(Socket) not working (Ed.)

[Daniel3103]

Hello,
I have an extension plug fitted in my conservatory, as the photo shows. It was fitted a few years ago by an electrician, and it is wired to my mains network. Recently, I had some work done in my garden, for which the workers connected heavy equipment to this plug and, shortly afterwards, the plug stopped working. The landscapers in my garden were not surprised: they told me that, as this was a spur and not a direct plug, the demand from their equipment was probably too high for it. We plugged their equipment into another socket on my premises and, from then on, it worked fine.
However, I still have no electricity from this extension plug in my conservatory. What can I do to make it work back again? Is this a job I can do myself, or do I need to call a qualified electrician?

 

[Alec_t]

That is a double socket. A plug is what fits into it. If the socket has no power then the circuit breaker at your consumer unit may have tripped (or fuse blown, if it's an ancient consumer unit).

 

[Jurassicspark]

Blown fuse inside a FCU?

Look around and see if you can find a FCU. It might be behind a sofa or a wardrobe.

 

[EFLImpudence]

What can I do to make it work back again? Is this a job I can do myself, or do I need to call a qualified electrician?

It doesn't appear that you could do it yourself.

 

[Daniel3103]

That is a double socket. A plug is what fits into it. If the socket has no power then the circuit breaker at your consumer unit may have tripped (or fuse blown, if it's an ancient consumer unit).

Yes indeed, it is a socket and it has no power! The main consumer unit is OK though. This socket is on the same circuit as all the others, and everything else is working fine.

 

[Daniel3103]

Blown fuse inside a FCU?

Look around and see if you can find a FCU. It might be behind a sofa or a wardrobe.

What is an FCU?

 

[Daniel3103]

It doesn't appear that you could do it yourself.

That is what I thought as well, but I wanted to check if I was potentially missing something.

 

[Jurassicspark]

This socket is on the same circuit as all the others,

What makes you say that? Even if it is with the fuse blown it will cause only that socket to stop working.

What is an FCU?

Something like that above although yours may differ slightly. If there is one chances can be that the fuse is blown or someone has pushed something against it causing the switch to turn off.

 

[ericmark]

First is a unswitched fused connection unit (FCU) the second is switched, likely a fuse needs to be replaced in something like what is shown in the picture.

 

[jj4091]

Try plugging something into both sockets and check neither of them are working. if that is the case my first thought would be a bad connection or a blown fuse in an FCU rather than a faulty socket. If one of them works and one doesn't then buy a new socket ready before you start. Turn off the power at the consumer unit and take the 2 screws out of the socket faceplate. Carefully pull it towards you looking to see if there are any loose wires behind it. Take a pic if you can get a camera or phone in behind so that you know where the wires go or right it down on paper. Unscrew and pulll out the wires from each terminal and do the reverse procedure with your new socket. If during the procedure any wires pop out of a terminnal and do not appear burnt then refit and retighten the terminal screws.If any show signs of being burnt you may have to cut them back and reconnect them. Replace the faceplate and screw back in place then reconnect the supply at the consumer unit.

 

[Daniel3103]

What makes you say that? Even if it is with the fuse blown it will cause only that socket to stop working.

That is what I understood from the electrician who fitted the socket. There are only two circuits on my premises, one for the sockets and the other for the lights. The electrician wired this extra socket to the same circuit as the other sockets. I have just checked the electrical board, and there are still only the same two circuits on it.

RE the possibility that a fuse has blown in a connection unit - I have just had a look around about that too and, if there is a connection unit, the only place I can imagine it could be is inaccessible. I can’t see any connection unit anywhere, but there is a place where one could be hidden, which is behind a well-screwed panel on which plenty of electrical equipment is fitted - my meter, solar system shut-off box, solar meter and a big black box with a warning on it. There is a space behind the panel, with the wall closely behind, and the faulty socket is on the other side of that wall. If there is a connection unit between the panel and the wall, I can’t access that space unless I unscrew the panel - but, if I do that, I’m probably going to cause some damage with all the equipment on it, and I might do something dangerous. So, it looks like it is going to be a job for a qualified electrician.

 

[Daniel3103]

Try plugging something into both sockets and check neither of them are working. if that is the case my first thought would be a bad connection or a blown fuse in an FCU rather than a faulty socket.

I have checked. Neither socket is working.

Based on the responses I have had and the checks I have made, it looks like there could be a blown fuse in a consumer unit, but that unit is inaccessible without tampering with plenty of electrical equipment. See my previous post.

 

[Jurassicspark]

That is what I understood from the electrician who fitted the socket. There are only two circuits on my premises, one for the sockets and the other for the lights. The electrician wired this extra socket to the same circuit as the other sockets. I have just checked the electrical board, and there are still only the same two circuits on it.

RE the possibility that a fuse has blown in a connection unit - I have just had a look around about that too and, if there is a connection unit, the only place I can imagine it could be is inaccessible. I can’t see any connection unit anywhere, but there is a place where one could be hidden, which is behind a well-screwed panel on which plenty of electrical equipment is fitted - my meter, solar system shut-off box, solar meter and a big black box with a warning on it. There is a space behind the panel, with the wall closely behind, and the faulty socket is on the other side of that wall. If there is a connection unit between the panel and the wall, I can’t access that space unless I unscrew the panel - but, if I do that, I’m probably going to cause some damage with all the equipment on it, and I might do something dangerous. So, it looks like it is going to be a job for a qualified electrician.

Looks like it's time to get an electrician in but do tell us the outcome.

 

[Daniel3103]

Looks like it's time to get an electrician in but do tell us the outcome.

As I need to get a professional in, I am probably going to leave it for the time being. That socket is not terribly important to me, and I am actually carrying out plenty of renovations elsewhere in my bungalow. I am going to spend my money on some of these other things first.

 

[jj4091]

If it hsa been protected by an FCU it should have been installed in an easily accessible place and pointed out to you what it was for. So unless it has been covered by some later instalation it would seem unlikely you have one. My guess would be on a loose connection in the back of the socket itself which you could check yourself as I described in previous post. No there should be no urgency if the socket is unused