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- 11 Jan 2004
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Sorry, guys, no pix today, but I had a call to a customer & the fault was given as "plug live when removed".
When I arrived the lady explained that a guy sworking on the boiler had unplugged something adjacent to the boiler & got a shock off the plugtop.
I found a three gang socket under the worktop with three plugs in. One for the boiler on the left, one for the fridge on the right & a third in the middle.
I initially thought it may be a case of the boiler being fed from two different supplies.
After isolating the supply, I carefully removed the left-hand (boiler) plugtop & checked it with a volt stick. I then made it safe before laying it aside.
After re-instating the supply, I checked the removed plug again and found no sign of voltage present. Inserting a Martindale, I found the socket live.
So I repeated the above process with the right hand (fridge) plugtop. Again, no sign of life in the plugtop and again, the socket was found to be live.
Repeated again with the third plugtop. This time, there was signs of life but no voltage present at the socket. So I locked off once more & opened up the three gang socket.....
Nothing was attached to the rear of the socket at all!
The feed was provided via a flex terminated into a plug top which was then plugged into the socket, thus making the others live...
First, I find neutrals terminated in an earth busbar, now this!!
Two firsts in 20 odd years of sparking experience!
When I arrived the lady explained that a guy sworking on the boiler had unplugged something adjacent to the boiler & got a shock off the plugtop.
I found a three gang socket under the worktop with three plugs in. One for the boiler on the left, one for the fridge on the right & a third in the middle.
I initially thought it may be a case of the boiler being fed from two different supplies.
After isolating the supply, I carefully removed the left-hand (boiler) plugtop & checked it with a volt stick. I then made it safe before laying it aside.
After re-instating the supply, I checked the removed plug again and found no sign of voltage present. Inserting a Martindale, I found the socket live.
So I repeated the above process with the right hand (fridge) plugtop. Again, no sign of life in the plugtop and again, the socket was found to be live.
Repeated again with the third plugtop. This time, there was signs of life but no voltage present at the socket. So I locked off once more & opened up the three gang socket.....
Nothing was attached to the rear of the socket at all!
The feed was provided via a flex terminated into a plug top which was then plugged into the socket, thus making the others live...
First, I find neutrals terminated in an earth busbar, now this!!
Two firsts in 20 odd years of sparking experience!
