Problem with the mains in my workshop

[Sparkoman85]

Hi.
I've just started renovating my workshop.
It's about 30 years old, the walls on the inside have been doubled up with 15mm plasterboard. My plan is to cover the walls with 6mm hardwood ply because I got the sheets for free.
I've just started screwing them to the walls. The original plasterboards are all over the place and I wanted to avoid cutting down my sheets of ply so I'm not screwing into the existing studwork. Instead I'm fixing a full 8x4 sheet of ply using wall plugs and chunky screws Into the plasterboard until I get to the point where I have to cut a sheet of ply.

Yesterday I attached the 2nd sheet, no problems. Today my consumer unit is tripping at the mains. I've isolated the problem to the plug sockets. I had to remove a plug and pull the wires through one of the sheets of ply and then rewire it. It's definitely screwed in tight and secure.
I'm worried I may have drilled into a wire behind the old plasterboard. But I'm sure if that was the case it would have gone bang right away and I'd know about it??

Is it possible I could have nicked a wire with the drill and it's gone some time later?? As I said, I'm pretty sure if I had nicked a wire behind the wall it would have gone bang right away!
Could it be the old plug socket has had it and removing the wires and then rewiring it has done something??
Any help would be amazing.
Thanks ?

 

[littlespark]

It’s possible the socket has just given up, or you’ve nicked a cable on the backbox pushing the socket back.

it is likely you have screwed a cable behind the plasterboard…. It would have been prudent to screw into the studs where you know there couldn’t be a cable. (If there was, it should be drilled through the wood deep enough that a screw wouldn’t reach)

 

[Sparkoman85]

So...I've just taken the front of the plug socket off, unwired it and taped all the wires using electrical tape....the main switch on the consumer unit stays on!
I've plugged in a load of stuff, and simultaneously used a chop saw, various different chargers....no problems.
Think the 30+ year old plug socket may have been dodgy, and me removing it and rewiring it knackered it completely??
Still going to leave the power off tonight til I get some sound advice!!

 

[littlespark]

Yes. 30 years is a good age for a socket, and ones that have constant plugging in/out and switched on and off will have no doubt worn out.

Sounds like the cables behind the walls are ok

 

[Sparkoman85]

Yes. 30 years is a good age for a socket, and ones that have constant plugging in/out and switched on and off will have no doubt worn out.

Sounds like the cables behind the walls are ok

Or, could it be that the plug socket was fine, and me using half a roll of electrical tape on all 3 wires has done the job?
The live and neutral looked fine but the earth had no sleeving at all...

 

[telectrix]

Or, could it be that the plug socket was fine, and me using half a roll of electrical tape on all 3 wires has done the job?
The live and neutral looked fine but the earth had no sleeving at all...

so the unsleeved earth wire may have shorted out with a live conductor when you put the socket back on???

 

[littlespark]

Well, the earth should have green/yellow sleeving,…

maybe it’s time you had someone perform an EICR on the place, just to clarify what the issues could be.

 

[Sparkoman85]

Well, the earth should have green/yellow sleeving,…

maybe it’s time you had someone perform an EICR on the place, just to clarify what the issues could be.

Yea I reckon so.
Guessing regulations have changed somewhat in the past 30 years...
I have a pal who knows his stuff, old school and the new stuff. Will get him to have a looksee. Thanks for all your help ?

 

[telectrix]

30 years? we bin using Gn/Y sleeving since 1970.

 

[James]

30 years? we bin using Gn/Y sleeving since 1970.

and solid green before that.

 

[telectrix]

and solid green before that.

solid??? i thought it had a hole down the middle. ?