Outside lights power supply issues

[Baxter Burgundy]

I've just moved into a new house which has some outside lights fitted in the back garden, none of which are working. There's a wall mounted junction box which I opened to see if the supply was ok. When I measured it it's getting 6V a.c. between live and earth, and nothing between live and neutral. I can't find where it's connected inside the house so I can't look at the transformer and see what's going on there.

Does anyone have an idea why it wouldn't be reading anything between live and neutral?

 

[littlespark]

It’s hard to visualise without seeing the set up.

Are the lights 230v or extra low voltage? Which transformer are you referring to?
Is there any surface cables to the junction box outside? Can you see where they enter the house?
What is directly behind the junction box inside the house? It may that the lights were known to be faulty and have been disconnected.

Roughly where in UK are you. There may be a member on here local to you

 

[buzzlightyear]

Is it a new house or old !baucase some people move to a old house and call it an new house .
i have just brought a second tent .
but it new realy

 

[Spoon]

Wonder if the OP has replied to the questions and the post is just waiting for 'acceptance' from the MODs.

Not much point in posting until we get more info...

 

[Baxter Burgundy]

I had assumed that they were ELV because I was getting 6V, and that it must have been getting transformed somewhere and that I just hadn't yet found the location of the transformer. I've just checked one of the broken lights and it turns out it's a 230V light. So clearly there is a supply issue somewhere, still not sure why it would be 6v and not zero if it's been disconnected somewhere. I've tried looking at the surface cables of the JB to see where in the house it goes; it looks like it goes into the cavity between a bedroom and the bathroom, I would have thought from there it would go up into the loft but I couldn't find it coming up.

The house is new ish, I think it was build in the 90's, it's in Newcastle.

 

[telectrix]

info is king. just been to look at a small little job. nice lady, but she has a huge long-haired tabby cat. i wondered why my eyes were itching after 3 minutes in the house, then the cat walked by. i had to apologise to the lady, said i could not do the job, another 10 minutes and i've had needed a anti-histamine jab and oxygen mask. as you may see, i'm allegic to cats, the hairier they are, the sooner i get ill. arrrrgh. cats.

 

[Octopus]

OP - how did you measure the 6v AC L - E?

 

[chris gray]

I’d look for the light switch that operates your outside lights. It’ll be there.

 

[chris gray]

Either that or you’ve got a sensor which has packed up.