Socket not working

[ARW]

Hopefully enough description in this so Brian can understand at it's all pictures and a video.

So a socket is not working and when I plug in the socket tester there is no response at all but the volt stick is live at all points on the socket.

So I remove the socket front and inside I find the earth is not connected.

I reconnect the earth and the socket tester says no neutral (as expected). I trace the cable to this broken JB.

Which has three earths twisted together and not in a terminal plus the earth core of a flex wrapped around the screw holding the JB to the wooden frame. There is also the fact that someone had removed a cable at some point buy using snips instead of a screwdriver. And the flex fed an unearthed socket.

No neutral at the JB so I trace the incoming cable to this socket

The neutral has fallen out of the socket and the backbox has rusted away to nothing.

So time to turn the power off at this nice fuse board.

Just keep your fingers clear of the exposed live parts as some bits of the cover are missing including one over the main switch.

[Owain Lastname]

Have they actually built the wall over the left of that fuseboard?

Can you tell us where it is?

My guess is either pub or farmhouse. If you tell me it's one of your ambulance stations I shall be very disappointed.

Owain

[ARW]

Someone has insulated the inside wall over the fuseboard (not the new owner)

Its a private house but IMHO would have been a farmhouse many years ago.

No idea where I was:-)

[GB]

And, that's all they called you in about? A socket not working?

Did you ask them what they thought of the fuse box (which it is) and all the exposed bits?

[williamwright]

Good grief Adam, you don't half find yourself in some grotty places!

Bill

[Chris Green]

So how is a 'private house' different from a 'farmhouse'? :-)

[ARW]

No.

No.

[Scott]

Usually when the farm is redeveloped into housing?

[williamwright]

The amount of mud on the floor.

Bill

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

That sounds like a combination of that well known company, Bodgit and Run and the rigours of time damp and general lack of attention. A friend of mine is trying to trace an intermittent short in his downstairs ring. Its that old 1930s wiring that goes hard and brittle when its near the sockets, and the way its been wired has about as much predictability as a random number generator. Its bound to be in the part you can't get at because the room is full of junk. I just hope his house does not burn down, since he seems loathe to shell out and get it rewired. Brian

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

Well I guess that depends on whether the farm still exists around it. Brian

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

I remember when we first moved into this 1930s terraced house, the light in the box room would sometimes only come on if you poked the ceiling with a broom handle in a specific place. I really do hope most properties by this time have non perishable insulation oven their wiring, but as my previous message shows, it seems that they don't. Its very worrying in a semi or terraced property, since the actions, or inactions, of the residents in one house could easily cause damage to the other houses. Brian

[Tim Lamb]

In message <sm2p4t$3pq$ [e-mail], "Brian Gaff (Sofa)" [e-mail]> writes

The first repair instrument used on a farm is usually a claw hammer! Things moved up market with the introduction of electric fencing where the repair choice is what sort of knot to use:-)

[GB]

We have a tumble dryer which we have to hit in just the right place to get it to start. I'd have to take it all apart to find the faulty interlock, and hitting it works, so ...

Hardly ever use it, anyway.

[Scott]

My washing machine needs a knee in the door handle to get it started. I am hoping this is mechanical not electrical and therefore safe. Should I be getting it looked at?

[John Brown]

Scott [e-mail]> wrote

No need, its safe even if it is electrical/the door interlock.

[Ian Jackson]

In message [e-mail]>, John Brown [e-mail] writes

Mine also needs the knee. So did one at a holiday cottage I stayed at. I guess it's a fairly common 'feature'!

[bert]

In article [e-mail]>, Tim Lamb [e-mail]> writes

Baler twine.

[Peter James]

The farmers friends, baler twine and a length of alkathene water pipe. Peter

[Andrew]

A real farmhouse *never* has a "farmhouse" kitchen :-)