Damp problems in sockets... solutions?

[HappyHippyDad]

Hello HippyHappyDad. This will be a tough one to find. The cables themselves will not be the problem - they work ok in damp environments. As above, remove every fitting you can find, dry the cable ends and test individually. My suspicion would be buried choc bar connectors plastered directly into a damp wall and hidden from view; kitchen fitters occasionally perform this trick when a kitchen gets re-modelled. If the wall has been re-plastered, only the householder's knowledge might help with identifying the location of any redundant accessory that was removed. Sometimes moving the sockets up to 4ft above floor level gets them out of the damp zone. Sometimes, a surface box is better than a flush one for a damp wall. Possibly a nail in the wall has gone into a cable (the RCD should trip for this). All a bit of a PITA. Regards,
Colin Jenkins.

Thanks for that Colin.
A very decent reply for your 2nd ever post .
I think removing all fittings and testing is unfortunately the way forward.

 

[overskilled]

I did a job for an old doctor's office turned into a manse decades ago, it had some form of electrolytic/osmotic damp protection. No idea if / how it worked but walls were dry with no visible signs of damp ingress

Electro-Osmosis Damp Proofing | Twistfix

Electro osmosis damp proofing. Lectros DPC system is the only damp proofing treatment for stone walls that is installed above timber floor joists.

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