Electrical socket is live but nothing works in it?

[Sleebagz]

I pulled out our washing machine to lift some old vinyl flooring from underneath it, unplugged the power cable and then when i was done plugged it back in and pushed the washing machine back under the work top..... only for it to stop working.

I've investigated, the washer works in another socket, so the problem lies with the socket it was plugged in to. There's some photos below.......

I tested the dodgy socket with an AC volt pen and it bleeps and lights up..... so it is live and getting power. So i changed the faceplate for a newer one to see if that would fix the issue..... it didn't.

I also plugged a small radio into it and the lead from the radio's plug to the radio bleeps and lights up showing voltage on the volt pen, but the radio also doesn't work.

To sum up, the socket bleeps as live, anything I plug into it shows as live on its cable/lead, but nothing actually works.

Can someone please tell an inexperienced DIYer with little knowledge of electrical jobs whats going on here? And how I can fix it?

Thank you!

Untitled

• Sleebagz
• 17 Apr 2015
• 1

Untitled

• Sleebagz
• 17 Apr 2015
• 1

Untitled

• Sleebagz
• 17 Apr 2015
• 1

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[Jackrae]

The live connection shows signs of heat damage. You need a new socket and cut back both live and neutral wires until all damaged insulation is removed and the copper shows no signs of heating.

Volt pens are slightly better than useless.

 

[plugwash]

Sounds like either a lost neutral (will light up a voltstick but nothing will work because there is no current to go) or a high resistance connection (will provide voltage when there is no load but the voltage drops away when a load is connected).

It's hard to tell from that photo but it looks like there may be heat damage to the cable. If so you need to cut it back to good wire and re-terminate (extending the wires if nessacery). There may also be a problem further back in the supply to the socket.

 

[EFLImpudence]

It looks like a 16mm. back box which will squash the wires.
This would not in itself stop it working but will not help.

 

[Sleebagz]

Sounds like either a lost neutral (will light up a voltstick but nothing will work because there is no current to go) or a high resistance connection (will provide voltage when there is no load but the voltage drops away when a load is connected).

It's hard to tell from that photo but it looks like there may be heat damage to the cable. If so you need to cut it back to good wire and re-terminate (extending the wires if nessacery). There may also be a problem further back in the supply to the socket.

Thanks for the replies. So in terms of 'cutting back' I presume you mean shorten the wires slightly and take some of the plastic covering off.

Not sure what you mean by re terminate (stick them back in the faceplate?) or lost neutral?

I've changed the faceplate for a new one as can be seen in the photo, so will try and cut the wires back and see if that makes any difference.

One last thing, why are there two neutral wires? One from the cable and one going to the rear metal housing for the socket?

 

[GSXRCarlos]

looks like you have face fixed wiring, can you trace the wiring back further and attempt to plug something in closer to the source?

 

[GSXRCarlos]

those are earth wires, not neutral.

try to think of wiring as a loop, with the live bringing the power and the neutral returning the power

a lost neutral suggest that the power has nowhere to 'return to'

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Thanks for the replies. So in terms of 'cutting back' I presume you mean shorten the wires slightly and take some of the plastic covering off.

Yes. If there is heat damage (looks like it) then you need to cut it back to before the point where the insulation is discoloured and before the point where the wire itself is discoloured and/or hard.

or lost neutral?

If for some reason there's no neutral supply to the socket then your magic wand will still light up but nothing will actually work because there would be no circuit.

One last thing, why are there two neutral wires? One from the cable and one going to the rear metal housing for the socket?

There aren't.

This is worrying - if you don't know the difference between earth and other wires you could have a real catastrophe.

PLEASE spend some time learning about circuits, house wiring etc.

• http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=electrical+circuits+101
  
  
• http://kevinboone.net/electricity.html
  
  
• http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=uk+domestic+house+wiring
  
  
• http://web.archive.org/web/20080213151445/http://www.kevinboone.com/domesticinstallations.html
  
  
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:books
  
  
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:index
  
  

 

[Sleebagz]

Sorry I wrote the wrong thing back there, I DO KNOW the yellow/greens are earths, it's because I had that 'lost neutral' thing in my head that must have made me write 'two neutral' wires.

Anyways thanks for the responses, I'll try cutting the wires back and see if that works, I'm hoping it will as there does seem to be some heat damage on the live.

Out of interest what causes this kind of heat damage?

 

[Monkeh]

A loose connection. Often between pin and socket, not the screw terminal.

 

[Sleebagz]

And the lost neutral scenario.... obviously there is a neutral wire on the socket and it is connected, so what is meant by the term 'lost'? Damaged?

 

[Taylortwocities]

It means that there is no, or an intermittent, connection of the neutral to the socket.

In your case, the over heating of the ends of the wires to the socket will cause a bad connection in the socket, so the current will not flow properly, when the wash machine is switched on.

Cut those conductors back to bright copper and connect up the new socket and you'll probably find its all OK again.

PS those voltage pens are next to useless. they will not show up problems with the neutral, and can lie to you about other things. If you plan to do electrical work then go buy a proper two-probe voltage tester, or multimeter.

 

[bernardgreen]

It looks that maybe the insulation on the Neutral goes into the terminal. Is the screw on the copper or on the insulation ?

 

[deadshort]

Have you checked the wiring at the supply end ?


DS

 

[Jackrae]

More importantly - have you switch off at the supply end !