2 Red Live Wires

[HaveNoClueUK]

Pics Coming in just a minute... I lied! I was going off what the handy man said... The socket has 2 black wires (connected) Earth Wire (connected) and 2 reds (Not connected)


The switch has 3 reds (2 connected) and Earth (connected)



http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2671430542729.272592.1165085667&type=1&l=43d7269cce <--- for the pics, let me know if this works! thanks!


wanted to mention this, we insulated the exposed wires and tested the lights and plugs...

picture terraced house......the consumer unit is in the corner of the front room... 2 sockets in the front room work (minus the 3rd with the 2 red wires) we have no light or sockets working in the second room. Back to the kitchen, the light works, no plugs work. Only plug working is one on a junction(i think its a junction) box. Light in the bathroom does not work.
Head upstairs, light and sockets in front room work, onto the second bedroom, sockets work, light does not.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Well, it seems quite straightforward: but I am a bit wary as you never know what people have done before.

TURN OFF THE POWER.

At the socket - connect both red wires into the L terminal.
Sheath the bare wire with green&yellow and make sure that two other earths are connected with it to the back box.

Edit - If the earths are not as above you MUST get an electrician.

At the light switch - mark the extra red wire (so you know which one it is) then connect it to the 'C' common terminal with one of the other reds.

 

[HaveNoClueUK]

Well, it seems quite straightforward: but I am a bit wary as you never know what people have done before.

TURN OFF THE POWER.

At the socket - connect both red wires into the L terminal.
Sheath the bare wire with green&yellow and make sure that two other earths are connected with it to the back box.

Edit - If the earths are not as above you MUST get an electrician.

At the light switch - mark the extra red wire (so you know which one it is) then connect it to the 'C' common terminal with one of the other reds.

Would this explain why the sockets in the next room arent working? They are properly wired... double checked tonight while testing the sockets and lights.... Also in the socket, there is only one earth from what i can see....

 

[EFLImpudence]

Would this explain why the sockets in the next room arent working? They are properly wired...

Yes.

Also in the socket, there is only one earth from what i can see....

If you mean the bare wire that we can see OR there is only one OTHER - make absolutely sure - then you MUST get an electrician to check the circuit.

There should be TWO coming in with the two reds and two blacks pus the bare one in the picture.

Normally the other sockets would work - depending on how it is wired. It could indicate that there is another fault.
I would advise you to have it tested by an electrician.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

We're urinating in a gale without pictures.

I'll just go and stand upwind for a while...

 

[HaveNoClueUK]

Would this explain why the sockets in the next room arent working? They are properly wired...

Yes.

Also in the socket, there is only one earth from what i can see....

If you mean the bare wire that we can see OR there is only one OTHER - make absolutely sure - then you MUST get an electrician to check the circuit.

There should be TWO coming in with the two reds and two blacks pus the bare one in the picture.

I can only see the one in the picture, i could not locate another one unless its shorter and hiding! I will double check again tomorrow as we are going back to try to figure it all out. if it is there I will do as you say. If it is not there...where could it have gone lol? Barbados? And what is the importance?(obviously to ground it) but what if it is not there, what would the electrician do to "fix it"?


I am really happy to know that this is why the other lights are not working...takes a big relief from my shoulders...we simply can not afford a rewire!

The other lights not working, is this because the live wire is on a loop, from one socket to the next to the next? I Might not be using the correct terms, forgive my americaness and the fact I am a woman! ha joookes...

 

[EFLImpudence]

Also - If when you have done the light switch

some of the lights in other rooms only work when this light switch is on then remove the marked red wire and put it in the terminal with the other red.

 

[HaveNoClueUK]

Also - If when you have done the light switch

some of the lights in other rooms only work when this light switch is on then remove the marked red wire and put it in the terminal with the other red.

But theres 3 reds? so which red would the 3rd go with?

 

[EFLImpudence]

And what is the importance?(obviously to ground it) but what if it is not there,

With a fault things could become live rather than 'blow' the fuse.

what would the electrician do to "fix it"?

That depends.

The other lights not working, is this because the live wire is on a loop, from one socket to the next to the next?

SWITCH. I presume the loose wire is the supply to the next light.

I Might not be using the correct terms, forgive my americaness

That's ok

and the fact I am a woman! ha joookes...

I guessed that from your name.

 

[HaveNoClueUK]

And what is the importance?(obviously to ground it) but what if it is not there,

With a fault things could become live rather than 'blow' the fuse.

what would the electrician do to "fix it"?

That depends.

The other lights not working, is this because the live wire is on a loop, from one socket to the next to the next?

SWITCH. I presume the loose wire is the supply to the next light.

I Might not be using the correct terms, forgive my americaness

That's ok

and the fact I am a woman! ha joookes...

I guessed that from your name.

LMAO!

I can certainly say this has all made me feel loads better. I was ready to throw in the towel and just tear the house down as it was my last straw if the electrics couldn't be fixed without costing a load on money.

I really hope there is a second earth!

Will update tomorrow thanks everyone for the feed back!

 

[EFLImpudence]

Also - If when you have done the light switch

some of the lights in other rooms only work when this light switch is on then remove the marked red wire and put it in the terminal with the other red.

But theres 3 reds? so which red would the 3rd go with?

As I said first - put it in the terminal marked 'C' common.
Leave the two that are connected already.

Then if the other rooms (which aren't working now) only work when this switch is ON swap it to the other terminal.

 

[HaveNoClueUK]

Also - If when you have done the light switch

some of the lights in other rooms only work when this light switch is on then remove the marked red wire and put it in the terminal with the other red.

But theres 3 reds? so which red would the 3rd go with?

As I said first - put it in the terminal marked 'C' common.
Leave the two that are connected already.

Then if the other rooms (which aren't working now) only work when this switch is ON swap it to the other terminal.

Ok I got it now! Thanks again everyone

 

[HaveNoClueUK]

Just a quick double check...

At the socket, 2 black connected, 2 red connected, 1 earth connected, 1 earth to the back box?

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

If this is a standard socket outlet.
Connect the two earths (CPC) to the earth terminal on the outlet, if the outlet is metallic a third earth can be connected between outlet on back box.

 

[securespark]

Can I just clarify the situation? I'll use US terms to make you feel at home...

You say you have one ground wire in the outlet box connected to the socket and one to the box ground terminal itself?

Does the ground wire connected to the box ground terminal screw go up into the wall, or does it just hook up to the socket ground terminal?

If there are two ground wires coming out of the wall into the outlet box, then connect them both to the outlet's ground terminal, with a third to the box itself.

As a basic check to see if the property has a correctly wired circuit, if the breaker or fuse protecting the socket circuit is 30 or 32A (and is wired in the cable featured in the piccy), do the following:

With a two pole voltage detector, ensure power to the outlet is off, then separate the hot wires. Put a terminal block on each.

Re-apply the power, ensuring the outlet is made safe from inadvertent contact.

Now, using the TPVD, both hot wires should be showing a voltage (216-252V) between ground and hot and between neutral and hot.


Is there an RCD (GFCI) protecting the circuit?

And as for the missing wire in the switch, did connecting it make the other lights work?

If not, the wire may not be related to the power loss. Is there another switch position that may have operated the same light? It could be a disconnected switchwire.