Ring main continuity broken(?) - some sockets no longer work

[Gaz42]

Hello!

I have ran into a strange problem when redecorating one of our bedrooms and would like some advice from people cleverer than me! I'll try and describe the background and the problem, but do let me know if you need more info!

On coming to remove a (badly fitted) wardrobe, we found a double electric socket built into the wardrobe - wired as shown in the picture - that we've never used!

There are three wires into this socket - the white is a spur to a single gang socket (that we used, and works) and I believe the grey wires are the ring circuit.

I plan to keep this double socket, but set this against the wall (rather than boxed into a wardrobe).

On killing the power, removing the double socket and setting the wiring into a junction box (before setting the socket into the wall), I've found that half of the sockets in the rest of the house no longer work!

What feels odd is that the spur receives power still.

In my process of elimination, I've removed the (white) spur, leaving the junction box wiring as red/red, black/black, e/e - so effectively the same configuration as into the socket.

To my untrained brain, this sounds like a ring break, but all of the cables seem sound, and I've not done any work elsewhere in the house to change any of the wiring during this period.


My plan of attack is this:
Trace the wiring from the junction back up into the loft, find the next socket along and check for power (my socket tester and detector pen should help).

Reset the original socket and spur wiring to confirm it isn't a junction box/wiring problem.

Check the connections on the next socket(s) along to see if anything has worked loose.

Test each leg of the ring leading to this area - to my understanding, both should have current?

Pray/sacrifice goat.

Call our local spark!


Thanks for reading, this turned into lots of words! Any thoughts to assist in my problem solving?!

 

[securespark]

It does sound odd.

If you have remade the connections and not touched anything else, all the sockets should still work.

If the circuit is a ring final circuit, all the sockets should still work even with the grey wardrobe wires disconnected from each other.

This suggests that either your circuit is a radial circuit or is is a mangled ring final circuit, with breaks elsewhere in the loop.

Have you disconnected other sockets as well as the wardrobe one?

What size circuit breaker or fuse protects the circuit?

When you tested the spur for power, what did you use?

Sacrificing a goat is a great idea! In your own home, clean-up may not be an issue, but I can see a few customers getting antsy about it, even if they do get a lifetime's supply of free goat curry...

 

[ericmark]

OK quick guess, there was a fault on the ring final so in fact it was two spurs, you have introduced a second fault so now you have two spurs and a section of dead.

So you are looking for two faults, one you know where it is as you have been working on it, the other you don't have a clue as yet.

So first thing is do you want to fault find? or would it be better to get a professional to sort out? What the problem is, not only can the line and neutral be faulty, but also the earth, a professional has expensive equipment which is simply not worth you buying, so may be safer to call some one.

However as a temporary measure it may be prudent to change the Fuse/MCB/RCBO for a 20A one until you have found all the faults so you can't overload one leg. With an earth loop impedance tester you can plug it into a socket and from the readings work out the order which the sockets are connected, so you can quickly work out which is last socket working, you would then inspect that socket, without the meter you have to open every socket to check and try to work out the wiring route.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

sacrifice goat.

Awwww......