Help finding fault after a short Circuit( Com with Neutral )

[Spelyam]

Hi there
Im reaching out here as I have given up trying and couldn't find a local electrician to help today .

so the issue .
after painting the wall I was try to fit the light switch back into the wall and somehow the com cable touched the metal surround on the wall.

the lighting RCBO tripped so i turned it on but the lights didn't come on . this RCBO controls all the lights in the house however the kitchen , bedroom and living lights still works , Bathroom and Hall way are down .

the short happened on the bathroom light switch .

I have actually swapped the RCBO with a new one but only to get the same issue .

im not sure what to do next as i cant find another splitter or anything else i can look at . any help would be soooo appreciated .

located in St albans AL2.

thanks
YAman

 

[Midwest]

Post a picture of the back of the switch, if you know how to do so safely. You might now have a loose connection in the back of the switch.

 

[Strima]

You may have had a loose termination somewhere on the circuit and the fault current has blown this loose joint.

 

[Spelyam]

Post a picture of the back of the switch, if you know how to do so safely. You might now have a loose connection in the back of the switch.

thanks for the reply . here you go


[automerge]1570286052[/automerge]

You may have had a loose termination somewhere on the circuit and the fault current has blown this loose joint.

i must have another switch box or something like that somewhere else that i cant find . i have checked the main fuse box for any loose wire but i cant find any :-(

 

[ipf]

The black switch wire is damaged and needs a repair....but.....is that live brown totally intact.
It looks a bit iffy as it bends.
What are the switches controlling?

 

[Spelyam]

just checked and its all secure , it must be somewhere else . even if this light switch is not connect properly why would the hall way light and also the fan for bathroom not function ?
also i have replaced the rcbo you can see the attached the old and the new installed

 

[telectrix]

think you need to contact a local spark. rthere's several possibilities and can't be diagnosed remotely. if you were on my patch, cost would probably be < £50, but London???? could be £1000, knowing what robbers them southerners are, really puts us Scousers to shame.

 

[ipf]

You say the bathroom switch but it's a 2 gang, what is the other switch doing?
It's looking like tel's giving you the correct advice.

 

[Spelyam]

think you need to contact a local spark. rthere's several possibilities and can't be diagnosed remotely. if you were on my patch, cost would probably be < £50, but London???? could be £1000, knowing what robbers them southerners are, really puts us Scousers to shame.

sad face :-(

 

[westward10]

You say the bathroom switch but it's a 2 gang, what is the other switch doing?
It's looking like tel's giving you the correct advice.

Light and fan?

 

[Midwest]

Take it, you've checked all the lamps in the luminaires not working?

 

[Midwest]

Has that switch got power at it?

 

[ipf]

Light and fan?

Or hall way and bathroom?

 

[Spelyam]

Or hall way and bathroom?

light and fan .
the confusing thing is that the hallway has its own switch that i haven't touched and the hallway has no light now , so i must have a sub circuit in the light loom that controls the hallway and the bathroom light and fan .
[automerge]1570290948[/automerge]

Has that switch got power at it?

yes im getting power to the switch .

 

[westward10]

You probably have what is known as a three plate lighting circuit where a common cable loops around all the light fittings. A poor connection to the live or neutral of this common cable at one of the fittings can result in lighting failure to part or all of the circuit. Have you had any light fittings down or replaced.

 

[Midwest]

yes im getting power to the switch .

Is that between Live & earth? Could be you've lost the neutral some how. A bit of investigation work is required. Think you might need to call in an electrician, if I'm allowed to say that.

 

[Spelyam]

its crazy lol , i ve got an electrician coming tomorrow but this doesn't make sense . ive checked the other switch in the same circuit and reconnected everything to make sure all is closed with the same issue .
could this be maybe because i used the incorrect RCBO ?


[automerge]1570292273[/automerge]
also just relooking at the RCBO old one says B6 and the new C6 ?

 

[westward10]

If some lights are operating it is nothing to do with the rcbo.

 

[westward10]

Let us know the outcome.

 

[Spelyam]

FINALY !
right ,
The lights were daisy chained and the Electrician that came confirmed that .
after a whole bunch of tests , he said that when I sparked the light a live wire feed must of came loose at a junction somewhere. nothing to do with the RCBO.

so we figured that is starts with the living room , then bed room then kitchen then hall way and ending at the toilet ( 1 bed flat ) ( not tested but just logically thinking )

It should be at one end of a light before the hall way which was the kitchen.

before we got to the kitchen we decided to check the ceiling light at the hall way and there was a bunch of connections and one of them was loose ! tightened everything there flicked the switch and it all worked.

it amazing to watch a craftsman do his work ! learned a bit as well .

thank you all for the help