Broken Ring!!

[elfreddo]

Ideas please,
When doing an initial check for continuity at the ends of a ring
it became apparent that there was a brake in the CPC loop.
After checking all the sockets on the ring for loose connections no
termination fault was found.
A broken CPC somewhere in the cable seems favorable but where/how
would you start investigating?
Cheers

 

[mapj1]

Divide and conquer !
with a meter on ohms, and a long wander lead, try from each socket in turn to the two ends of the ring - at some point the last socket (watch the resitacnce rise as you get firther from the supply point) before the break to tail end 1 will be found, and the last socket before the break to tail end 2 in the same way. Then you replace the wiring between those 2 sockets!
Hope that helps, you will need a meter capable of seeing 0.01s of an ohm changes if the sockets are close together.

 

[felix]

you will need a meter capable of seeing 0.01s of an ohm changes if the sockets are close together

If you haven't got a meter that good you'll have to disconnect one end of the ring from the consumer unit. I assume you did this when you found that break in the first place. Any ohm-meter will now reveal the break.

Here's another trick. Instead of a long, trailing meter lead use one of the other two unbroken wires in the ring. Example: your earth is faulty. Isolate both ends of the ring and connect neutral to earth at one end only. Now work your way around the ring checking earth to neutral continuity. Hint: put a mains plug on the end of your meter leads.

NB: Don't leave that mains plug on your meter when you're finished!