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I am replacing my bathroom extractor (+timer) fan. The wiring comprises of one single switched live wire (connected back to the lights switch) plus another cable (live and neutral) connected back to the mains light ring.
1. The switched live wire/cable comprises of the red wire only connected back to the lights switch. The neutral wire has been cut short and the earth wire simply terminated at both ends (no earthing required or possible on the fan) - PROBLEM: when the switch is ON and I test with a pen tester both the neutral and earth wires show a positive (pen lights). They are not touching, indeed no where near, any terminals or casings.
2. In a similar way the permanent live/neutral wires are properly connected, the unused earth wire simply wrapped around the wire casing for tidiness (no earthing point on fan) again well away from any terminals. Yet this earth wire also shows as LIVE, and is always on.
The fan and lights all work by the way.
I considered that the cables themselves may be faulty, so swapped them for a short length of new cable to use as a test. Same problem occurs.
Is this something serious or just some stupid way in which a pen tester can show a false positive (possibly through some sort of conductance across the wires?). I am a DIY-er, no electrical qualifications.
Help please as I'm worried!
1. The switched live wire/cable comprises of the red wire only connected back to the lights switch. The neutral wire has been cut short and the earth wire simply terminated at both ends (no earthing required or possible on the fan) - PROBLEM: when the switch is ON and I test with a pen tester both the neutral and earth wires show a positive (pen lights). They are not touching, indeed no where near, any terminals or casings.
2. In a similar way the permanent live/neutral wires are properly connected, the unused earth wire simply wrapped around the wire casing for tidiness (no earthing point on fan) again well away from any terminals. Yet this earth wire also shows as LIVE, and is always on.
The fan and lights all work by the way.
I considered that the cables themselves may be faulty, so swapped them for a short length of new cable to use as a test. Same problem occurs.
Is this something serious or just some stupid way in which a pen tester can show a false positive (possibly through some sort of conductance across the wires?). I am a DIY-er, no electrical qualifications.
Help please as I'm worried!