Line and neutral Cables

[DodgySailor]

What can happen if I instal an electric apliance with the Neutral and Line cables changed? I just realized that a few of those in my rented flat do have this problem. What do I do? do I start going one by one and make things right or is it OK to just ignore it and go to the pub instead?
Thanks

 

[JohnD]

some appliances have a on/off swtch. or a thermostat, that only breaks the P. So if it is wired wrong, it will still be live when switched off.

however, if you mean that it is wrongly wired at the plug, this can be very dangerous. in the event of a fault, the fuse will blow, but the appliance will still be live.

 

[DodgySailor]

****! thanks but how can I know with a simple polimeter which one is live?

 

[JohnD]

what's a polimeter?

what has led you to suspect incorrect wiring?

where do you suspect the error to be?

 

[DodgySailor]

Sorry, I meant a Tester. I rewired the shower pump with a friend of mine and he told me that the cables were wired incorrectly. The guy who was living there made all the electrics and I am a bit worried.

 

[JohnD]

... the cables were wired incorrectly. ...

do you mean at the appliance, behind the sockets, or at the consumer unit?

I would be inclined to start at the beginning and look at the insulation colours at each point

otherwise there might be compensating errors

you may need to think about calling a professional to inspect and test.

If you have a multimeter you should expect about 240v between P and N and between P and E, and about nil to (say) 12v between N and E. This will depend on your installations earthing method. You should expect about 0v between E and your water pipes and gas pipes, and also the metal casings of all appliances such as cooker, fridge, washing machine, shower.

post some pics of all the cables around your meter, consumer unit, company fuse and incoming supply to give us an idea of what you've got.

you can get a plug-in tester with 3 or 4 neons to show incorrect connections, but they only identify very gross errors, and do not detect poor connections or crossed N and E.

 

[DodgySailor]

The problem wes in the appliance but some of the sockets may have the same issue. I will check this weekend. But I think I will have enought with your tips. Do not feel like calling an electrician...Thanks a lot John!