernardgreen]

so would like some advise on how to sort prob out rather than major expense am pretty clued up but suggestions would be greatfull what about a 4 m earth back to my stop tap as its a kitch socket

Regret to say that that comment about a 4 mm back to the stop tap suggests that you do not have enought knowledge of the safety aspects of electrical wiring.

Stop cocks on a plastic incoming water main cannot provide a safety earth for a system. If this one socket is showing an earth fault it suggests there is a missing earth connection on the ring that may be affecting other sockets and making them DANGEROUS in the event of an appliance developing a fault.

The tester you are using does NOT test the earth conductor is capable of carrying enough current to trip the safety device before the weak earth conductor burns out.

There is another serious danger with defective earthing on the wiring between sockets. Where the earths on some sockets are joined together but the earth conductore in NOT joined to an effective earth.

Someone is using an earthed appliance when another appliance on the same power ring or radial develops a Live to Earth fault. The length of earth conductor becomes live and the metal work of all appliances plugged into sockets on that length become live and dangerous to anyone using them.

 

[tashie]

so what suggestions and what do you think the orob is then like i say all my other sockets read ok just the one i tested first shows fault and the one immiediately after the same help

 

[bernardgreen]

so what suggestions and what do you think the orob is then like i say all my other sockets read ok just the one i tested first shows fault and the one immiediately after the same help

The problemis the tester is not doing a proper test and the other sockets may appear OK due to the layout of wiring. The tester you are using does NOT test the wiring.

You need to have the wiring properly tested and visually inspected to identify the problem.

 

[securespark]

Using a water pipe as an earth source has been outlawed since the 14th Edition, 1966.

 

[JohnD]

the most basic check would be to turn off the power, remove the socket faceplate, and look for loose, missing or unconnected wires.

In a ring circuit (typical in the UK) there will be a cable coming into the socket from each side; each will have a red, a black,and an earth wire. The two earth wires should be sheathed in green & Yellow (you can buy this in most hardware stores) and should be connected to the earth terminal of the socket, and there should preferably also be a short, G&Y sheathed, link to the metal back-box earth terminal.

The fault might be in the socket that indicates faulty, but it can also be on one or both of the sockets next to it on the ring. To have a fault indicated on a Ring socket there are usually at least two wiring defects so check all sockets for bad connections.

If the wiring you find is not as I describe, please say what you find. If you can post a picture of the inside of the socket that will be helpful.

We would also like to see a pic of the fusebox/consumer unit, the meter, the suppliers fuseand the area and wiresaround them, to see what sort of installation you have.

edit
I see Spark123 and bernardgreen have already mentioned most of this. But please do the inspection and let us know what you find. Otherwise ask around friends and neighbours for a recommended electrician.