No Neutral

[mjtefc9]

Hi all,

I fitted an outside socket, all worked all ok, it was just taken from a socket inside.

I got a belt from the front of the inside socket after it was fixed back and the juice on.. which had me baffled as it all worked perfect. I put my socket tester in the inside socket all ok... outside socket flashed up live earth reverse..

Anyway took the front of both sockets and the neutral to from the outside socket to the inside had sheared of in the terminal when I'd forced the metal faceplate back.. so all rectified and working great... no more belts!

My question is, why didn't it trip to stop me getting a belt?

 

[winston1]

Why didn’t what trip? A MCB trips on overload. A broken neutral does not cause an overload. A RCD trips on unbalance. A broken neutral does not cause unbalance.

 

[mjtefc9]

Why didn’t what trip? A MCB trips on overload. A broken neutral does not cause an overload. A RCD trips on unbalance. A broken neutral does not cause unbalance.

Okay... so the Neutral caused arcing? Is that why I got a belt?

 

[Risteard]

trips on unbalance … does not cause unbalance.

The word is IMBALANCE.

 

[JohnW2]

Sigh

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

First question would be why didn't the earth to the front plate prevent this shock?

 

[mjtefc9]

First question would be why didn't the earth to the front plate prevent this shock?

Yes..this

It's all wired correctly? ‍ fly lead to the back box.. and the screws also acting as an earth

I thought it would trip the breaker aswell?

 

[bernardgreen]

Yes.. it's all wired correctly? ‍

If it was wired correctly then the metal front plate would have been Earthed and hence 99% unlikely to be able to give you a shock.

Okay... so the Neutral caused arcing? Is that why I got a belt?

No. you got a shock because the Live conductor was making contact with the un-Earthed front plate.

It might be that there is a fault elsewhere and the Earth conductor has been connected to Live somewhere else in the house ( the other 1% )

 

[mjtefc9]

But that wasn't the case.. the lives are all terminated correctly its was just a broken neutral, which when corrected meant everything was fine.? So your saying the broken neutral from the exterior socket wouldn't cause a shock?

 

[bernardgreen]

So your saying the broken neutral from the exterior socket wouldn't cause a shock?

Yes

 

[mjtefc9]

Yes

Ok, well the live conducter wasn't touching the faceplate and this was the only fault..

Thank you for your help though

 

[winston1]

Yes..this

It's all wired correctly? ‍ fly lead to the back box.. and the screws also acting as an earth

I thought it would trip the breaker aswell?

Which breaker? Read my post 2.

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

There was something seriously wrong, and it would be foolish not to find out what, as you haven't fixed it. I would make some measurements using a multimeter and a long wire to a known good earth.

 

[mjtefc9]

There was something seriously wrong, and it would be foolish not to find out what, as you haven't fixed it. I would make some measurements using a multimeter and a long wire to a known good earth.

Thanks pal,

It's a new build and never had any issues, the socket itself was also never an issue this only seems to of occurred when I added this exterior socket. I have put the socket tester in both outlets now and they read perfect.

I'll get the Multimeter from work and do some testing..

 

[Keithmac]

I had a break in our lighting circuit earth, been like it when we moved in but only became apparent 10 years later when I fitted metal light switches.

The earth was disconnected but picked up 70v due to being in the same cable as the live.

You should not have got a belt from the socket with a good earth, there is something wrong somewhere. Is there any provision for an earth wire to the face plate?.