light on a tester screwdriver from light earth wire

[bosco72]

light on a tester screwdriver from light earth wire on a light switch, that in turn is give a light on the back box and screws.

I have looked at all the switches and light fittings that are in the circuit no loose connections with wires, nothing perished, also not sure of how much power is going to the earth or even if this is normal spike? For limited saftey i have tapped up all the exposed screws on the covers and only put the lights on in that loop when needed.

I now have a multi meter but have no idea how to use it? Can i put it to volts wavy line ac 200 and then put the red prong to the suspect earth wire then the black prong to what? To get a proper reading?

I recently swapped a light switch out that i thought might be faulty as i had a none working light, i swapped everything like for like, and the light is working, i only noticed the feedback from the screws because i used a tester screwdriver to put the cover back on, could this have been like this for a long time? Could i have wired this up in such a way that it would cause this? Nothing visable is touching any of the back boxes and earth wires in the loop? And nothing else has been done in the house, could it be something done in a next door house?

An electrician will be called to fault find and give it a health check? But until i can get one to come out i would like to do some diagnostics and try and make it safe or discover that the feedback or charge going to the wire is not lethal or could cause any damage.

Thanks for any advice in advance, please make any explanations simple and in laymans, i have watched a ton of youtube and read lots on this, and they all seem to go off on a tangent.

 

[winston1]

Probably the earth is not connected and you are picking up capacitive coupling.

Re multimeter why would you put it on a 200 volt range to measure something that is likely to be 240 volts?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

light on a tester screwdriver

What sort of "tester screwdriver"?

also not sure of how much power is going to the earth or even if this is normal spike?

It's not a spike, is it? You're seeing it all the time, aren't you?

For limited saftey i have tapped up all the exposed screws on the covers and only put the lights on in that loop when needed.

So you don't see it on all your lighting circuits?

What about socket circuits?

I now have a multi meter but have no idea how to use it?

Did it not come with instructions?

could this have been like this for a long time?

Depends what "this" is, but yes,

Could i have wired this up in such a way that it would cause this?

Yes.

could it be something done in a next door house?

Not if the problem (if there is one) is only on 1 circuit.

An electrician will be called to fault find and give it a health check?

I don't know, and nobody else here does, but I would hope so.

Thanks for any advice in advance, please make any explanations simple and in laymans, i have watched a ton of youtube and read lots on this, and they all seem to go off on a tangent.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=multimeter+101

Although....

Given that you don't know how to use your meter, say things like "Can i put it to volts wavy line ac 200 and then put the red prong to the suspect earth wire then the black prong to what?" and can't understand anything you've found online I would strongly advise against trying to learn on circuits carrying lethal voltages.

 

[bosco72]

light on a tester screwdriver

What sort of "tester screwdriver"? Neon - i understand that they are rubbish, from reading on this forums

also not sure of how much power is going to the earth or even if this is normal spike?

It's not a spike, is it? You're seeing it all the time, aren't you? When tested on the eon its there all the time, when tested on the meter, it starts off say at a 00.4 and drops to 00.1 - that with the meter set to ac 200 and red probe on the faceplate screw and the black probe touching a metal surface, as i said not sure if this will give a correct reading.

For limited saftey i have tapped up all the exposed screws on the covers and only put the lights on in that loop when needed.

So you don't see it on all your lighting circuits? No only the one that contains three connect switches, other lights seem not to show this.

What about socket circuits? No they seem fine

I now have a multi meter but have no idea how to use it?

Did it not come with instructions? Basic instructions, like place the black probe on the earth wire, but im trying to test that so where do i go from there?

could this have been like this for a long time?

Depends what "this" is, but yes,

Could i have wired this up in such a way that it would cause this?

Yes. If this is the case then i suspect that the electrician will easily spot this.

could it be something done in a next door house?

Not if the problem (if there is one) is only on 1 circuit.

An electrician will be called to fault find and give it a health check?

I don't know, and nobody else here does, but I would hope so.

Thanks for any advice in advance, please make any explanations simple and in laymans, i have watched a ton of youtube and read lots on this, and they all seem to go off on a tangent.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=multimeter+101

I will take a look, thanks

Although....

Given that you don't know how to use your meter, say things like "Can i put it to volts wavy line ac 200 and then put the red prong to the suspect earth wire then the black prong to what?" and can't understand anything you've found online I would strongly advise against trying to learn on circuits carrying lethal voltages.

i do understand some of it and i was trying to be visually descriptive so it was clear on what i was doing, and prong was a mistake, i know its a probe. Im just not confident that my readings are correct.

I confident enough to care about killing myself - i have changed many switches and light fittings and power sockets, I'm ok when swapping out like for like.

 

[bosco72]

Probably the earth is not connected and you are picking up capacitive coupling.

Re multimeter why would you put it on a 200 volt range to measure something that is likely to be 240 volts?

There are three switches in the circuit, 2xdouble and 1xsingle if one earth is not connected would this cause captive coupling?

The meter has two ac settings, 600 and 200, if i have it at 600 i get no reading at all.

But they way I'm doing is putting the red probe on the earth and the black probe on a metal contact, like a screw in door, or a hinge - not sure if this is right.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Please get an electrician.

• http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=electrical+circuits+101
  
  
• http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=multimeter+101

 

[bosco72]

Please get an electrician.

• http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=electrical+circuits+101
  
  
• http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=multimeter+101

I have already stated i am getting an electrician, also thanks for showing me how to use google. Its almost like there are no forums to chat to friendly helpful people. Its a good job we only have google to use.

 

[DaftPunk]

To get a reading which tells you what is going on, you need to connect one probe to a reliable earth, and the other probe to whatever you are testing.

The reliable earth could be a earth on a nearby socket, assuming this is not suffering the same problem as your lights appear to be, it could be a wire connected to the main earth terminal at you fuse box, again assuming you have one, or as a last resort, a piece of metal hammered into the ground outside with a wire running from it to where you're working.

 

[winston1]

But they way I'm doing is putting the red probe on the earth and the black probe on a metal contact, like a screw in door, or a hinge - not sure if this is right.

It certainly isn't.

Put one probe on your dodgy earth, and the other on a good earth such as one of your sockets.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The meter has two ac settings, 600 and 200, if i have it at 600 i get no reading at all.

And if you set it to 200V, and then give it 240V, what do you think might happen?

But they way I'm doing is putting the red probe on the earth and the black probe on a metal contact, like a screw in door, or a hinge - not sure if this is right.

How can you possibly, possibly, possibly have a voltage between your lighting circuit and a door hinge?

I have already stated i am getting an electrician, also thanks for showing me how to use google. Its almost like there are no forums to chat to friendly helpful people. Its a good job we only have google to use.

The thing is, you know nothing.

You know nothing about electricity. And you must know you don't.

You have no idea what voltage is. And you must know you haven't.

You don't know what a circuit is. And you must know you don't.


Nothing wrong with not knowing any of that - if you've never had occasion to learn, then why should you know?

But this is not the right venue to learn, and blundering about with an electrical installation which contains voltages which can, and will if you give them a chance, kill you is not the right environment to experiment in.

People here who are telling you to put this probe there and that one here when they know you don't have the first clue as to why are not helping you, they are being grossly irresponsible and putting you in harms way.

Please leave it for the electrician.

i have changed many switches and light fittings and power sockets, I'm ok when swapping out like for like.

And please stop doing that.

The ONLY safe and acceptable basis on which to do electrical work is a full and genuine understanding of what's going on and what you're doing. Just copying how things are connected without truly understanding why is foolish.

• http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=uk+house+wiring+(basics+OR+101)
  
  
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:books
  
  
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:index
  
  

 

[bosco72]

To get a reading which tells you what is going on, you need to connect one probe to a reliable earth, and the other probe to whatever you are testing.

The reliable earth could be a earth on a nearby socket, assuming this is not suffering the same problem as your lights appear to be, it could be a wire connected to the main earth terminal at you fuse box, again assuming you have one, or as a last resort, a piece of metal hammered into the ground outside with a wire running from it to where you're working.

Thanks a lot, this is exactly the info i was looking for, much appreciated. I have nothing near by to get that earth. I just wanted to get some readings. But if i cant achieve that, then thats fine also, could i plug an extension into a plug socket and use that earth?

I'm not risking injury or worse to save a bit of money, i will defo get someone to look at it in the next couple of days.

 

[bosco72]

The meter has two ac settings, 600 and 200, if i have it at 600 i get no reading at all.

And if you set it to 200V, and then give it 240V, what do you think might happen?

But they way I'm doing is putting the red probe on the earth and the black probe on a metal contact, like a screw in door, or a hinge - not sure if this is right.

How can you possibly, possibly, possibly have a voltage between your lighting circuit and a door hinge?

I have already stated i am getting an electrician, also thanks for showing me how to use google. Its almost like there are no forums to chat to friendly helpful people. Its a good job we only have google to use.

The thing is, you know nothing.

You know nothing about electricity. And you must know you don't.

You have no idea what voltage is. And you must know you haven't.

You don't know what a circuit is. And you must know you don't.


Nothing wrong with not knowing any of that - if you've never had occasion to learn, then why should you know?

But this is not the right venue to learn, and blundering about with an electrical installation which contains voltages which can, and will if you give them a chance, kill you is not the right environment to experiment in.

People here who are telling you to put this probe there and that one here when they know you don't have the first clue as to why are not helping you, they are being grossly irresponsible and putting you in harms way.

Please leave it for the electrician.

i have changed many switches and light fittings and power sockets, I'm ok when swapping out like for like.

And please stop doing that.

The ONLY safe and acceptable basis on which to do electrical work is a full and genuine understanding of what's going on and what you're doing. Just copying how things are connected without truly understanding why is foolish.

• http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=uk+house+wiring+(basics+OR+101)
  
  
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:books
  
  
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:index
  
  

I get what you are saying and in some respects you are correct, but wow. I don't think you have any place in this forum or any forum with that attitude. People come on here to chat, the concept is simple and has been working for quite a while. They don't come on to be insulted and belittled. I will me making a full complaint.

 

[flameport]

could i plug an extension into a plug socket and use that earth?.

NO

If you select the wrong setting on your multimeter and/or plug the leads into the wrong sockets, then connect it to a live circuit, there is a high probability that the meter will explode in a ball of flames.

 

[bosco72]

But they way I'm doing is putting the red probe on the earth and the black probe on a metal contact, like a screw in door, or a hinge - not sure if this is right.

It certainly isn't.

Put one probe on your dodgy earth, and the other on a good earth such as one of your sockets.

Thanks for the info, much appreciated. I have decided to have someone look at the problem rather then risk any further problems. Maybe one day with helpful people like yourself i would gain a better understanding. And surely there is nothing wrong in that.

 

[bosco72]

could i plug an extension into a plug socket and use that earth?.

NO

If you select the wrong setting on your multimeter and/or plug the leads into the wrong sockets, then connect it to a live circuit, there is a high probability that the meter will explode in a ball of flames.

Im not planning on doing anything at this point. I was just asking the question out of curiosity.

As i said at the top of the thread, i will get someone in. As soon as possible, i just wanted to get some sound info to try and safely gage the situation.