Doing a decorating job at my daughter's house and removed the sockets. I found that one of them had an additional neutral. From looking at the signs of channelling in the walls I believe it is from the wall lights circuit. Obviously the previous owner took the live feed from the switch and the neutral from the socket.
Incorrect - yes - but I can't see it as being dangerous as all the neutrals are connected to a common bus block in the consumer unit.
Any views?
John
It is dangerous, and not allowed. Someone doing some work on the ring circuit (like you are) might quite reasonably expect it to be safe when the fuse/MCB is disabled, but if that light is switched on, they could be electrocuted by contact with a neutral wire.
Positively lethal. Someone decides to upgrade the ring main; they disconnect both ends from the C.U. then switch back on so that the other circuits are still usable. Someone switches-on the wall lights - they don't work but the switch is left on. At that point, all neutral conductors in the disconnected ring main are live.
-- Stephen Chalmers
As well as the safety issues raised, if at some point a split consumer unit is added, protecting the sockets with an RCD, and the lights with either a different RCD or just an MCB, then the RCD(s) will trip as soon as the light is switched on!
Sparks...
Yes! get it sorted. I had a problem with my original installation here. The builders, in their cheapskate mode, had connected the (two way switched) landing light to the downstairs live and the upstairs neutral. Knowing that the downstairs lights powered the landing light, I fitted flourescents in the loft to the landing light. All was fine until I needed t oremove a ceiling rose on the upstairs lighting circuit. The neutral when disconnected gave a big splash, and the loft lights went out -*and* *the* *neutral* *was* *LIVE!*
Get it sorted pronto!
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