Advice needed on wiring issue

[Solly26]

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

 

[Mikegh]

Oops didnt realise I was on page 2 , can see the busbar now anyhow bottom left

 

[westward10]

BG guy found the fault now there is a thing.

 

[PEG]

BG guy found the fault now there is a thing.

I've seen BG leave work,worse that the OP's

 

[pc1966]

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

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.

 

[Mikegh]

Yes good point , protection can back up the dno fuse

 

[Lucien Nunes]

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!

 

[baldelectrician]

What a riot

The exisitng consumer unit appears to be a Proteus and the RCD has apprently failed (and been repalced)#

I would suggest a test and a new consumer unit as a minimum, very dodgy to leave as is.

I use Hager units as they have parts available for a long time

 

[pc1966]

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.

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!

I use Hager units as they have parts available for a long time

Good choice.

 

[Colfly]

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

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.

 

[James]

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.

I think you need to brush up on how an RCD works.
this statement is quite Simpley wrong.

Remember any work now carried out on your main board will have to meet regulations and your Proteus plastic board certainly does not.

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.

 

[Colfly]

I think you need to brush up on how an RCD works.
this statement is quite Simpley wrong.


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.

Hi James just to say no I do not need to brush up on how an RCD works but any electrician who takes pride in his work would not put the RCD upside down. I agree it still will work but not very nice to see. If anyone who worked for me were to install upside down any breaker his work mates would have ripped him a new one and there were a good few electricians.
As for the Board being plastic they are illegal to install now due to fire brigade recommendations. If anyone were to work on that board they would be required by regulations to use PUEWR as there guide and install a manufactured metal DB. As when there was fires these could and did put out Heavy black toxic smoke.
My personnel dealings with Proteus equipment has not been good and I personally would never recommend the brand to anyone, but again that is my opinion

 

[DPG]

Hi James just to say no I do not need to brush up on how an RCD works but any electrician who takes pride in his work would not put the RCD upside down. I agree it still will work but not very nice to see. If anyone who worked for me were to install upside down any breaker his work mates would have ripped him a new one and there were a good few electricians.
As for the Board being plastic they are illegal to install now due to fire brigade recommendations. If anyone were to work on that board they would be required by regulations to use PUEWR as there guide and install a manufactured metal DB. As when there was fires these could and did put out Heavy black toxic smoke.
My personnel dealings with Proteus equipment has not been good and I personally would never recommend the brand to anyone, but again that is my opinion

Are you saying if someone does any work in a plastic consumer unit then they must change it to a metal one?

 

[telectrix]

Are you saying if someone does any work in a plastic consumer unit then they must change it to a metal one?

if that's the case, then a read up of the regs.is a good idea, i said regs., not the napit joke book.

 

[telectrix]

bugger mewhredid thatcomefrom. think i bin hacked by Russia Vulcan.

 

[brianmoooore]

It is not illegal to install a new plastic CU per se.
A RCD will operate which ever way up it is installed, and there is no regulation to say that any wording on it must be the right way up. The contravention of a reg. is that the 'on' and 'off' positions are the wrong way around when compared to the other devices present.