Today, to make it easier to apply wallpaper, I removed a double socket. When I came to replace it I had problems connecting the earth to the socket, because there seems to be too many. On inspection there is, as expected, 2 live wires, 2 neutral wires but 3 earth wires entering the back box. 2 of the earth wires are twisted together, then there is a wire from the earth terminal of the metal box which Is then twisted together with the third earth wire. This results in 4 earth wires, in 2 twists to fit into the terminal on the socket, which is not easy. Can anyone explain why there should be 3 earth wires entering the back box?
Too many earths
- Thread starter Bayardmm
- Start date
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Presumably one from the previous socket and one another for the next socket.
The third one probably for earthing the backbox.
Send a picture perhaps?
You can find sockets which have two discrete terminals for the earth wires.
No. Would be joined with the other CPC's where the cables enter the wall probably.
Again, send a picture.
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Someone might have nicked an earth for another circuit. I have to admit that I nicked an earth from the lighting on the first floor to earth the ground floor. Yeah I know I shouldn't have, but it is my mum's house and she didn't want me to chase through the house. Both radials are on the same RCD.
I've done it myself.
It is not totally uncommon for someone to take an earth from one circuit to use on another, most common scenario used to be a lighting circuit with no earth connected to a socket circuit under first floor floorboards as a way to earth it on an intended temporary basis until later work was done, it saved chasing down a nicely decorated wall. Although mostly intended as a stop gap it was often left a long time.
OK until the socket circuit or part of it was altered/removed then that lighting cct earth was lost. In a domestic setting this was known to happen a few times.
A prominent label near the consumer unit could have reduced that risk a bit but I never saw any at all.
OK until the socket circuit or part of it was altered/removed then that lighting cct earth was lost. In a domestic setting this was known to happen a few times.
A prominent label near the consumer unit could have reduced that risk a bit but I never saw any at all.
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