No neutral

Amycee · Jun 6, 2020

Hiya, help needed!

Had extra sockets added to our box room in Jan. Original socket and new ones now dont work. Socket tester shows no neutral. What could this be?
Few weeks after they were fitted partner drilled into a pipe while securing a floorboard back down. Plumber came to fix this.
We noticed problem with sockets after this happen d with the pipe but are unsure if the two could be linked.

Currently shielding due to coronavirus so not ready to get a sparky in just yet, wondered if there's something anyone can recommend we can try ourselves?

Pete999 · Jun 6, 2020

Amycee said:
Hiya, help needed!

Had extra sockets added to our box room in Jan. Original socket and new ones now dont work. Socket tester shows no neutral. What could this be?
Few weeks after they were fitted partner drilled into a pipe while securing a floorboard back down. Plumber came to fix this.
We noticed problem with sockets after this happen d with the pipe but are unsure if the two could be linked.

Currently shielding due to coronavirus so not ready to get a sparky in just yet, wondered if there's something anyone can recommend we can try ourselves?

Drilled THROUGH A CABLE AS WELL??

telectrix · Jun 6, 2020

or wet-pants burnt or damaged cable when fixing pipe. ???

Wilko · Jun 6, 2020

Hi - sorry it does sound like either the electrical cable was damaged at the same time, but you never know. I’d ask the Electrician who fitted them back to have a look, as it maybe just a loose connection somewhere.

Amycee · Jun 6, 2020

Pete999 said:
Drilled THROUGH A CABLE AS WELL??

No, that's one thing we thought to check

Pete999 · Jun 6, 2020

Amycee said:
No, that's one thing we thought to check

And? did you find anything? Most wet pants thing lectric don't need wires.

Amycee · Jun 6, 2020

Wilko said:
Hi - sorry it does sound like either the electrical cable was damaged at the same time, but you never know. I’d ask the Electrician who fitted them back to have a look, as it maybe just a loose connection somewhere.

Thanks, we are planning on getting the electrican back, but I'm high risk in all this corona virus stuff so am reluctant to do so just yet. Thanks though
[automerge]1591458632[/automerge]

Pete999 said:
And? did you find anything? Most wet pants thing lectric don't need wires.

Nothing obvious, we'd have noticed if a wire had been Drilled through
[automerge]1591458634[/automerge]

Pete999 said:
And? did you find anything? Most wet pants thing lectric don't need wires.

Nothing obvious, we'd have noticed if a wire had been Drilled through

Pete999 · Jun 6, 2020

You never can tell without looking, you would be surprise4d what you may have missed.

pc1966 · Jun 6, 2020

It is possible that drilling a cable would destroy the neutral but not take out L&E, but it requires a special "skill" to do so!

Alternatively it could be that some junction has been disturbed and the neutral has come off at that point. It may be that socket is fed from another nearby location so carefully (power off, no risks!) checking the backs of other sockets to see if any wires are loose. That is fairly easy to do if, say, 3 wires are fed in to a screw terminal as two might be gripped but the 3rd was not in far enough and was only just making contact.

Do you know what circuit feed the box room sockets? is it on a dedicated breaker in your CU (consumer unit = fuse box) or do you know if it was added as a spur from your main set of sockets?

Pete999 · Jun 6, 2020

pc1966 said:
It is possible that drilling a cable would destroy the neutral but not take out L&E, but it requires a special "skill" to do so!

Alternatively it could be that some junction has been disturbed and the neutral has come off at that point. It may be that socket is fed from another nearby location so carefully (power off, no risks!) checking the backs of other sockets to see if any wires are loose. That is fairly easy to do if, say, 3 wires are fed in to a screw terminal as two might be gripped but the 3rd was not in far enough and was only just making contact.

Do you know what circuit feed the box room sockets? is it on a dedicated breaker in your CU (consumer unit = fuse box) or do you know if it was added as a spur from your main set of sockets?

What wet pants skills?