Issue after pulling sockets to paint

[RCMCJD]

Hey,

I lifted a few sockets from a wall so I could paint without having to cut in around them.

When re-fitting them I noticed one was a very tight fit (3 cables stuffed in to a shallow 25mm knock box. End of the ring and an extra socket coming off it?). I was a bit wary pushing it in thinking it might damage/loosen a wire but went ahead as it’d been in there previously. Then I switched the ring back on at the consumer unit.

All seemed fine but I noticed every ten or fifteen mins my lights (separate circuit) were dimming temporarily.

I immediately turned the mains ring off at the consumer unit to see if the problem persisted which it didn’t.

I then pulled the sockets again to check the wiring was all okay and whilst I was at it I chiselled out some more brick to fit a deeper knock box. I also stripped the wires back so they were fresh.

The problem is still there when I have that ring on at the consumer unit.

I’ve been round and checked every socket on that ring to make sure all connections are tight.

I also removed those sockets from the ring and completed it with wagos temporarily to eliminate the prospect of faulty sockets.

Anyway, I’ve got the ring off at the consumer unit now and an electrician potentially coming over the weekend to investigate.

I’m just curious if anybody has any idea what the fault is likely to be. Nothing is tripping at the consumer unit.

I wonder if I’ve damaged a neutral wire further up the cable by stuffing it in to such a shallow knock box.

PS the problem exists even when all sockets on the ring are turned off and nothing plugged in to them.

 

[sparkwright]

If you loosened the sockets off to paint the room, wouldn't you have loosened the light switch off too?

 

[RCMCJD]

Hey, I only did one wall as it’s double height ceilings and i’m getting on a bit now. Not got to the wall with a light switch on yet!

Literally all I pulled was two double sockets.

 

[terryplumb]

Does every light fitting ,in every room ,on the lighting circuit flicker ?
You told us that the problem didn't persist when ring circuit was turned off

I immediately turned the mains ring off at the consumer unit to see if the problem persisted which it didn’t.
PS the problem exists even when all sockets on the ring are turned off and nothing plugged in to them.

And then contradicted the earlier statement.
Was this just a typo ?

 

[RCMCJD]

Does every light fitting ,in every room ,on the lighting circuit flicker ?
You told us that the problem didn't persist when ring circuit was turned off

And then contradicted the earlier statement.
Was this just a typo ?

Hey I think I’ve just worded it poorly sorry about that.

If I turn the ring on at the consumer unit but have each individual socket empty and switched off at the sockets the problem persists. It only stops when the ring is off fully at the consumer unit.

All my lighting throughout is on one circuit (apartment with little lighting) and yes all the lights dim for approx quarter of a second then return to normal.

 

[bernardgreen]

If all lights dim then it is possible that the supply voltage to your apartment is dipping for that quarter of a second.

This dip can be caused by a motor in a refrigerator starting up or similar transient load on the supply to the apartment. It might be in your apartment or it might be something on the local supply network.

 

[Taylortwocities]

End of the ring

Me no understand that - Rings dont have an end.....

 

[Murdochcat]

Loose neutral in service head? Or consumer unit?

 

[JohnW2]

Me no understand that - Rings dont have an end.....

Sort-of true, but that doesn't seem to stop us often telling people that there theoretically can be problems if too much load is connected "close to one end of the ring"

'Seriously, though', I suspect what the OP was describing was the 'end socket' - i.e. the one closest to the CU (on one arm), and hence with a direct connection to the CU.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ebee]

Sort-of true, but that doesn't seem to stop us often telling people that there theoretically can be problems if too much load is connected "close to one end of the ring"

'Seriously, though', I suspect what the OP was describing was the 'end socket' - i.e. the one closest to the CU (on one arm), and hence with a direct connection to the CU.

Kind Regards, John

Oh yes the do! rings do have an end! well sort of if you know what I mean LOL

 

[bernardgreen]

Oh yes the do! rings do have an end!

Oh no they don't. But they do have a ""supply injection point"" ( or words to that effect ).

 

[ebee]

Thank you Bernard