Odd fault on a light switch.

tombrooker84 · Feb 8, 2012

Hello Guys,

I was replacing a light switch today in an attic, just a little job I thought I would do on the way home. Anyway I isolated the upstairs circuit which it was fed off, tested for voltage (none present) and started removing the switch. The switch I might add contains the neutral for the circuit. Anyway disconnected the supplying cable and a got a small shock. Got my tester out, tested the circuit for voltage again, still nothing, just out of interest I got my volt stick out and sure enough its glowing like mad, so definitely something there, anyway turned the downstairs circuit off and the volt stick stops glowing, I checked all the 2 way switches they all seem fine. By the way its off a dual rcd board and both lighting circuits are fed off different rcd's. Any ideas?

Kind Regards

Tom

Deleted member 9648 · Feb 8, 2012

Volt sticks will light up on anything,such as an induced voltage from another circuit in the proximity....dont believe what they tell you. Try testing to a known earth with your voltage tester,that will prove whether anything is present.

tombrooker84 · Feb 8, 2012

Thanks for the reply. Your right about the volt stick being very unreliable. When the circuit is live it all tests out ok i.e 230v to earth, and from the schedule of results from the board change, the continuity, and insulation resistance seem fine, (board was changed last year). But I shall use my fly lead and check with reliable earth anyhow.

Thanks

Tom

1shortcircuit · Feb 8, 2012

Check for polarity?

I remember getting a massive belt when the sparky I used to work for accidently reversed the polarity when refitting the tails in the consumer unit.

:thumbsup

GLENNSPARK · Feb 8, 2012

1shortcircuit said:
Check for polarity?

I remember getting a massive belt when the sparky I used to work for accidently reversed the polarity when refitting the tails in the consumer unit.

:thumbsup

glad it is "used to work for" Short..lol......

Bobster · Feb 8, 2012

Might sound silly but you prooven your meter?

I got a belt a couple of years ago. Cable showed dead on my meter but it was still live. Turned out the test lead on my meter had snapped inside the insulation.