MK ROUND PIN PLUGS

amichaud55 · 21 Feb 2011

I recently asked my builder to tap into my wall a new wall switch that will control 2 round pinned sockets.

He apparently did this.

However, i just bought 2 floor lamps, and swapped the plugs on them to the MK round pin plugs (no fuse)...

The lights dont work, but DO work when i plug them into a normal socket (with the normal square pinned plug).

So, i used an electric screwdriver on the round pinned plug. It lights up on both the neutral and the live when the plug is plugged in to the round pinned socket. Is that normal? Any idea where the circuit is going wrong - as it obviously has power.

Frustrated that i got him to do all the electrics and now i have a problem getting the lights to work!!

Thanks

bernardgreen · 21 Feb 2011

amichaud55 said:
So, i used an electric screwdriver on the round pinned plug.

Not good. some electric screwdrivers have too much torque and can wreck a terminal rather then jsut doing it up too tight.

Or did you mean a dangerous screwdriver with a neon in the handle.

as it obviously has power.

The neon glowing does not mean it has power. They can glow when they are put on an earthed terminal if the users body is not earthed.

If it glows on both live and neutral then they are likely to be at the same voltage, there is only power available if there is a voltage difference between live and neutral.

But the most likely problem is there is no neutral to the sockets. My bet is the builder saw red and black ( or brown and blue ) in the switch and thought these were Live and neutral and took them for the supply to the new lamps.

amichaud55 · 21 Feb 2011

thanks

not an electric powered screwdriver... i meant the one with the bulb in it...

I will try to get him to come back i guess. no clue what he has done...

ericmark · 21 Feb 2011

This is a guess. You say builder not electrician so I will guess he has instead to connecting to the ceiling rose where you have line and neutral he has connected to the switch where you have line in and line out.

As to neon screwdrivers they are great as added protection for where a mistake is made alerting you when for example a thermostat has made what you are working on live.

However they are not good for proving anything either live or dead you need to use a device with two leads there are a number with led or neon indicators which have no switches so can't be switched to wrong range.

To prove dead you are may need a proving unit. However I use the inverter in car or of course you could used something still live.

Neon screwdrivers can't test a neutral and can fail to light or light when they shouldn't so never rely on them. But good extra safety device.

Because the neon screwdriver is not likely to light when touching a neutral is the reason I think socket connected to line in and line out.

amichaud55 · 21 Feb 2011

ok thanks ericmark.

I think you are right.

I have just taken the switch apart and it seems that as you said, there is just a line in and line out.

How can i rectify this problem?

thanks

ericmark · 21 Feb 2011

The cable needs to go to ceiling rose.
Other method is to use a fused connection unit (FCU) and connect to ring main.

amichaud55 · 21 Feb 2011

sorry, i dont understand...

the ceiling has spotlights. it will be a huge problem to tap into the ceiling at this stage.

But, there is a normal socket right next to the round pinned socket?

ban-all-sheds · 21 Feb 2011

amichaud55 said:
I recently asked my builder to tap into my wall a new wall switch that will control 2 round pinned sockets.

He apparently did this.

As we now know he did not.

Nor, obviously, did he test the work before departing.

And if he issued a certificate that was bogus.

I hope you haven't paid him.

amichaud55 said:
=the ceiling has spotlights. it will be a huge problem to tap into the ceiling at this stage.

Then it will be a huge problem to have your round pin sockets put onto the lighting circuit at this stage.

But, there is a normal socket right next to the round pinned socket?

You can:

1) Take a spur from that to an FCU, and then from there to the light switch and then to the round-pin socket.

Or

2) Take a spur from there to a switched FCU in a convenient place and then from there to the round-pin socket.

amichaud55 · 21 Feb 2011

I dont really understand what the 2 solutions that you give are... what is an FCU?

If he has brought the wire from the main ceiling ring switch, then isn't the circuit already on the ceiling ring?

stubob · 21 Feb 2011

Don't call the builder back except for a refund. GET AN ELECTRICIAN.

ricicle · 21 Feb 2011

amichaud55 said:
How can i rectify this problem?

Don't pay the builder, tell him to **** off and then get someone competant in

ban-all-sheds · 21 Feb 2011

amichaud55 said:
I dont really understand what the 2 solutions that you give are... what is an FCU?

Fused connection unit.

Didn't you write

amichaud55 said:
But, there is a normal socket right next to the round pinned socket?

because you wondered if you could use the socket circuit for the lights?

If he has brought the wire from the main ceiling ring switch, then isn't the circuit already on the ceiling ring?

You told us there was no neutral at the switch.

We don't know where he took the switched live, but clearly he has not taken both it and a neutral to the round pin sockets, which is why they are not working.

And you also told us that it will be a huge problem to tap into the ceiling at this stage.

So you do not have, and cannot get, a live and neutral from the lighting circuit to the round pin sockets.

sparkwright · 21 Feb 2011

amichaud55 said:
I dont really understand what the 2 solutions that you give are... what is an FCU?

If he has brought the wire from the main ceiling ring switch, then isn't the circuit already on the ceiling ring?

An FCU is a fused connection unit. It is an accessory consisting of a cartridge fuse and holder, maximum of 13 amp. they can be switched or unswitched. It is used to fuse down a circuit.

IF this builder has fed the round pin sockets from the light switch, there may not be a neutral there, causing the problem.

Traditionally, a simple light switch could consist of two wires, red and black; or brown and blue. In this case, the black or blue is not neutral: it is switched live.

If this is the case, it may be possible to alter the existing wiring without causing too much damage by fitting a FCU off a 13 amp socket near the first round pin socket. The FCU would be fused to 3-5 amp. If there is a cable that has been put into the existing wall switch, this will become a switch wire, containing permanent live and switched live. You would have two circuits in the light switch, which presumably would be a 2 gang switch. It would be important not to interconnect the two separate circuits.

Unless you know what you are doing, I would recommend you get an electrician to sort this out, a builder has no business doing this unless he is a proper electrician.

Pictures would help a lot.

sparkwright · 21 Feb 2011

By the way, any advice given is not to help this builder, it is to give you an idea on what may be salvagable. You should get a good, qualified electrician in to check and re-do as necessary.

ban-all-sheds · 21 Feb 2011

But not the idiot who installed that external floodlight.

diynot

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.

Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

MK ROUND PIN PLUGS

Similar threads