May 27, 2022
42
11
83
London
If you're a qualified, trainee, or retired electrician - Which country is it that your work will be / is / was aimed at?
United Kingdom
What type of forum member are you?
Trainee Electrician
A client asked me to add two sockets in their bedroom

I took power from two sockets in the lounge which is behind the bedroom wall.

I ran a cable out of each socket for the new socket

The problem is it now is tripping the RCD and blowing the old Existing sockets and light switches

But the new sockets I added still work fine

The old existing sockets and switche are blown and unusable

When I try to reset the RCD It pops and Sparks down

Any idea to why this is happending
 
if the old sockets were on a ring, and one leg has popped out... the new sockets, being connected will still work, but theres maybe another floating live touching the metal back box.

can you take photos of the back of the sockets? there might be something obvious to us that you havent seen
 
  • Like
Reactions: pc1966
if the old sockets were on a ring, and one leg has popped out... the new sockets, being connected will still work, but theres maybe another floating live touching the metal back box.

can you take photos of the back of the sockets? there might be something obvious to us that you havent seen
The thing is the client phone back saying there’s no power and the RCD is popping down and sparking so I went back same night, and opened up the sockets I touched the connections were fine the socket sparked and popped while the socket was open so no loose lives
 

Attachments

  • 54001265-E860-4A32-9457-62D59B700C4E.jpeg
    54001265-E860-4A32-9457-62D59B700C4E.jpeg
    370 KB · Views: 100
Sockets "blown"?!! What does that mean?!
 
  • Like
Reactions: DPG
What are your IR results for that circuit?
 
  • Optimistic
Reactions: DPG
The actual sockets I took power from sparked an blew
The wind blows. You mean the mcb tripped off? If that happened there's no way the new sockets could be still live
 
The wind blows. You mean the mcb tripped off? If that happened there's no way the new sockets could be still live
no the actual sockets sparked and blew in front of me
The mcb never tripped once only the RCD
 
no the actual sockets sparked and blew in front of me
The mcb never tripped once only the RCD
I still dont know what you mean. But anyway, if the RCD tripped the other sockets def were not still live. Did you do any testing?
 
  • Like
Reactions: DPG
No tests on the ring were carried out
So how do you expect to find the problem without testing? Apologies if I’ve got the wrong end of the stick here, but if I’m dealing with a symptom of tripping pretty much the very first thing I do is IR testing
 
I still dont know what you mean. But anyway, if the RCD tripped the other sockets def were not still live. Did you do any testing?
No testing
 
no the actual sockets sparked and blew in front of me
The mcb never tripped once only the RCD

On the assumption you're trained and experienced, what does that tell you ?

so I went back same night, and opened up the sockets I touched, the connections were fine, the socket sparked and popped while the socket was open so no loose lives

Did you leave the socket sparking and popping when you left or have you isolated it / them?
 
Well with all due respect you'll be hard pushed to get much help with that admittance, not good.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DPG
Going back to your original question, "any idea as to why this is happening " I'd suggest it is because you are vastly underqualified/experienced to be carrying out this work. The fact you called the customer a client suggests you are being employed to carry out this work which you probably shouldn't be doing and are probably at risk of endangering property and life.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DPG
From your profile I see you are a trainee so is this a private job?
 
On the assumption you're trained and experienced, what does that tell you ?



Did you leave the socket sparking and popping when you left or have you isolated it / them?
Yes they were isolated the socket was removed completely and connections put into a choc box
 
Yes they were isolated the socket was removed completely and connections put into a choc box
Are you doing this as a private job?
 
On the assumption you're trained and experienced, what does that tell you ?



Did you leave the socket sparking and popping when you left or have you isolated it / them
don't have much experience with fault-finding so that's why I'm asking that question. I've been doing electrics for 2 and a half years
 

Similar threads

OFFICIAL SPONSORS

Electrical Goods - Electrical Tools - Brand Names Electrician Courses Green Electrical Goods PCB Way Electric Underfloor Heating Electrician Courses Heating 2 Go Electrician Workwear Supplier
These Official Forum Sponsors May Provide Discounts to Regular Forum Members - If you would like to sponsor us then CLICK HERE and post a thread with who you are, and we'll send you some stats etc

Advert

Daily, weekly or monthly email

Thread starter

Joined
Location
London
If you're a qualified, trainee, or retired electrician - Which country is it that your work will be / is / was aimed at?
United Kingdom
What type of forum member are you?
Trainee Electrician

Thread Information

Title
Blowing sockets and popping RCD
Prefix
N/A
Forum
UK Electrical Forum
Start date
Last reply date
Replies
93

Advert

Thread statistics

Created
Josh555,
Last reply from
timhoward,
Replies
93
Views
11,334

Advert