Socket not working, whole house except for one - Help!

[Shubyx]

Hi first time posting on this forum site.

I have an issue with my sockets. it started with the bedroom socket, I would use it for radio and low power stuff like that without issue. However when I connected machinery such as drills etc it wouldn't work. No power at all.

a few days later the wife is doing the hovering using the attic socket. Suddenly it stops. abit strange but we connected it to other sockets and none of them worked. Tried different things such as phone charger, kettle, radio etc and nothing. The extension lead when connected to the socket shows the little red light come on. but when I connect a plug to the extension lead the light goes out and no power.

Had a electrician in today, he suggested changing the sockets of the entire house. They are old sockets but it seemed unlikely that would be the cause to me. So when he left, the one socket which does work, I swapped it around with the one that didn't and the same thing. New or old socket didn't matter. The fuse box is fully working and all the lights in the house as well. Its just the sockets (except for one). Any ideas??

 

[deadshort]

You have a loose connection somewhere in the socket circuit. Get an electrician who knows how to fault find and bin the money maker you've just had in !

DS

 

[Taylortwocities]

Untitled

• Taylortwocities
• 17 Apr 2008
• 30

If your electrician, on site, hasn't got a clue, then how might you expect someone sitting at a computer to be able to sort it out.
It sounds to me like a loose connection, somewhere. Its typical symptoms, low current stuff works OK, but higher currents will cause the fault. But hard to advise, not knowing how the wiring of that circuit is set out, is it a ring final or a radial, are there sundry junction boxes dotted around, hidden under floorboards, etc etc.

I hope you didn't pay the "electrician" you had in today. Change the sockets? That is not likely to sort it.
Inspect the connections to all of the sockets, maybe.
Did he inspect the connections inside your fuseboard??

I would get an electrician who knows what he is doing. Finding this sort of thing needs careful, structured detective work.

 

[Shubyx]

P.s he did say that all the sockets had electricity running through them. He had one of those electric pen tester thing which kept flashing and beeping whenever he went near a socket. Heres a pic also of the fusebox

 

[Shubyx]

Reason I'm asking online if to find out if the electrician I had in was right to say to replace the sockets. I found it abit weird so that's why I'm asking on here. I don't know much about this. I do know there are round black plastic wheres 2 or 3 seperate wires are connected under the floorboards. Don't know if that helps determining the type

 

[OwainDIYer]

He had one of those electric pen tester thing which kept flashing and beeping whenever he went near a socket.

Well that's about as much use as a yoghurt.

I agree it sounds like a poor connection - radios etc now may be using a power supply that will work down to 90 volts or less, but a drill/hoover or any motor will not be happy with a low voltage.

Consumer unit looks fairly modern but I'm not impressed with the general standard of tidiness and I'm very suspicious it was attached to old wiring without proper inspection and checking.

 

[Shubyx]

He had one of those electric pen tester thing which kept flashing and beeping whenever he went near a socket.

Well that's about as much use as a yoghurt.

I agree it sounds like a poor connection - radios etc now may be using a power supply that will work down to 90 volts or less, but a drill/hoover or any motor will not be happy with a low voltage.

Consumer unit looks fairly modern but I'm not impressed with the general standard of tidiness and I'm very suspicious it was attached to old wiring without proper inspection and checking.

I had the consumer unit put in by a qualified electrician. He said it was fine. The house has been empty for a long time after installation and have been only in use for the past week. So the sockets haven't been used much, but all sockets were checked after installation of fuse box.

 

[Iggifer]

By the same person that just told you to change all the socket fronts without doing any proper testing?

 

[Nozzle]

This is a wind-up guys n gals.

Nozzle

 

[Shubyx]

By the same person that just told you to change all the socket fronts without doing any proper testing?

No, the electrician this time is different

 

[Shubyx]

This is a wind-up guys n gals.

Nozzle

What is?

 

[EFLImpudence]

Well that's about as much use as a yoghurt.

A lady-friend told me yoghurt was very useful.

I don't know why.

 

[OwainDIYer]

Well that's about as much use as a yoghurt.

A lady-friend told me yoghurt was very useful.
I don't know why.

I don't think yoghurt is useful in an electrical context.

Don't believe everything that lady-friends tell you.