Need help/advice, insure of what the problem is and think I’m being ripped off

[Sam010201]

hi all,

Today I had an electrician come around a rental property of mine and swap the faces of a few double sockets and light switches, he done this and everything was fine the sockets worked and light switches worked fine, as he was finishing up he was changing the lightbulb as he unscrewed the bulb the electric tripped and now every time I switch the consumer unit on the RCD trips so no power is going to the onsumner unit it is all a very old system and needs upgrading but he seemed stumped and clues less as of what has happened and why this problem had emerged and the property is now left with no lights or sockets, ill attach some photos of the set up, but as I can describe it the mains power goes to a rcd then from the rcd to an very old consumer unit with wire fuse, power is going in and back out of the rcd and into the consumer unit but when the consumer unit is then switched on the rcd trips


In the picture the top white metal box of the consumer unit

The guy I had to do the work is now explaining to me that because the switches are new and pull more power it has caused the cable to heat up and I need a complete re-wire, I just feel that I’m being ripped off.

 

[Sam010201]

At least it has been narrowed down so that the other circuits can be switched on. Now the electrician needs to get his insulation resistance tester out ( he has got one hasn't he?).
Was socket front plates been changed on this circuit?

No idea if he has one? The socket face plates was replaced on this circuit and one was upgraded from a single to a double socket? Do you think that could have been the problem?

 

[Sam010201]

when you say disconnected, do you mean both L and N, or is it just the breaker/fuse off/out?

Both line and neutral was pulled out of the consumer unit

 

[telectrix]

if it wasn't tripping before, and it's tripping now, he's made a cock-up. we all do it sometime, but finding it and fixing it should not take any spark with more than 2 brain cells more than an hour or so. ( less if the pub's about to open.

 

[Andy78]

No idea if he has one? The socket face plates was replaced on this circuit and one was upgraded from a single to a double socket? Do you think that could have been the problem?

Possible, but inspection and testing will verify this one way or the other.

 

[telectrix]

time this thread has been running, i could have drove down to wilting land, fixed the fault, had a skinful, spent the night with a gorgeous blonde, and still been back for @er indoors' full english brekky.

 

[Sam010201]

Possible, but inspection and testing will verify this one way or the other.

Thank you for your help! I have called another electrician but he can’t come out until Tuesday sadly, if the insulation resistance test comes out not good, what would be the problem? Would it need a re-wire for that circuit? He’s undone all his work but can’t seem to find the underlying problem as of why it is still tripping?

 

[telectrix]

only a test of the circuit will determine the problem. it's most likely at 1 of the sockets he's worked on and the wiring, if pvc, might probably be fine. first find and rectify the fault, then test the circuit for integrity.

 

[markythesparky]

Thank you for your help! I have called another electrician but he can’t come out until Tuesday sadly, if the insulation resistance test comes out not good, what would be the problem? Would it need a re-wire for that circuit? He’s undone all his work but can’t seem to find the underlying problem as of why it is still tripping?

If he's not got a insulation resistance tester then he is not an electrician worth employing.

If hes undone all his work and cannot find the problem visually then, to be fair to him, it may not be his work, it may be a coincidence. That said, if he has a IR tester the next procedure is to test each cable from the bit hes done to see which cable is at fault.

Worst case is that one part of the circuit may need a rewire.​

 

[Toneyz]

No idea if he has one? The socket face plates was replaced on this circuit and one was upgraded from a single to a double socket? Do you think that could have been the problem?

Well, it was alright before.

 

[freddo]

The bloke sounds like an idiot, I'm surprised he hasn't bypassed the RCD yet to hide the fault!

 

[Sam010201]

The bloke sounds like an idiot, I'm surprised he hasn't bypassed the RCD yet to hide the fault!

That method was offered but then there would be no rcd protecting the circuits.

 

[Sam010201]

Well, it was alright before.

It was perfect alright before, problem had only occurred after changing the face plates on two single sockets and two light switches

 

[freddo]

That method was offered

WTF?!

 

[Sam010201]

WTF?!

Exactly my thoughts when it was mentioned, I have spoken to a second electrician and his judgment on the situation is there has been an break in the cable at some point caused by overload and it maybe needs rewiring, he’s coming to do an insulation resistance test Tuesday.

Hard to believe it was caused by overload as it was perfectly working fine until face plates was changed.

Saddenining things that’s the ringmain that powers all single sockets in the property so pretty much a rewire through the whole property

 

[telectrix]

why a rewire if there's only a simple fault either in back of a socket or in 1 section of cable?

 

[streamer]

Hard to believe it was caused by overload as it was perfectly working fine until face plates was changed.

Saddenining things that’s the ringmain that powers all single sockets in the property so pretty much a rewire through the whole property

You are not listening to any of the advice you are getting on here!
There is a fair chance that there is a simple fault that any reasonable electrician could find. Somehow you have been in touch with two blokes who's first ideas have been that it needs a rewire. Get someone who can test the installation for you and advise you appropriately, as I said in my previous post you should be doing this before letting the property out anyway.

 

[Sam010201]

You are not listening to any of the advice you are getting on here!
There is a fair chance that there is a simple fault that any reasonable electrician could find. Somehow you have been in touch with two blokes who's first ideas have been that it needs a rewire. Get someone who can test the installation for you and advise you appropriately, as I said in my previous post you should be doing this before letting the property out anyway.

Apologies and agreed, starting to feel that there might be an underlying problem and that would be the best method to approach.

 

[Sam010201]

why a rewire if there's only a simple fault either in back of a socket or in 1 section of cable?

Could the fault be in another socket somewhere throughout the house? As the two sockets that was worked on has had the face plates removed and there doesn’t seem to be any problem with the cables. Burns or overheating etc

 

[telectrix]

it's a guessing game without being there with test gear and splitting the circuit down to trace the fault.

 

[streamer]

Could the fault be in another socket somewhere throughout the house

If you get it tested you will find out!

 

[Sam010201]

Well thank you all for your opinions and help. Periodic test and upgrading the consumer unit will be the next move.

Anyone on this page local to Wiltshire feel free to get in contact.

 

[Sam010201]

Well thank you all for your opinions and help. Periodic test and upgrading the consumer unit will be the next move.

Anyone on this page local to Wiltshire feel free to get in contact.

 

[Sam010201]

Well thank you all for your opinions and help. Periodic test and upgrading the consumer unit will be the next move.

Anyone on this page local to Wiltshire feel free to get in contact.

 

[Fitzy]

It could be something very simple, like a chafed wire as it enters one of the sockets back boxes and when he disturbed the cables, it made the fault worse, or it could be a fault in a cable under the floor boards, as has been said previously, a good sparky worth his salts will trace the fault in no time and then offer you a solution.

 

[Toneyz]

why a rewire if there's only a simple fault either in back of a socket or in 1 section of cable?

Exactly Tel. You can't say the sockets haven't had a good inspection.

 

[dksanders]

The guys (I won't call them electricians) who've told you 'overloaded cables' 'drawing more power' etc. are talking total BS>

You've got a N-E fault, on the sockets circuit from what you've said. Only an insulation tester will be able to find that properly (visual and a lot of luck works rarely).

I'm just South of Salisbury, where are you?

 

[Markyd]

as he was finishing up he was changing the lightbulb as he unscrewed the bulb the electric tripped and now every time I switch the consumer unit on the RCD trips so no power is going to the onsumner unit it is all a very old

are you sure that there was actually an electrician there........if he was changing the lamp why was it you who was turning the power on all the time........was it you who actually done the work on the lights and sockets

 

[DPG]

I think Markyd and SJD's posts are probably quite relevant.

 

[michaelw6]

Thank you all for the reply, I certainly agree with all of you and some replies made me laugh, but sadly the problem is still here, update on the situation ...

All the double sockets and light switch face plates was taken off and the new light fitting that was fitted has been taken down, still the electric is not turning on and tripping, there is a lot of work to be going on I’m the next few days and working electric is crucial with tenants moving in the end of the month, agreed the consumer unit needs upgrading but had anyone any idea what the problem is he has caused to try and fix this as he’s standing here doing the same thing over and over replying he hasn’t a c,he why it’s done that and is saying a cable could have burned out somewhere hence why it needs a compete rewrite and consumer unit upgraded

FFS i know this is old but reading it im shouting at the screen get someone to test it properly, hes a moron!