What's wrong with this socket? (Non-professionals only)

[securespark]

Have a quick look at this and tell me what's wrong with this:

 

[comms]

 

[Spark123]

What's right with it?
I am hoping that is on a test rig!!

 

[comms]

I am hoping that is on a test rig!!

Laminate flooring on show so my money is on a diy job.

 

[ezekiel]

no fly lead from backbox?

 

[pompeygit]

Come on someone answer cos we are all dying to hear the story of how this happened and what actually got plugged in

 

[Spark123]

The 2 backbox screws are missing

 

[RF Lighting]

 

[mattylad]

PUt it this way, I certainly would not want to undo that for a look see while the power is on, & certainly not with an uninsulated screwdriver

Just to spoil it for you sparkies having a laff..

Live wire is into the earth terminal (and likely visa versa).
no earth to the back box.
exposed copper at the nuetral (although I'm not sure thats a problem?)

 

[securespark]

OK. This socket I found at a house in Stafford. The customer told me the socket would not work, plus the decorator kept getting shocks while papering the HS&L, so I plugged the Alphatek in and got a plug symbol - power, so I pressed the button.

"PE", it flashed. (Earth fault)

So I opened it up and took this picture.

No fly lead. Box and socket screws were live to touch.

So, Live to the earth terminal.

Neutral to the Live terminal.

Earth to the Live terminal.

, indeed!

 

[pompeygit]

What had the customer tried to usr from this socket? Did you find out who wired it up? How long had it not 'been working'?

 

[jason1958]

Red wire goes to uninsulated terminal.

Looks like an unswitched socket?
I trust the CPD was well exercised ? )

 

[Spark123]

Looks like a switched one to me

The fuse probably wouldn't have popped as there was no fly lead to the back box. The whole lot would have been live

 

[jason1958]

> Looks like a switched one to me

Indeed it does, right of photo shows the switch outline.

Too mesmerised by the red wires going to a BARE METAL screw terminal.
It is more usual to get NE reversal - trips out RCD on plugging in appliance, plus the usual fishy PVC smell.

I'm **STILL** mesmerised by red wires into BARE METAL screw terminal!
Going to lie down

 

[securespark]

The customer tried to use an extension outdoors from that socket when they first moved in 15 years ago, but gave up when it would not work.

Funnily enough, it's on an RCD, but it never popped, despite the decorator getting quite a few nasty nips.

If it were me, I'd have given up, but he finished the whole job...

The house is 20 years old, so we worked out that it could have been a diy replacement 16 years ago ish.

It is a switched socket. The CPD was not at all exercised. As my numerical colleague points out, there was no link to the back box, so the thing just sat there, 24/7 live as live can be.

Also found at the same property, a disconnected cpc to a power shower, resulting in shocks felt from the wet wall adjacent to the riser rail....

And a disconnected PEB to the water pipe.

That lot really brought me down to earth, I can tell you.

21 years and I've never seen anything quite that incompetent before.