Cooker fault tripped sockets??!??

[JohnW2]

... and found the live was serverly burnt. ... On closer inspection, I found the neutral had welded itself to the live. So I took it off, snipped it back as luckily there were enough slack on the cable, and re-did the wires and this time I sleeved the earth as there wasn't anything on it before. ... Oven works fine. It just so happens that this day, 10 years after the cooker was installed, the insulation finally gave way probable chaffing I guess.

OK - so that's the cooker, and the primary reason for the problem. However ....

Before I reconnected the cooker I switched the sockets on and volt checked the red and black. 0v. I then switched the cooker on at the CU and 240v was there. Bingo! ... The only reason I thought for the down stairs sockets going was there is a cable behind the oven, near this box that is fed from a fuse spur of the ring main, to power the cooker hood. But it's weird that the fuse didn't go in the FCU, just the MCB. You can see the cable going across the wall in the bottom photo. Hope it all makes sense.

I'm afraid that doesn't make much sense to me at all. You again seem to be implying connections between the two circuits - which is worrying!

Kind Regards, John

 

[sparkwright]

I'm not clear why the socket circuit tripped as well.

Also, how did you clean up the terminals on the cooker?

 

[Greenie9657]

Hi John.

I can't explain why the sockets went at the same time as the cooker.

When I sorted out the wires, I put the sockets MCB on and volt checked the red and black on the cooker circuit. The reading was 0v

 

[Greenie9657]

I'm not clear why the socket circuit tripped as well.

Also, how did you clean up the terminals on the cooker?[/quote

Wire brush. I should of taken a photo really. It was all sound when I put it back together.

 

[JohnW2]

Hi John. I can't explain why the sockets went at the same time as the cooker.

As I said, it sounds as if something is very wrong - I definitely think you need to get some professional testing and troubleshooting done!

Kind Regards, John

 

[Greenie9657]

I agree. It was wired up by a profession sparks but I know that doesn't promise to be correct. I advised them to as I just fixed the cooker. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink!

 

[JohnW2]

I agree. It was wired up by a profession sparks but I know that doesn't promise to be correct. I advised them to as I just fixed the cooker. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink!

Indeed - there are some real worries here. Were you saying that, if the cooker switch is on, the sockets become live even if their MCB is switched off? If so, there is a clear danger, since someone might think that the sockets were 'dead' when they actually weren't. The same might possibly also happen the other way around, with the cooker trying to draw its current through the sockets circuit, if it's MCB were 'off'. IMO, you/they really do need to get to the bottom of this - and, I would suggest, sooner, rather than later.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Greenie9657]

I agree. It was wired up by a profession sparks but I know that doesn't promise to be correct. I advised them to as I just fixed the cooker. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink!

Indeed - there are some real worries here. Were you saying that, if the cooker switch is on, the sockets become live even if their MCB is switched off? If so, there is a clear danger, since someone might think that the sockets were 'dead' when they actually weren't. The same might possibly also happen the other way around, with the cooker trying to draw its current through the sockets circuit, if it's MCB were 'off'. IMO, you/they really do need to get to the bottom of this - and, I would suggest, sooner, rather than later.

Kind Regards, John

No, nothing like that John. It's just the sockets MCB tripped the same time as the cooker. But switching the Sockets MCB on doesn't put voltage on the cooker circuit and vise versa.

 

[JohnW2]

No, nothing like that John. It's just the sockets MCB tripped the same time as the cooker. But switching the Sockets MCB on doesn't put voltage on the cooker circuit and vise versa.

I'm getting confused! Did I misunderstand:

Before I reconnected the cooker I switched the sockets on and volt checked the red and black. 0v. I then switched the cooker on at the CU and 240v was there. Bingo! ...

Perhaps you could clarify?

Whatever, I still think that installation needs properly checking out!

Kind Regards, John