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Solly26

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Hi all, let me start by saying in no way am I a qualified electrician but do have some basic knowledge from having worked as an apprentice in the past. I am not confident in carrying out any electrical work so I will not be doing any electrical work. I am here for advice.
Now thats out of the way, let me tell you what the problem is.

I had an appointmet to have a smart meter fitted. When the guy turned up he tested my sockets and said I have a fault on my circuit. All the sockets in my home were showing the same fault. He mentioned the polarity is reversed and could not go ahead with the installation until I get the fault rectified.

After he left I decided to check the wiring on my sockets and they seem to be fine, I then had a look at my consumer unit as I was curious. All the wiring looked correctly wired and as it should but I spotted the Tails going in to the consumer unit were reversed. (you can just about see see the colour of the tails in the picture)

I would like to know if this is what is causing the fault I am experiencing and if this is dangerous? Everything seems to be working. I have been living in this property for the last 7 years but am worried now incase a fire breaks out or risk of electrocution. Please can you advise me what I should be expected to pay to get this rectified? There are so many ripp off merchants out there and I dont want to get ripped off for something that seems a simple fix.

Any advice will be most apprecited.

Thanks

Solly
[ElectriciansForums.net] Advice needed on wiring issue
 
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From the picture it would seem likely that you do in fact have a reversed polarity.

the largest danger in this setup is to Anyone working on the electrical systems encountering unexpected live cables.

providing o thing else is found, I would expect that to be corrected and tested within the hour for any competent electrician.
 
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littlespark said:
There’s not enough detail in the photograph to show.
Yes, the blue and brown tails are wrong way round at the mainswitch, but it might be same at other end.

Can you photograph a wider shot showing fuse, meter, consumer unit etc.
Click to expand...
Cheers for your input mate, I have attached more photos.
 

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James said:
From the picture it would seem likely that you do in fact have a reversed polarity.

the largest danger in this setup is to Anyone working on the electrical systems encountering unexpected live cables.

providing o thing else is found, I would expect that to be corrected and tested within the hour for any competent electrician.
Click to expand...
Thhanks for chiming in James
 
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Solly26 said:
Hi all, let me start by saying in no way am I a qualified electrician but do have some basic knowledge from having worked as an apprentice in the past. I am not confident in carrying out any electrical work so I will not be doing any electrical work. I am here for advice.
Now thats out of the way, let me tell you what the problem is.

I had an appointmet to have a smart meter fitted. When the guy turned up he tested my sockets and said I have a fault on my circuit. All the sockets in my home were showing the same fault. He mentioned the polarity is reversed and could not go ahead with the installation until I get the fault rectified.

After he left I decided to check the wiring on my sockets and they seem to be fine, I then had a look at my consumer unit as I was curious. All the wiring looked correctly wired and as it should but I spotted the Tails going in to the consumer unit were reversed. (you can just about see see the colour of the tails in the picture)

I would like to know if this is what is causing the fault I am experiencing and if this is dangerous? Everything seems to be working. I have been living in this property for the last 7 years but am worried now incase a fire breaks out or risk of electrocution. Please can you advise me what I should be expected to pay to get this rectified? There are so many ripp off merchants out there and I dont want to get ripped off for something that seems a simple fix.

Any advice will be most apprecited.

Thanks

SollyView attachment 93560
Click to expand...

Solly26 said:
Cheers for your input mate, I have attached more photos.
Solly26 said:
Thhanks for chiming in James
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Solly26 said:
Cheers for your input mate, I have attached more photos.
Click to expand...
Mixed brands ,RCD upside down ,missing seal on cut out looks like it’s Diy
 
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Like others have said, you've got reversed polarity due to the meter tails. It does need sorting out ASAP.

The who consumer unit needs sorting out with the correct RCD and circuit breakers.

I'd recommend that you employ an electrician to carry out a condition report on the whole installation. It may be that the consumer unit is an indication of the safety of the installation as a whole.
 
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If you own the property, get an electrical inspection and test done as soon as possible. If the condition of the consumer unit and associated wiring is anything to go by, there may well be other potentially dangerous things in other parts of the installation.

If you are a tenant, the landlord is bound by law to ensure and maintain a safe installation. And since 2020, has to have an inspection and test done every 5 years as a minimum.
 
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ImpededLoop said:
Like others have said, you've got reversed polarity due to the meter tails. It does need sorting out ASAP.

The who consumer unit needs sorting out with the correct RCD and circuit breakers.

I'd recommend that you employ an electrician to carry out a condition report on the whole installation. It may be that the consumer unit is an indication of the safety of the installation as a whole.
Click to expand...
Beat me to it...
 
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Thanks for all your input, I'm gonna find a local electrician to check the whole installation as some of you have pointed out there could be other faults by looking the way the consumer unit was wired. It has been this way since I moved in to the property and no work has been done on it since. I would never have known there was a fault had it not been for the British gas guy that tested my sockets.

Thanks again and I wish you all a very happy and prosperous new year.

Solly
 
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Reminds me of my inspectors story of the kitchen fitter killed when he turned off the cooker mcb with mains reversed

Comes up here too about only an mcb being needed to isolator a cooker

Of course no electrician is going to get himself killed cos we never touch anything til it's proven dead locally
 
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littlespark said:
Hmm… no wonder the meter monkey walked away.
Click to expand...
Actually had an interview for smart meter install here
Was shocked at the bare minimum checks , basically just a straight swop and possibly a polarity check at the meter location

My basic premise going in to the interview was that if the installation wasn't safe you would walk away as happened here
 
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Solly26 said:
I would like to know if this is what is causing the fault I am experiencing and if this is dangerous? Everything seems to be working
Click to expand...
Yes, the swapped tails is the cause (as seen in the later photos).

Yes, it is dangerous. In fact it is VERY dangerous (C1 fault, like exposed live parts) for the obvious reason that you could get a shock from the neutral cables, and for the less obvious reason then in the event of a N-E fault there is nothing to limit the current beyond the 60-100A supply fuse! So it presents a very high risk of a fire in even from damage to an appliance cable (as 13A plugs are only fused in the L path).

Circuits with RCD protection still have some means of disconnection, but the fault let-through energy of a RCD is very high as it takes typically tens of milliseconds to disconnect (far more than MCB or fuse on high current fault) so the fire risk is still very, very real.
 
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As above, an EICR is recommended as there may be other problems but don't delay with this, get the reversed polarity rectified ASAP even if nothing else. Basically nothing in your house is fused against an earth fault because the fuses and MCBs are all now in the neutral, not the line. The fact that it was not spotted on installation means basically no testing was done, as it is a mandatory test on completion.

The fact that you have not experienced any problems is just down to luck, not an indication that this is not highly dangerous. A short-circuit in a small appliance e.g. if the flex on a table lamp gets damaged, is likely to cause a fireball as neither the plug fuse nor the circuit MCB will operate. Get it sorted tomorrow!
 
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baldelectrician said:
The existing consumer unit appears to be a Proteus and the RCD has apparently failed (and been replaced)#

I would suggest a test and a new consumer unit as a minimum, very dodgy to leave as is.
Click to expand...
It is pretty rough.

At the very least they could call in to CEF and get Proteus replacements so they are the right-way for RCD and fit the busbar!
baldelectrician said:
I use Hager units as they have parts available for a long time
Click to expand...
Good choice.
 
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Solly26 said:
Thanks for all your input, I'm gonna find a local electrician to check the whole installation as some of you have pointed out there could be other faults by looking the way the consumer unit was wired. It has been this way since I moved in to the property and no work has been done on it since. I would never have known there was a fault had it not been for the British gas guy that tested my sockets.

Thanks again and I wish you all a very happy and prosperous new year.

Solly
Click to expand...
First as all have said your board is a disaster to start with. as for your mains tails from the meter whoever installed them made a mistake as the inner insulation does not go to the correct terminals but if you look at the meter the Live connections are on the outside of the four with Neutral being the middle two. They do not look as if they are wrong polarity but the wrong mains tail in the connectors. Your quickest and reliable way is to go to B&Q or Screwfix and buy a socket tester that tells you polarity is right or wrong. If wrong you need a qualified electrician to look at your installation ASAP. I am a qualified electrician retired who worked in industrial all my working life I do have my Test and Inspection C&G B.S.7371 and CompEX certification and would never allow anyone to leave an installation like yours. Your RCD is upside down therfore will not trip in the fault condition as your load is on the incomer and will not see the fault. Remember any work now carried out on your main board will have to meet regulations and your Proteus plastic board certainly does not.
 
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Colfly said:
Your RCD is upside down therfore will not trip in the fault condition as your load is on the incomer and will not see the fault.
Click to expand...
I think you need to brush up on how an RCD works.
this statement is quite Simpley wrong.

Colfly said:
Remember any work now carried out on your main board will have to meet regulations and your Proteus plastic board certainly does not.
Click to expand...
the plastic board may or may not be suitable for the installation.
just because it is a plastic cover does not mean that it must be replaced in most circumstances.

however, many of the problems seen would easily be fixed by replacing the consumer unit for a modern one with the correct breakers inside.
 
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