earth fault

[Farmelectrics]

your thoughts please got called to the in laws resturant fault was sqrews on light switch were live ok so i tested and true enough 230v on sqrews the light switch was a combined mem emergency one way and a 1 way switch changed switch but still happening when the switch is off its ok when switch is on theres 230v on sqrews so up in the gods ie high ceiling with no access at moment is 3 twin light fitting plus 2 running men lights now one of the fittings ballast has burnt out with only one lamp working in the fitting now my guess is am i getting a fault through this ballast and why hasnt it taken out the mcb and yes i have earth continuity back at db once the scaffold is returned to site i can get up to the fittings to find out exactly what is the problem

 

[Sintra]

When you say that you have earth continuity I take it that is from the switch screws back to the cu.

 

[Farmelectrics]

yes thats correct sintra

 

[Farmelectrics]

i no further investigation is required but cant get up to lights without scaffold changed switch and sqrew heads have them white caps over them so no one is exsposed to live sqrews cant understand why it wouldnt take 6amp mcb out

 

[snowhead]

If the screws are live, then there is no earth on the Back box and screws.

If the screws are only live when the switch is on, the live originates from that switch wire.

The Mcb won't trip as there is most likely no earth at the fitting/s either and the ballast had melted a live to fitting casing.

 

[Sintra]

Sounds like a strange one lol. When you tested voltage at the screws what did you have the second probe touched on to? Was there a neutral at the switch?

 

[Farmelectrics]

snowhead the switch is a patrass all in pvc tube there are 2 earths at switch which are connected to light switch grid your right the switch wire is the problem and there is earths at fittings as i installed the installation about 8 years ago

 

[Farmelectrics]

sintra i tested from sqrews to metal dish washer locally were everthing in kitchen is earthed

 

[Farmelectrics]

something to do with that ballast cant get up there till saturday morning

 

[Sintra]

sintra i tested from sqrews to metal dish washer locally were everthing in kitchen is earthed

Sounds like the screws aren't earthed then if you have used an earth as your reference point.

 

[DJ Ovengloves]

LOL - perhaps it's the dishwasher that has a fault

 

[Farmelectrics]

hot hands thats what i thought at first lol but i tested from dishwasher to earth and it was ok plus i had my tools on it working and never got a tingle ha ha

 

[snowhead]

The switch grid is connected to "earth" I assume?
I'd still go for you've lost the earth back to the D.B and it's live to "Earth" in the fitting feeding back down to the switch.

Watch out when up the scaffold if the light fittings are live......

 

[telectrix]

try phoning EDF. they find earth faults with volt pens.

 

[Farmelectrics]

tel explain

 

[telectrix]

there's a thread from yesterday where an EDF "engineer" waved a volt stick next to a water pipe and said it was live because his volt stick lit up.

 

[Farmelectrics]

oh dear probably had a neon sqrewdriver in his pocket aswell lol

 

[DPG]

your thoughts please got called to the in laws resturant fault was sqrews on light switch were live ok so i tested and true enough 230v on sqrews the light switch was a combined mem emergency one way and a 1 way switch changed switch but still happening when the switch is off its ok when switch is on theres 230v on sqrews so up in the gods ie high ceiling with no access at moment is 3 twin light fitting plus 2 running men lights now one of the fittings ballast has burnt out with only one lamp working in the fitting now my guess is am i getting a fault through this ballast and why hasnt it taken out the mcb and yes i have earth continuity back at db once the scaffold is returned to site i can get up to the fittings to find out exactly what is the problem

Jeez, has someone stolen your comma and full-stop keys?? Ha ha, sorry - couldn't resist. Daz