Electric sockets

[checkmate]

I have feeling my sockets in my living room have some wiring issues, when i run sky my recordings are failing now and then, when i change sockets in different circuit via extension lead it all seems to run ok.

Sometimes when i am on laptop in living room and charging my aptop has a vibrating feeling on hand rest area.

I noticed 2 of my sockets have galvanized backs - do they need grounding or earthing? the sockets? The socket does have earth neutral and live but not the back plate it self. Should this also be grounded or earthed?

thanks in advance

 

[Taylortwocities]

Sounds like you may have an earthing issue. If your sockets have an earth connection then it's not absolutely necessary to earth the back box.

But, it doesn't mean there is an earth present, just because there's an earth wire there.

You could do a simple test using one of those cheap socket testers. But I would get an electrician to check it properly.

 

[bernardgreen]

Sometimes when i am on laptop in living room and charging my aptop has a vibrating feeling on hand rest area.

If the lap top power supply has only a two pin connection to the mains ( no Earth ) then the whole of the laptop circuitry will be floating with a potential to ground ( and bodies ) somewhere between Neutral ( 0v) and Live ( 230v ) This induced potential is capacitively coupled to exposed metal parts but as the capacitive coupling is very small ( hence high impedence ) the current that flows into the fingers is extremely small, creates a mild "tingle" ( feeling of vibration ) and, for all practical purposes, harmless .

That said when one device without an Earth is connected to another device without an Earth then the induced voltages can cause currents to flow along the cable(s) between devices and these currents can "tingle " a device and disrupt its operation.