Neutral Fault

[Lee_Dicks]

Hi guys and girls
I have had a phone call from a friend saying that the socket under the kitchen counter for there washing machine is not working.
I tried a socket tester in it and there is a neutral fault. IRd the circuit and tested all the other sockets. All's fine.
The socket is controlled by an FCU located above the counter the fault is between here and the socket beneath the worktop. The FCU controls the socket and an outside socket. I have tried them individually and there is a fault on BOTH sockets.

I am still in training and there electrician is on holiday any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

What do you mean by break down box?
I have checked the continuity between supply socket and load at both sockets in question and there is continuity between all even through the FCU

well...
it dont add up...does it Lee...

check polarity (use a loop tester to do this)...whilst you are at it get a Zpn...see what value you get...

you will/should know if its abnormally high....as you cant be 100% sure that plug in tester is OK....better to have some proper values...

 

[GLENNSPARK]

try further upstream from the FCU....

rather than going round removing fronts & disconnecting stuff try getting your end to ends at the board...

then an R1 Rn around the points....

 

[ChrisElectrical88]

How do you knew your socket tester ain't broken and these 2 sockets are fine and the whole rest of the house is goosed! Your missing something in the FCU, Incprrect polarity

 

[Pete999]

Hi Lee, you say the socket under the worktop and the exterior socket are fed from the load side of the FCU above the worktop, isolate and lock off the circuit supplying these sockets, then disconnect the cable feeding these two sockets from the load terminals of the FCU, all three of them cpc, line and neutral and carry out the tests from there, IR, continuity etc? you should be able to verify where the fault lies. Good luck

 

[GLENNSPARK]

exactly what i have been saying..


i mean come on.....IR testing & guesswork?...lol..

 

[ChrisElectrical88]

Have you got a MFT? Like has been said, switch and lock off and then test the whole circuit in the correct order as you would for initial verification or a new circuit, the fault will rear its head pretty sharpish

 

[krissiboy]

Hi Lee.
I wouldnt trust your socket tester. The other day my socket tester shown me the same thing...
Turned out to be a broken cpc inside the sleeving. It all looks ok visually. Only after a continuity test did i find that out.
Always start with the basic tests.
Good luck.

 

[Deleted member 72666]

Lee, best thing to do is to wait for their electrician (whoever he is!) to get back from holiday.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

and yet again the O/P does one when they are either found out to be a DIYer....
or are not competant...and have neither the necessary test gear..or the knowledge to carry out a systematic stage by stage faultfind...

lol...

 

[GLENNSPARK]

and another interesting phenomenon as well with these kinds of posters....
and thats the date they joined V the post count.....

gives it away every time...

 

[Knobhead]

I despair, I really do.

Tell me Mr. Dicks, are you a fully qualified domestic installer? If you are, send me the nice certificate you paid £1000’s for. I’ve got a paper shredder standing idle at the moment.

 

[Silly Sausage]

I despair, I really do.

I’ve got a paper shredder standing idle at the moment.

Your USB socket is idle as well, waiting for a data stick! :tounge_smile:

 

[Knobhead]

It’s just like waiting for your donation to MacMillan Nursing.

Come on Archy, you asked for the photo, I provided it. Dig deep.

 

[Silly Sausage]

It’s just like waiting for your donation to MacMillan Nursing.

Come on Archy, you asked for the photo, I provided it. Dig deep.

Don't bother trying to shame me in public because it won't work.
End of topic!

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Your USB socket is idle as well, waiting for a data stick! :tounge_smile:

fuc off...