Dual socket not working.

[padd1e]

Good Afternoon all,

was after a bit of advice. I have a dual wall socket that doesn't seem to work. It was originally used to power a kettle and toaster but has stopped working over the last week or so. I have tried the kettle and toaster on a different socket and they work fine so have had a friend remove and replace the socket with a new one I bought. Unfortunately the same thing happens. no appliances work in the new socket either. He checked the socket with a screwdriver with a light in it and said the power is coming through but he is unsure why it isn't powering any appliances. he advised to get an electrician in but I have been online trying to find out what it might be. sorry if I haven't explained this really well as I am in no way electrically trained and would struggle to wire a plug.

kind regards in advance
any help or advice greatly appreciated.

 

[radiohead]

A neon screwdriver is not an adequate means of verifying the presence of voltage, it misleads and can result in potentially dangerous conclusions being reached, tell your friend to bin it. It is impossible to diagnose your problem without proper testing (assuming the socket has been correctly replaced). The only thing I can suggest is that sometimes sockets are fed from a 13a fused connection unit, check for one of those in the vicinity, and check your consumer unit for a fuse or circuit breaker blown or off. Another possibility is the socket is switched by a panel of isolation switches or some other local isolator. Check carefully for the obvious, otherwise it's likely you will need an electrician. BTW how did your friend isolate and make safe prior to replacing the socket?

 

[padd1e]

A neon screwdriver is not an adequate means of verifying the presence of voltage, it misleads and can result in potentially dangerous conclusions being reached, tell your friend to bin it. It is impossible to diagnose your problem without proper testing (assuming the socket has been correctly replaced). The only thing I can suggest is that sometimes sockets are fed from a 13a fused connection unit, check for one of those in the vicinity, and check your consumer unit for a fuse or circuit breaker blown or off. Another possibility is the socket is switched by a panel of isolation switches or some other local isolator. Check carefully for the obvious, otherwise it's likely you will need an electrician. BTW how did your friend isolate and make safe prior to replacing the socket?

thank you for the reply, I switch off the trip switch for the circuit, its a socket in the kitchen and I double checked after switching off the trip switch by trying all the other kitchen sockets and none of them worked.

after switching the trip switch back on all the other sockets in the kitchen work but not the one with the problem even with the new socket. the wires at the back look fine not blackened or anything as does the original socket which we removed.

 

[westward10]

How many cables were in the socket, sounds like is could be on a radial/spur and there is a lose termination elsewhere.

 

[Andy-1960]

Where in the midlands are you? Maybe a member could pop in and have a look.

 

[padd1e]

How many cables were in the socket, sounds like is could be on a radial/spur and there is a lose termination elsewhere.

there were 3 wires behind the socket, an earth neutral and live my friend said.
[automerge]1587224714[/automerge]

Where in the midlands are you? Maybe a member could pop in and have a look.

Birmingham very close to the commonwealth games site

 

[westward10]

So one red a black and an earth.

 

[Baddegg]

Sounds like it’s a spur from somewhere else, loose neutral at that point possibly, have you had any trouble or replaced any other sockets recently?
[automerge]1587225098[/automerge]

So one red a black and an earth.

Or maybe blue and brown and earth ?

 

[padd1e]

Sounds like it’s a spur from somewhere else, loose neutral at that point possibly, have you had any trouble or replaced any other sockets recently?
[automerge]1587225098[/automerge]

Or maybe blue and brown and earth ?

I didn't see the colours but did notice that there were 3 wires.
[automerge]1587225423[/automerge]

Sounds like it’s a spur from somewhere else, loose neutral at that point possibly, have you had any trouble or replaced any other sockets recently?
[automerge]1587225098[/automerge]

Or maybe blue and brown and earth ?

no works been carried out recently, it is in an extension which was completed about 12 years ago.

 

[littlespark]

What we’re suggesting is that this double socket has be spurred from another.
Behind another socket, possibly close by, you will find 3 sets of cables.
Sockets are generally wired in a ring, so you have one in, one out and back to the fuse or circuit breaker.
A spur is when a third cable comes from a socket to supply one other point.
It certainly sounds as this is what you have here.

The live appears to be connected, according to the neon screwdriver, but the neutral could be loose

 

[Baddegg]

There’s obviously a fault somewhere, have you had any trouble with rcd/mcb tripping?.....it’ll be pretty hard to diagnose here though, I wouldn’t recommend your friend testing any further with his neon screwdriver either and don’t assume just because you’ve turned the relevant breaker off the circuit is dead especially if there is only one cable at that socket it could be spurred from anywhere, your friend has given you the best advice I’m afraid you will need an electrician..... lucky for you there’s one or two on here, there’s bound to be someone close who can help,

 

[padd1e]

thanks for all the help guys much appreciated, will try and get an electrician in on Monday.

hope you all stay safe and sane during these strange times.

 

[Baddegg]

thanks for all the help guys much appreciated, will try and get an electrician in on Monday.

hope you all stay safe and sane during these strange times.

Good call it shouldn’t take a decent spark long to diagnose...
Edit....and let us know if ya can what the issue was, we like that ?

 

[Ray Pooley]

if there is a L-E short, you'll not detect current in the earth. you'll detect s bang.

Explain to me why a stray current wouldn't travel through a copper wire because it has green and yellow insulation around it.

 

[telectrix]

how can it be a stray current with a short circuit. it would be fault current which could be in the hundreds ao amps for a split second before the OCPD activated.