Neutral has power on light

[Adrian Haslett]

sorry, was not getting updates to thread. ok, lets start. I am using a cheap finger live tester i.e stick finger on end version, but it works. when switch is turned on for kitchen light which is the one that the spur for the flood is taken from the flood glows dim and their is live at neutrol. it is 100% neutrol i.e correct wire and can see the switch wire and feed coming into junction fox with wires clearly labelled etc. When i then turn flood light switch on, switch live is live as expected and flood light blinks on and off with the kitchen light. i have left the lives and grounds in place and run a seperate neutral to nearby plug and everything is fine. i also have tested with cheap light tester mentioned above and their is live at the kitchen neutral when kitchen light is on which is not the case with any other downstairs light as i have checked. All wires are in correct places. I get a live at neutral at kitchen neutral even when flood light extension is de linked. which confuses me. As mentioned light was working and simple switch, so can only think link from kitchen to junction box is dammaged and will need to replace link. I have electrician no and he can only conclude same but said i can book and appointmdnt tomorrow if that does not resolve it because he has seen my work before and he knows he would be what he called compitant. Even though this is confusing the hell out of me.

 

[Adrian Haslett]

Sorry, the house is my Dads, he is in care home and tenant is in property. If this answers question as to my role.

 

[Adrian Haslett]

It is possible i suppose that their is somehow a junction box in between kitchen light which is where the feed to flood light junction box is taken. but i doubt that as only about 2 metres and why would you take a feed from light and then put in another junction box before feeding it to flood junction box.

My Dad done all his own eiring, rewired hole house and as I say, it waz wirking before changed light which was 2 holes for bracket and 2 cores i.e live, neutrol, earth. To explain how my Dad made a switch. He took feed from kitchen light to flood light junction box, which contains simple screw in blocks. He then took permant live from that feed and used that as live down to switch. With the black switch wire showing red sleeve at both ends i.e junction and switch which is in L2 port as shen in L1 it turns on ehen switch is down. This all seems correct so only thing i can conclude as switch live is connected and giving live when switch is on, is that feed from kitchen light to junction box is broken i.e screw etc gone through wire which is hard to beleive as only small screw from outside and cavity wall, already checked screws are not live.

If after night shift tonight i can find time to run a new temp feed from kitchen to flood junction, i will to see if resolves. If not i will call electricuan to see if can ckmd out within 24hrs, whuch I doubt as normally has months of work backed up. Can anyone give me a guide as to how much an electrician would charge to diagnose and fix as money is naturally a concirn giving lovely care home fees

 

[Des 56]

I can't make out clearly what you are suggesting, the kitchen neutral is live when switched on ?
If the neutral is live it means its lost its connection back to the consumer unit which will likely be via another light or at the terminal of the kitchen light

 

[Adrian Haslett]

Hello.

Yes, when using the cheap finger tester. Tge neutral on the kitchen rose is live i.e it is powered / tester lighting when you switch on light to kitchen. No other neutral is live in this way on any downstairs light as i have checked them. It works fine i e light turns on though but i noted this when fault testing why extension taken from it i.e flood light junction box is live on nautral. If neutral has lost its connection then in theory it must be last in chain before going back to CU otherwise others would have same issue ?. And considering i never touched that rose, cannot see why it has suddenly lost connection back to CU ?. And why does kitchen light work fine with this issue when flood taken from it does not work correctly i.e flashes on and off causing kitchen light to do same with same issue on neatral. i.e switch kitchen light = lights up. switch flood light on at same time and flood light blinks in and off and kitchen light goes dim.

You can see now why lost 2 nights sleep with confusion

 

[Adrian Haslett]

Clearly trouble shootinh with cheap finger tester has limited scope. A electrician would have better kit and know slot more than i do. I might need to admit defeat and just hope to find a electrician in essex that can look at this and fix at short notice for me.

 

[shaun1]

You are correct when you say testing with a finger tester as you all it has limited scope. If you are referring to a neon screw driver or similar, these are potentially quite dangerous and should not be used for testing in this way. When you are touching the end you are providing a return path through your body to earth in order to light up the tester. The only thing separating you from the full 230v is a resistor in the end of the screwdriver. If this were to become damaged or wet, it is possible you will receive a 230v shock

 

[Adrian Haslett]

Beleive me i found out neutral was live originally the bad way. The tester as you say is not ideal but is working better thsn nothing.

Can you advise if a earth at the light switch was lose or out, would that cause this. Only reason i ask is condidering it was working when i put back the com and l1 and since i have only screwed back the switch plate onto the box, drilled a couple of holes and changed put the 3 wires from old light to new. Trying to figure out simple things that could happen. and the ground coming out of back plate when pushing switch back on seems feasible. already check all l1 and com are still in tact ok.

 

[telectrix]

Beleive me i found out neutral was live originally the bad way. The tester as you say is not ideal but is working better thsn nothing.

Can you advise if a earth at the light switch was lose or out, would that cause this. Only reason i ask is condidering it was working when i put back the com and l1 and since i have only screwed back the switch plate onto the box, drilled a couple of holes and changed put the 3 wires from old light to new. Trying to figure out simple things that could happen. and the ground coming out of back plate when pushing switch back on seems feasible. already check all l1 and com are still in tact ok.

with all due respect, you're out of your depth here. this fault cannot be diagnosed over the internet. a site visit with appropriate test equipment is needed .

 

[Adrian Haslett]

Hello

All fixed, i persisted and found kitchen light was wired wrong. Swiched live was wrong in the kitchen rose, it was going to neutral instead of switched live and therfor the one in the switched live which was marked with tape was wrongly taped and was acually a normal neutral. Thankyou all for your help.