Problem this afternoon

[Chrisuk]

hmm..
we`ll see...

We certainly will Glenn, we'll see just how deep his pockets are, someone said he's promised to buy X amount of players, don't know if this is true or not

 

[GLENNSPARK]

We certainly will Glenn, we'll see just how deep his pockets are, someone said he's promised to buy X amount of players, don't know if this is true or not

i`l believe it when i sees it..

 

[uksparks]

I'm off round to fix (hopefully) this problem at 10am, ill update you when I get back as to what it was.

 

[Badged01]

Good luck! Look forward to hearing if all the theory spouted out has anything to do with the problem in the end .....

 

[uksparks]

Hi,

Just popped back as need to lift floor board and needed my cutter which I left at home (its ok as its only a few streets away)

I have got the wander lead out, continuity from CU to every socket for line and earth separately, so thats ok

Nothing on the neutral.

So i then go to what I believe to be the first socket on the radial as its the lowest I can find one with any resistance on the line, I then go from that to every other known socket or outlet on the circuit and theres continuity on all three conductors ok.

So then I take that to the boiler which again was fine and thats in the airing cupboard above the stairs, (CU under stairs), continuity is fine, so now I am going to pull the floor board up where there's a junction box on the landing where the boiler is cut into the ring and and go from there to the rest and back to the CU which I guess is the first bit.

I suspect then at this that there's a trapped or broken neutral between the landing floor and the CU which is about 2 meters.

I cannot see anything bad so far, but I will replace the leg and see what happens.

Ill keep you posted.

 

[uksparks]

Well the cable coming out the CU goes up under the floor but disappears and cannot seem to find it, found all the others, but not that sodding cable. Ive got continuity back to this junction box under the floor from all points, but cannot seem to find what feeds the first socket.

Anyone else around Leicester who fancies taking a look? I have definately narrowed it down to the leg that goes from the CU to the first socket, but cannot find the cable anywhere...

I have not charged him for my time today as I have not fixed it.

Any thoughts other than to keep looking?

 

[UNG]

Have you got a tone tester or cable tracer essential kit for this type of job IMO

 

[southsea1201]

Sounds like the client has done more DIY than he's letting on. You need to ask him exactly what he has done besides replacing socket faces....any sign of freshly skimmed walls...WhereTF is that missing cable? Shameful when people call you in and only tell you an edited version of what they've been doing. They should realise that coming clean will make fault finding a lot quicker, and thus cheaper.

 

[uksparks]

I should really buy myself a dead circuit tracer, it would be worth every penny in this case.

I feel he is not letting on, because his mate came round and said there were cables going across this bit where the arch way way that we have refilled and skimmed etc.... I thought hmm, ok so you may have trapped a cable or something.

Ill be buggered if I am going to waste all day looking for it and get paid next to nothing, ill let someone else have a go.

I have asked him repeatedly what he has done, and every time he says something its different and then his mate said yeah there were wires there whilst he says no...

There has been two extensions, two story, it does only appear to be downstairs sockets, excluding the kitchen which is separate.

The issue i have is, the cable comes out the CU, up the wall clipped 2ft, then under the floor, straight forward, but then is just disappears, its like its a WIFI radial. I had various floor boards up and couldnt see anything obvious.

I am not 100% sure if its the leg from the CU to the landing or the Landing to the first socket, as I don't know where the cable goes from the CU as it disappears.

What would you suggest I do? I have tried calling a few local people to ask if anyone else wants a crack but everyone is too busy..

 

[Richard Burns]

Confirm that the cable from the CU goes to the junction box by checking if it is live and switching it off or disconnecting it and checking it is dead or continuity testing from CU to JB input.
Then take a new piece of cable and connect it it from the (MF) JB back to the CU. disconnect faulty cable and label as faulty.
Test the circuit, fill in MEWIC, get paid.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Have got a tone tester or cable tracer essential kit for this type of job IMO

i`v got a tone n amp...and a fusefinder...

and yep...you need em....

 

[jaypp]

just make sure that if you re-wire that leg to 1st socket that there is nothing else inbetween

 

[uksparks]

Thats the issue, the juntion box doesnt seem to go to the CU... bugger it!

I think ill order a tracer tonight!, see my other thread, any views as to which?

 

[nickblake]

any radiators on the wall have a look behind them wouldnt be the first time one's been put over a socket and when they do you can guarentee its the faulty one

 

[uksparks]

Yep checked that, I'm still not convinced it's not where they took an old arch out where a lintel is and buried cables along it.

I don't particularly want to spend any more time on it as have a lot on this week and can't really squeeze it in.

if shy of you are in leicester feel free to have a go.

 

[jaypp]

temporary feed to JB, disconnect existing leg both ends, power up and see what's not working. If ok, replace leg

 

[R G]

Whatever it is thats in the wall wants disconnecting anyway , if you have identified all points on that circuit that is , I would run another leg out and ditch the faulty leg , at the JB , see whats not live after that , as said do a temporary at first ,

 

[Richard Burns]

Thats the issue, the juntion box doesnt seem to go to the CU... bugger it!

I think ill order a tracer tonight!, see my other thread, any views as to which?

You said that you had line and earth continuity back to the CU from all the sockets, therefore you should be able to get line earth continuity from CU to this junction box, if you cannot get continuity then this junction box is not on that circuit!

 

[uksparks]

Yes the junction box, its just where the boiler is cut into it, I have continuity there for line and earth, but no neutral, but unfortunately the cables go back away from the CU and cannot seem to find the one from the CU to the first point.

I have a nasty feeling its the cable the DIY'er is telling me is buried in his newly skimmed archway.

I feel I need another pair of eyes looking at this as someone else may spot something I have missed. I have definately narrowed it down some what, but cannot find the cable that I have narrowed it down to!

I don't particularly want half the house floor up looking for it as the place is full to the brim.

 

[uksparks]

The r1 reading at the point I beleive to be the first point is 0.13 ohms, from the CU to that point, it could easily be 12 - 14 meters maybe. I have tried every outlet, switch and socket, and that's the lowest one, which is the first one in the extension, so it is quite possibly the one, the rest increase up to about 2.3 ohms, and if you plot if round you can see them increase round the way I think they go.