Electrical help

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SAFCGardian

SAFCGardian

Midfield
I was wiring in a new Spur to an existing socket last night, turned the downstairs sockets off, tested the socket and it was off (the lamp I plugged it didn't work so I though it was off)
When I had taken the existing wires out of the back of the socket and moved them out of the way for better access, the main trip switch went in the house. Why would this be? I thought be isolating the downstairs sockets these wires would not be live at all so not quite sure how or why this happened. Needless to say I left it off while i was working with the wires in the box, but is this normal? seems as though it shouldn't have tripped as it was off at the fuse box?

Anyone know why?

Cheers
 


Don't forget to switch off the supply at the outer mains board
 
I'm not entirely sure that the electrics are 100% right in the house, when I moved in, the upstairs and downstairs lights were wired together into the same single switch which wasn't safe. I just don't understand how it could trip the main power as that circuit should have been off.
 
SAFCGardian said:
I'm not entirely sure that the electrics are 100% right in the house, when I moved in, the upstairs and downstairs lights were wired together into the same single switch which wasn't safe. I just don't understand how it could trip the main power as that circuit should have been off.
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I'm guessing it wasn't off mate. Maybe your lightbulb was knackered.
 
Telly and everything else went off,plugged into a different socket downstairs, as soon as I flicked it off, the lamp was also working before
 
SAFCGardian said:
I was wiring in a new Spur to an existing socket last night, turned the downstairs sockets off, tested the socket and it was off (the lamp I plugged it didn't work so I though it was off)
When I had taken the existing wires out of the back of the socket and moved them out of the way for better access, the main trip switch went in the house. Why would this be? I thought be isolating the downstairs sockets these wires would not be live at all so not quite sure how or why this happened. Needless to say I left it off while i was working with the wires in the box, but is this normal? seems as though it shouldn't have tripped as it was off at the fuse box?

Anyone know why?

Cheers
Click to expand...

It's people like you who electrocute themselves on a regular basis. A fixed wiring test will reveal all shorts and defects (done by a qualified, experienced electrician, not you)
 
Because when you switch the breaker off you only isolate the live,the rcd looks for faults in the live and neutral.
 
Touching the neutral to earth would likely trip the RCD too. As others have said isolating the MCB only disconnects the live conductor. Seriously though mate you really shouldn't be f***ing about with this shit if you don't understand the basic principles of what you are working on.
 
SAFCGardian said:
I'm not entirely sure that the electrics are 100% right in the house, when I moved in, the upstairs and downstairs lights were wired together into the same single switch which wasn't safe. I just don't understand how it could trip the main power as that circuit should have been off.
Click to expand...
Good god. I hope you got someone out to do a full condition report.
 
fab t said:
Because when you switch the breaker off you only isolate the live,the rcd looks for faults in the live and neutral.
Click to expand...
That explains it, i must have touched the wires to the earth when removing them from the plug. I didn't know, like a few smart arses on here, that it only isolated the live wire, cheers
 
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