Is my house wired wrongly?

[Chippy_boy]

Hello folks, I hope you don't mind but I've just joined up to ask this question.

I just took two adjacent mains sockets off the wall in my bedroom to do some wallpapering, and having switched off at the consumer unit, I also tested with a multimeter to make doubly sure they were off. One of them was off, but to my enormous surprise, the other was live. That seemed pretty odd since I cannot imagine why they would be on separate circuits. I have two mains circuit switches in the consumer unit, which I had assumed was one for upstairs and the other for downstairs, but clearly not.

That was the first surprise. The other more concerning surprise was that in the live socket, one side of the incoming ring main was live and the other red wire was not.

How can I have a ring main that is live on one side and not live on the other side? Does this indicate there's a break in the ring somewhere and is this a problem? Or am I simply misunderstanding how it works?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[Pete999]

Probably it was not a ring circuit

 

[Chippy_boy]

Probably it was not a ring circuit

Of course that would explain it, but aren't all mains circuits in modern houses ring circuits?

(Thanks for the speedy reply by the way!)

 

[Pete999]

Of course that would explain it, but aren't all mains circuits in modern houses ring circuits?

(Thanks for the speedy reply by the way!)

No the sockets usually are wired as a ring final circuit, some as radials, lighting, cooker shower are radials, what size circuit breaker is protecting the sockets?

 

[davesparks]

Of course that would explain it, but aren't all mains circuits in modern houses ring circuits?

(Thanks for the speedy reply by the way!)

Nope, there could be ring or radial circuits, or both. It's up to the person designing the installation to decide what's best.

As far as your situation goes a multimeter can give misleading readings, you may be measuring a phantom voltage. This is why most multimeters are not suitable for safe isolation and proving dead, you need to use a tester designed for this purpose.
But it may also be that you have a ring circuit with a fault in it or just a radial circuit.

 

[Pete999]

There are certain tests to prove a RFC is actually a ring, you could do yourself a favour, (if you are that concerned) and hire an Electrician to carry out what is called an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) the cost obviously depends on the number of circuits, circa £250:00 just for the testing and paperwork. Where are you located by the way?

 

[Chippy_boy]

Thanks chaps - appreciate the advice. I guess I am not that concerned since there seems to be a pretty reasonable explanation. I had mistakenly thought it must be a ring with a broken leg, if you know what I mean. I hadn't considered there would be other wiring schemas that could explain what I experienced.

Thanks for your help today. FWIW I am in Bristol, btw.

Cheers again

 

[Pete999]

I was born in Bath but now reside in Northampton, to far for a visit.

 

[driverman]

How old the property? Possibly 1 x socket was a storage heater circuit years ago and now converted to a socket, hence being a radial circuit. The other socket could well on a ring. If in doubt get an electrician in.

 

[Deleted member 72666]

That was the first surprise. The other more concerning surprise was that in the live socket, one side of the incoming ring main was live and the other red wire was not.

How did you carry out the test and did you use a multi-meter or a no contact voltage tester (volt stick)?

 

[Chippy_boy]

How old the property? Possibly 1 x socket was a storage heater circuit years ago and now converted to a socket, hence being a radial circuit. The other socket could well on a ring. If in doubt get an electrician in.

Built in 1998 (by Barratts). We still have the (working) storage heater on its own circuit.

How did you carry out the test and did you use a multi-meter or a no contact voltage tester (volt stick)?

Bog standard Fluke multimeter. Is that wrong?

 

[telectrix]

a multimeter can be used to prove continuity and ( with care ) to measure voltage. they are limited though in what they can do and cheap meters have non-approved leads that may not be safe for voltages above 50V.

 

[Chippy_boy]

a multimeter can be used to prove continuity and ( with care ) to measure voltage. they are limited though in what they can do and cheap meters have non-approved leads that may not be safe for voltages above 50V.

Good to know - thanks.

 

[Deleted member 72666]

... So you split the reds and tested both to Neutral or earth, is that correct?

 

[Chippy_boy]

... So you split the reds and tested both to Neutral or earth, is that correct?

Yes.