Mains Circuit Not Working

[thaigh]

I have got two red wires going into the relevant switch

 

[Phil]

im not just being awkward mate but for your own safety wait for a spark to come round. i would rather that than you get a belt off the circuit. there are loads of good sparks on here i am sure you will get sorted

 

[thaigh]

thanks for the concern phil, i think that will be my next move!

 

[Deleted member 9648]

Thaigh please dont take this the wrong way but it is clear from your posts that you have no understanding of electrical principles ..(red and black together!!).I would strongly suggest you leave the circuit alone until you can engage a sparks before you kill yourself.


Same as Phil just said!

 

[chris gray]

lets start again..
you swapped the socket in the 1st place as it had stopped working? were the other sockets on that circuit working before you did this?
once you reconnected the socket, that one and the rest of the sockets on that circuit stopped working?
you say you shorted the cables out and the tripswitch activated?
1.have you lost power to any other electrical points in your house?
2.look for the switch with the red and black wires going into the same tripswitch at the mains board. you should see a little button on it labelled '' T '' you need to push that tripswitch back up.
3. you have not connected the socket back up properly, ie, made your connection onto the insulation rather than the copper conductor.

 

[acat]

It appears you have a ring circuit that should have worked as two radials with the socket you took out not connected. Its best as I said before and what the other blokes have said get someone in to help you with the proper test equipment.


Chris

 

[thaigh]

Yes, the original wasn't working but the rest of the sockets on the circuit were. then once i reconnected the new socket they all stopped working. when i shorted the circuit the trip did activate, and all the other circuits seem to be working fine. with regards to the 'T', i cannot see it although i know the tripswitch you are talking about, and it is already up. i have tried reconnecting the socket, and at the moment it is bypassed altogether, with the wires in direct contact with each other.

 

[acat]

If you have bare wires exposed dont leave it like that as they could become live turn off the switch in your fuse box reconnect the socket so you have nothing exposed.


Chris

 

[chris gray]

go too the breaker with the red and black going into it and read what it says on it
does it say rcd or rcbo or type 2 or 6b etc

 

[Jabbajaws]

I have to agree with the others mate. Your safety is definitely an issue, especially if you don't know the basics.

Years ago l was one of these so called 'clever' people, who thought he knew best, and it was only when l did the electrical 2330 course that l learned just how dangerous, l had been behaving.

Take it from one who knows. Get a spark in and then its his responsibility to sort it out...

 

[Jonesy83]

as everyone else says switch it off and leave alone its not just the risk of shock electrics can also be a fire hazzard

 

[thaigh]

it says its a type Q01-100M

 

[GrannySmiff]

Definatly agree with the others about getting help in.

If you could put pics of the socket how you wired it and pics of fuse box that may help.

 

[thaigh]

OK, i think i will take the advice of the majority! Fuse is off and the plastic covers are on!

Just as a matter of interest, does the majority think that this was caused by me changing the socket, or an existing problem that was made apparent?

Thanks to everyone for their help.

 

[Jabbajaws]

Photographs may help, of the Consumer Unit itself with the cover off, if you are able to do so safely. Remember to do this with the power off though or you may find yourself at the pearly gates, sooner than you expected.

There will still be live accessible parts (the main switch - live supply side) which can still be touched...