electric gone tdue to plaster

[philipcooper]

my uncle has just dot and dabbed and plastered my kitchen the down stairs socket and cooker are making my electrics trick after a day they can come on for abit then trip is it possible the plasterbeing wewt that it is makin it trip.?

 

[JohnD]

It's possible, but more likely a combination of dirt and moisture.

From what you say I take it you mean the RCD is tripping? Does it still happen if you turn off the MCB for the affected circuit? If you mean the MCB is tripping this suggests a more severe problem.

If you are confident with minor electrical work, turn off the power and take off the switch and socket faceplates and brush out or wipe off any grime - you can also leave them open for a bit to dry out. Test that the circuits are dead before you touch them.

Also make sure no wires are touching the metal back boxes, except for the green-and-yellow sheathed earth wire. One cause of trips can be a cable caught by a screw or against the box, e.g. when tightening them back into place.

Is there any chance a screw or nail into the wall could have gone into a buried cable?

 

[philipcooper]

It's possible, but more likely a combination of dirt and moisture.

From what you say I take it you mean the RCD is tripping? Does it still happen if you turn off the MCB for the affected circuit? If you mean the MCB is tripping this suggests a more severe problem.

If you are confident with minor electrical work, turn off the power and take off the switch and socket faceplates and brush out or wipe off any grime - you can also leave them open for a bit to dry out. Test that the circuits are dead before you touch them.

Also make sure no wires are touching the metal back boxes, except for the green-and-yellow sheathed earth wire. One cause of trips can be a cable caught by a screw or against the box, e.g. when tightening them back into place.

Is there any chance a screw or nail into the wall could have gone into a buried cable?

well thats why i was ruleing this out first because he nailed the boards to the wall

 

[philipcooper]

From what you say I take it you mean the RCD is tripping? Does it still happen if you turn off the MCB for the affected circuit? If you mean the MCB is tripping this suggests a more severe problem.


no

 

[JohnD]

Is that "no" to question 1 or 2?

 

[philipcooper]

Is that "no" to question 1 or 2?

no to number 1 and i am not sure about 2

 

[JohnD]

If it's not the RCD that's tripping then it probably isn't moisture.

If it's the MCBs that are tripping it's more likely a short in the cable caused by a nail. The nail head may be live.

This may go off after a while as the cable and the nail melt or burn away. There may be a smell of burning.

Have you got a multimeter?

 

[philipcooper]

If it's not the RCD that's tripping then it probably isn't moisture.

If it's the MCBs that are tripping it's more likely a short in the cable caused by a nail. The nail head may be live.

This may go off after a while as the cable and the nail melt or burn away. There may be a smell of burning.

Have you got a multimeter?

when u say MCB is that the seperate 32 amp fuses where u can turn them off seperate for e.g down socket,up sockets

 

[JohnD]

Yes.

 

[philipcooper]

Yes.

ok i understand i have got one but dont know how to use it

 

[philipcooper]

we have plastered over the main water pipe with the earth cable non could it be that

 

[securespark]

Give me strength...

The regulations say that the bonding to the water pipe must be accessible for inspection & testing purposes. How do you propose to access it if you've plastered it over?

 

[dingbat]

my uncle has just dot and dabbed and plastered my kitchen...

And he used nails? That isn't dot & dab. And he plastered over your bonding connection? Did he say something like, "Oh, that? That's just an earth... it doesn't do anything." While he was about it did he make any other comments such as, "I don't know why electricians and plumbers make so much fuss about all those exams they have to take." or "Chippies? What do they know? They just bang a few nails in." or "Bricklaying? Piece of pish!" or "Kitchen fitting? Nowt to it!"

If so, then he's just as clued up as every plasterer I've ever met. Now you need an electrician to un-break whatever he's broken.

(By the way, I don't do plastering. I don't have the skill... but at least I recognise it and don't claim otherwise.)

 

[JohnD]

OK. I think it is quite likely there is a nail through a cable. Sadly this may mean that some of the new plastering has to come off. Never mind about the bad-tempered comments for the moment.

Just to check:

It is the MCB that is tripping, and this is happening for your cooker circuit and for your downstairs sockets? If it is a Cooker circuit then it ought to have its own MCB (usually at 32 amps (sometimes 40A if a big one). The sockets should be on a 32A ring. You will find that the MCB(s) are marked "B32" or "B40" or similar on the fronts. Is it two MCBs that are tripping, or only one? If you have an RCD, it will be twice the size, and will have a "T" or "Test" button on it. I understand that it is not an RCD that is tripping. Have I got that right? Please confirm.


Then we can move onto the next step of tracing and fixing it.

Alternatively, if you or your uncle are in the building trade, do either of you know a reliable local electrician - he might be able to find and fix it in next to no time.

 

[philipcooper]

i gathered that it had been hit by a nail so on the first day he done one half of the wall and the electrics was fine then on the second day he done the second then the electric went.so there was only 2 sockets on that wall so after checking all the sockets i decided to go with he had hit it with a nail i started to channel out the first socket and luckily on the first one i found it had been hit with a nail and i replaced the section what had been hit with new cable using connection blocks is that ok using connections blocks insted of crimping (spellin)?