No Neutral when the main switch was, 240Volts between neutral bar and earth???

[Kev2632]

I was called to a job today where the Main switch was faulty it was switching the Live but not the neutral, so when i measured between the neutral bar and earth, i was getting 240v, why would this be happening? once the switch was changed over to a new one, everything was ok, measured neutral to earth and i get 0Volts as expected.

Could somebody explain why i was getting 240v on neutral to earth when there was no neutral present to circuits?

 

[truckster]

this is why, when tasting for dead, you not only put your tester across L and N, but across L and E as well.

Is that licking the live wire?

 

[Guest111]

and a word of advice re testing,put probe on N or E first then other probe on L that way if you drop the probe its not live,or like me many years ago working on a fault and had 1 probe in live and then proceeded to scratch my head with other probe whilst deep in thought,then wondered why test lamp was buzzing and why my head hurt.

 

[telectrix]

and a word of advice re testing,put probe on N or E first then other probe on L that way if you drop the probe its not live,or like me many years ago working on a fault and had 1 probe in live and then proceeded to scratch my head with other probe whilst deep in thought,then wondered why test lamp was buzzing and why my head hurt.

so that's where the hair went.

 

[Guest111]

so that's where the hair went.

no that was the was and go,I washed it and it went lol