This is the second one that I've had in the house now...
Normal wall socket goes completely dead. If I use a multimeter to check the live coming into the back of the socket its fine, except the socket is now dead.
What the hell causes this? Do sockets/switches have internal fuses? I can't find one....
Checking with a multimeter will often give false results as it takes so little current.
Plug something like a table lamp into the socket with the top off the plug (taking all appropriate safety measures) and measure things then. By measuring from earth to both line and neutral it's possible to work out which is 'broken'. Of course the fault could be elsewhere. One of those plug in testers should also show the problem.
If it's a ring main, you've got more than one fault.
Sockets have no internal fuse.
Sockets can break or indeed be faulty when new. If all your sockets are identical makes and were all installed at the same time it could be a batch fault that causes more than one of them to fail in the same way.
I assume that the cable terminals at the back are tight? If so just swap the socket fronts as needed.
Adam
Isn't this rather rare?
Not on new Click sockets. About 1 in 100 that I install have no neutral to the left side of a double socket.
It is not unusual that a socket breaks. The terminals that the plug pins should make contact with can double up and get shoved back so that there is no connection made when a plug is inserted. It may have more to do with plug pins than a faulty socket, I do not know.
Maybe I read the post wrong, but I read it as a dead socket not a dead supply.
Adam
On Mon, 09 Aug 2004 18:33:24 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)" strung together this:
Yep, even when I used to fit cheapo crap in new houses there weren't many faulty items out of the thousands that we fitted. More likely old\worn sockets or a\some cable fault(s).
get a ring main tester ... it should help you narrow down the source of the fault
I suppose it's a stupid question, but why then use them? There are dozens of makes out there.
Probably a bad batch. I buy in bulk. No problems in exchanges.
Adam
All installed at the same time since we bought the house newly-build 4 years ago.
Swapped the socket front now and works fine...
Strangely enough this particular socket is NEVER unplugged since its behind the washing machine....
And yes, you're right, supply seems fine but socket is dead.
Ah well, there you go. "New-build" = large quantities of cheapo sockets to save money.
If your house is covered by a 10 year guarantee or something you should get the sockets done under that.
Do you mean NHBC 10 year warranty ?
I don't think things like sockets are covered by that. I was under the impression that this only covered 'serious' faults.
Is it really worth the hassle? The sockets themselves cost only a couple of pounds for good ones, they can be bought even cheaper. This is a 'DIY' group after all and changing a socket really is just a simple screwdriver job - plus of course making really sure you've turned the power off to the circuit in question.
True this is a DIY group. But if it's a bad batch of sockets, they might replace the whole lot to save you hassle in the future. DIY still takes time - if someone *else* is willing to pay....
...as to the point that it's not a *serious* fault you could claim the sockets are faulty in a non-understood way (which they are) - all electrical faults are regarded somewhere as serious!
Not true. You can still buy a Ford car ;-)
Adam
All right, all right! I guess I meant to add "if you make enough fuss and play the electrical safety/dumb householder card - anyway it's worth a try".
"Lurch" wrote | ROFLOFLMAOTIH etc...
Haven't seen that one before?
Rolls off futon lands on floor laughing my arse off todger in hand?
Owain
"Lurch" wrote | >| ROFLOFLMAOTIH etc... | >Haven't seen that one before? | >Rolls off futon lands on floor laughing my arse off todger in hand? | That'll do! |
I'll try and remember WCFKSAMDI for future use.
Owain
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