Dead Circuit Tripping Circuit Breaker

[Earlofdon]

Hi folks I'm new here so please forgive me if I'm posting in the wrong place etc
Am hoping someone can help.

I need to remove old wiring to a downstairs electric shower. The shower was removed sometime back with the wiring to the switch remaining!
Anyway 247 volts showing at the switch.
Turned circuit off at circuit breaker fuse box
Zero volts at switch.

I needed to cut the cable in order to facilitate its removal.
The circuit breaker for All sockets tripped out.
Reset it and tried again but circuit breaker tripped again - thankfully!

Please, any advice gratefully received.

Regards,
Chris

 

[Marvo]

Hi Earl, welcome to the forum.

When you disconnect a circuit by switching off the circuit breaker you're only disconnecting the live wire. The neutral and earth are still connected and shorting them out by cutting them will cause an earth leakage fault which will trip the RCD which may also be supplying other circuits therefore causing them to have power outage.

Are you an electrician or is this a DIY endeavor? What test equipment do you have?

 

[Richard Burns]

Disconnect and remove the shower cable from the totally switched off consumer unit before you start cutting the cable.

 

[micknew]

Hi Earl, welcome to the forum.

When you disconnect a circuit by switching off the circuit breaker you're only disconnecting the live wire. The neutral and earth are still connected and shorting them out by cutting them will cause an earth leakage fault which will trip the RCD which may also be supplying other circuits therefore causing them to have power outage.

Are you an electrician or is this a DIY endeavor? What test equipment do you have?

I think its blindingly obvious that he's not an electrician.

 

[Marvo]

Agreed, as Richard suggests remove the entire cable first by disconnecting the live, neutral and earth wires then pull it out of the CU entirely. You'll need to switch off the power at the CU main switch and it would be very advisable to prove it dead with a tester first. If you're not familiar with the layout of a CU or not comfortable with you skills being up to the job then rather call a professional to assist.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Hi folks I'm new here so please forgive me if I'm posting in the wrong place etc
Am hoping someone can help.

I need to remove old wiring to a downstairs electric shower. The shower was removed sometime back with the wiring to the switch remaining!
Anyway 247 volts showing at the switch.
Turned circuit off at circuit breaker fuse box
Zero volts at switch.

I needed to cut the cable in order to facilitate its removal.
The circuit breaker for All sockets tripped out.
Reset it and tried again but circuit breaker tripped again - thankfully!

Please, any advice gratefully received.

Regards,
Chris

the DIY section is over there..

alternatively..get an electrician in..

 

[Des 56]

I think its blindingly obvious that he's not an electrician.

mick,where have you been these last few years,the obvious may not be so obvious with the new recruits these days

 

[Marvo]

I think its blindingly obvious that he's not an electrician.

Yeah I've been mistaken in the past and lets just say it caused unhappiness so I prefer to confirm. I've put this in the DIY forum anyway.

 

[Earlofdon]

Thanks for the replies
No, I'm not an electrician!
Apologies for being thick but do I have to switch off the mains power completely before removing cable or could I switch off the sockets circuit breaker which was the one tripping out?

 

[Marvo]

No definitely play it safe and switch off ALL the power at the main switch. It would be better to do the removal of the cable in daylight and if you're unsure what you're doing call a local electrician, the job will take literally a couple of minutes for someone who knows what they're doing. It isn't worth the risk if you're unsure about anything.

 

[Earlofdon]

No definitely play it safe and switch off ALL the power at the main switch. It would be better to do the removal of the cable in daylight and if you're unsure what you're doing call a local electrician, the job will take literally a couple of minutes for someone who knows what they're doing. It isn't worth the risk if you're unsure about anything.

Thanks again.

The cable goes all the way into the loft and is connect to some round thingy with other cables going in and out, like a sort of junction connection

was just going to pull in up and tape off the ends and leave in the loft

 

[markc123]

Thanks again.

The cable goes all the way into the loft and is connect to some round thingy with other cables going in and out, like a sort of junction connection

was just going to pull in up and tape off the ends and leave in the loft

It needs disconnecting from the junction box - sticking tape on live wires (once switched back on) is a disaster waiting to happen.

The electric shower obviouslly hasn't been on it's own circuit if it's in a junction box with other cables. Make sure the consumer unit is completley isolated then remove the electric shower cable from the junction box - and remember to tighten down all the other connections back properly afterwards, otherwise more problems can arrise.