Domestic Wiring Problems - Advice Needed Please!

[billyh42]

Hi

First of all I am not an electrician!

When using power tools recently I have been getting shocks from almost everything!

I bought a small 3 pin 240v plug-in tester to attempt to see if this would show that there was no earth!

What this did show was that I have reverse polarity. Further investigation at the consumer unit with a meter confirmed that the supply going into the consumer unit is in fact reversed.

Meter readings are 0v between live and earth, 238v between neutral and earth & 238v between live and neutral.

Speaking to an electrician at work about the shocks (before I knew about the reverse polarity), he said that it wouldn't do any harm to add an earth rod and connect it back to an earth on a socket and see if that made any difference. I have done this and so far I have not had any further shocks. However the earth rod seems to get very hot. Is this normal or an indication of another fault. Could it be that the cable I have connected it to the socket with isn't thick enough and the heat is due to high resistance?

Going back to the reverse polarity, is this a simple matter of having my supplier, Scottish Power, reverse the connections into the consumer unit? Wiring appears to be supply-main fuse-meter-consumer unit. I cannot see any sign of an earth coming in from outside.

Is this dangerous? Does this mean that any fuses will be innefective as they are all connected in the live circuit? Is Scottish Power responsible for correcting this or can any electrician do this?

Finally is there a simple laymans test to check earthing?

Any advice appreciated!

 

[Paul.M]

Sorry but I thought that that was the purpose of an online forum - to get advice.It wouldn't be much use if every answer was get an electrician in would it? ;-)

Billy we help people like yourself every day but some things can not be tackled by a none qualified person, no disrespect. Going by what you have told us you have a few serious problems, if the tails are reversed you therefore have no fuse protection on the live conductor on any of your circuits! Earth rod is always hot! These things need to be investigated and sorted out quick. Giving advice on some electrical problems is fine but not when the problems are as live threatening as yours. Don't touch it, let the pro's handle this one.

 

[mattmoo1974]

Google is your friend! You found the forums no wgoogle the meanings

 

[1shortcircuit]

Sorry but I thought that that was the purpose of an online forum - to get advice.

I have read many posts on here and seen Joe Public guided through minor issues. This however is not a minor issue and requires the expertise of a professional which is why you are being advised to call an Electrician in.

If it's just a case of swapping the tails in the consumer unit then that will be 50 quid very well spent.

 

[topquark]

Not sure why you expected the tester to show that you had no earth because you are getting shocks? It's more likely that you have a short to earth somewhere (or a neutral earth reversal somewhere (in your case live/earth swapped if the polarity is reversed!!!)).

If you have reversed polarity that will mean all of your devices are still live when they have supposedly been switched off (the switches are normally installed in the live side only).

 

[mattmoo1974]

You can lead a horse to water!!

 

[1shortcircuit]

Other forums suggest that it's a simple matter of reversing these cables where they enter the consumer unit - this would make sense, but who is responsible for doing this? Should Scottish Power be doing this for free?

It is simple if that is all the problem is but that is providing it is done correctly following the correct safety procedures.

If it is just a case that the last spark wired the tails into the consumer unit incorrectly then it's their fault and the DNO will not be able to rectify this. You will need to call an Electrician out to rectify it and this will cost you.

If it is a problem with the supply coming into your property then the DNO will sort it for you.

If you get an Electrician in for you to diagnose the fault it will carry far more weight than a customer calling trying to tell them what the fault is because they've asked a few questions on a forum and done a little poking around themselves

 

[Paul.M]

You can lead a horse to water!!

Matt play nicely

 

[billyh42]

Billy we help people like yourself every day but some things can not be tackled by a none qualified person, no disrespect. Going by what you have told us you have a few serious problems, if the tails are reversed you therefore have no fuse protection on the live conductor on any of your circuits!

Hi Paul

I have no intentions of trying to fix this myself. I will be getting an electrician in to sort this if necessary. However, as previously stated it's good to know roughly what's wrong before somebody trys to gets you to pay £1000's to have the whole house rewired. No disrespect but I do watch Rogue Traders and there's quite a few electricians on there!

Surely though, if it's reversed coming from the meter (i.e. before the consumer unit) then Scottish Power would be obliged to sort it for free?

Earth rod is always hot! These things need to be investigated and sorted out quick.

Not sure if you're answering my other question here or not? Does the earth rod being hot need investigated?

 

[RWJ]

Hi Murdoch

That will be the plan, but in my experience of dealing with tradesmen it's best to have an idea what the problem is first to avoid being charged for unecessary work!

All I need to know at this stage is whether there's any danger from the reverse polarity or from the earth rod heating up.

Every tradesman's a con artist!!!

You watch too much TV mate!!... Leave off the Watchdog / rogue traders / cowboy builders.

 

[1shortcircuit]

Does the earth rod being hot need investigated?

The only time an earth rod would become hot is if it is working under FAULT conditions so yes that is an indication that something is not right and needs attention.

 

[billyh42]

Not sure why you expected the tester to show that you had no earth because you are getting shocks?

As I said, I'm not an electrician, but I thought that the lack of an earth would cause you to get a shock if there was a short circuit somewhere?

Tester claims to show - 1. Both lights on - everything OK, 2. Only left light on - earth disconnected or live and neutral reversed, 3. Only right light on - power on but neutral disconnected.

I am getting 2 - Only left light on which led me to investigate the reverse polarity thing!

 

[billyh42]

Every tradesman's a con artist!!!

You watch too much TV mate!!... Leave off the Watchdog / rogue traders / cowboy builders.

I must have imagined the electricians who actually installed this new meter? Because this problem didn't exist before and this work was supposedly done by a qualified electrician.

 

[Octopus]

Lets hope you do the right thing and get someone in - you're a bit too far away for me.

This forum has a pletharo of members, maybe some in your vacinity. Fingers crossed you'll be posting tomorrrow saying that xxxxxxxx member has been out, and you've got it all sorted.

Don't tar all trades people with the same brush.

 

[Paul.M]

Earth rods are used to carry away electricity when a fault occurs, normally milliseconds before the fuse or rcd trips. Sounds like your rod is under consent load therefore live to earth continually. Hence the importance of getting this checked out. We are not all cowboys that you see on the telly, just watch DIY SOS at the sparks that give their time up for free or electricians like myself that give my time free of charge to OAP's that can't afford a full call out charge. Pick an electrician that is with a scheme eg :- nic, napit, elecsa, that is your guarantee of good workmanship and you have a watchdog to complain to if you have any problems. Get a quote or two, come back and tell us the list of faults and what they are quoting you and we will tell you if your being ripped off. (I really don't like being ripped off for hundreds of pounds myself but that's another story )

 

[telectrix]

if the tails from the meter are incorrectly wired and you phone scottish power , they will tell you it's the responsibility of your supplier. who will tell you its the responsibility of the network provider. after 2 weeks of banging your head against the wall........ just phone an electrician, one who displays the napit, elecsa, or niceic logo and get it fixed. stat.