Live to earth 25ac live to neutral 230 could anyone help

[Darrens14]

I am currently redoing a kitchen, (electrics) I tested voltage at lighting cable and form brown>blue-230ac
Brown>earth I got 25ac could anyone shed some light on this please

 

[buzzlightyear]

I am currently redoing a kitchen, (electrics) I tested voltage at lighting cable and form brown>blue-230ac
Brown>earth I got 25ac could anyone shed some light on this please

where are you testing switch or light !

 

[Marvo]

Sounds dangerous like missing CPC maybe.
Are you a qualified sparky and what test equipment do you have?

 

[Darrens14]

I am testing at the lighting cable

 

[Darrens14]

I am an apprentice I am testing with a fluke t5-600

 

[Marvo]

Where exactly on the lighting cable?

 

[Darrens14]

It’s ran in pvc pvc singles I tested across brown/blue/earth I have 230 at brown blue and 25ac at brow/earth

 

[Marvo]

Doesn't really answer my question....are you testing at the switch or at a light fitting or at some random junction box somewhere? Is the wiring you're testing running between the CU and fitting or maybe the CU and the switch or possibly the switch and the light fitting?

 

[buzzlightyear]

I am an apprentice I am testing with a fluke t5-600

you should have some one looking over your shoulder when you are testing a give guidance.

 

[Darrens14]

I’m testing at the light fitting, apologies.. at the switch whoever previously wired it ran t&e into switch and must have done joints in ceiling

 

[buzzlightyear]

I am currently redoing a kitchen, (electrics) I tested voltage at lighting cable and form brown>blue-230ac
Brown>earth I got 25ac could anyone shed some light on this please

is any body paying you for this work ?

 

[Darrens14]

No, it is in my own home

 

[buzzlightyear]

No, it is in my own home

does your mum and dad know what you are doing ,like going to burn your house down &no p/l insurance .

 

[Darrens14]

I was only asking on this to see if I could get some help, if it was out of my knowledge I’d tell them I couldn’t do it I wouldn’t complete it not knowing what to do, that’s why I asked on this forum for help

 

[buzzlightyear]

I was only asking on this to see if I could get some help, if it was out of my knowledge I’d tell them I couldn’t do it I wouldn’t complete it not knowing what to do, that’s why I asked on this forum for hlep

is it not time you should be in bed reading a comic .

 

[Darrens14]

Okay thanks for the help pal!

 

[Wilko]

Hi - As Marvo has said it's likely cpc not continuous. Do you have a loop tester?

 

[Darrens14]

Okay thanks for the help pal!

 

[Wilko]

Hi - As Marvo has said it's likely cpc not continuous. Do you have a loop tester?

 

[Darrens14]

As in to test continuity?

 

[ipf]

o

is it not time you should be in bed reading a comic .

Come on buzz, the lad's a bit puzzled......it'll do him no good going to bed with a copy of the 18th edition....

 

[Deleted member 26818]

Another option, is that the polarity is reversed.
Test a socket, see what readings you get.

 

[Darrens14]

That’s what I was thinking, thanks a lot

 

[ipf]

Another option, is that the polarity is reversed.
Test a socket, see what readings you get.

True, and is the light switched on or off...is it a permanent live or switched? A few unknowns. Is there only one cable at the fitting? If so, odds are there's a nearby joint, of some kind.

 

[Wilko]

A bit of late night viewing on loop impedance testing

 

[Darrens14]

Switched I have taken the fittings down and have cables In connectors the way they were connected in light so nothing has changed (connection wise)

 

[buzzlightyear]

Try and test near the consumer on the lighting circuit and see what voltage between the line and cpc

 

[ipf]

Try and test near the consumer on the lighting circuit and see what voltage between the line and cpc

….is their a bunch of cables above the ceiling?...may be something amiss there. If it's a switch wire, that's the first thing to look at.

 

[Darrens14]

I will have a look tomorrow I have a feeling that could Be it.. it’s a single poll switch but whoever done it has blue in common brown in l1 earth in l2 so I’m thinking is the earth mixed in a junction box because it’s t&e at switch and pvc pvc singles in ceiling

 

[ipf]

Isolate first!!!!!!!!!! then you can check continuities.
Get some lever wagos for temp connections, then no mix ups.

 

[Darrens14]

OF course

 

[ipf]

I will have a look tomorrow I have a feeling that could Be it.. it’s a single poll switch but whoever done it has blue in common brown in l1 earth in l2 so I’m thinking is the earth mixed in a junction box because it’s t&e at switch and pvc pvc singles in ceiling

That's looking more serious...…..earth in L2? Be Careful and get some advice if you've any doubts.

 

[Darrens14]

I’m gonna hand the job to a family friend (qualified) thanks anyways for your advice and help

 

[MFS Electrical]

I am currently redoing a kitchen, (electrics) I tested voltage at lighting cable and form brown>blue-230ac
Brown>earth I got 25ac could anyone shed some light on this please

What’s the Ze? And the Zs?

 

[ipf]

I’m gonna hand the job to a family friend (qualified) thanks anyways for your advice and help

Give him a lift with it....if he knows his stuff, you'll learn.

 

[Darrens14]

Appreciate the humble replies. Thanks a lotto

 

[dmxtothemax]

QUOTE - [ I tested voltage at lighting cable and form brown>blue-230acBrown>earth I got 25ac could anyone shed some light on this please. ]

Clearly your earth is not bonded and could even be open circuit.

If your wondering why many responses are snarky ?
This is basic stuff and if you are working on electrical you should know and understand at least the basics.

 

[telectrix]

I will have a look tomorrow I have a feeling that could Be it.. it’s a single poll switch but whoever done it has blue in common brown in l1 earth in l2 so I’m thinking is the earth mixed in a junction box because it’s t&e at switch and pvc pvc singles in ceiling

that sets alarm bells ringing. looks like the cpc has been used as a live conductor in a 2 way set up.

 

[Octopus]

Hi - As Marvo has said it's likely cpc not continuous. Do you have a loop tester?

Not sure I agree with that .......... try turning off the other circuit breakers as it sounds like induced voltage to me

 

[telectrix]

Not sure I agree with that .......... try turning off the other circuit breakers as it sounds like induced voltage to me

if it is wired correctly, which i doubt, he should have 230V L-E.

 

[Octopus]

What were the R1 + R2 readings like?

 

[DPG]

Full set of dead tests needed. And draw out the circuit as you find out what goes where.

And as above, safe working practices while you are testing, especially as it sounds like somem of the wiring may be incorrect and may catch you out.

Let us know the outcome - sounds intriguing.

 

[telectrix]

if it's 2 way switching, i bet some muppet has used T/E for strappers and the cpc is used as a live conductor.

 

[Risteard]

Another option, is that the polarity is reversed.
Test a socket, see what readings you get.

You shouldn't be getting 25V between Neutral and Earth either.

 

[PEG]

Not sure I agree with that .......... try turning off the other circuit breakers as it sounds like induced voltage to me

That was my first thought,but although i'm not a Fluke devotee,i think the T5-600 he is using,is an AVI.

Of course,that does not help,unless we know exactly where the probes are going

 

[Marvo]

This isn't the kinda problem that can be solved over the internet so I'm going to close this thread. There's too many possibilities and a lighting circuit can be legitimately wired in numerous ways which can also cause confusion. There may even be more that one problem as well and the situation at the moment sounds like it's possibly dangerous or at least potentially dangerous.

You're going to have to get some assistance from someone with a full range of test equipment who can do the usual barrage of dead tests and figure out how the circuit is wired. As already mentioned, if you're an apprentice I'm sure you could help the other sparky out and get some experience whilst you're at it.