Sudden Lost of Neutral in 13amp Kitchen Ring Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[greengrass]

what would cause sudden loss of neutral in the kitchen 13am ring the kitchen has two separate circuit's one double one single and switched DP for dishwasher sockets show lost neutral. Opening a socket using a elec test screwdriver the neon light shows when put on Neutral why? When nothing seems to be working on this circuit.
The sockets fed from JB above cupboards the conductors are ok in place tight and no neon light shows on the tester placed on Neutral, obviously does on the LIVE. However, on and adjacent wall is another double socket with disconnected Neutral don’t know where this is fed from, but may be socket below which is working.
I am arranging change of CU wire fuse unit for plug in mcb’s so I can switch circuits off independent, currently have to turn whole lot off.
Many thanks Bob UK (Greengrass)

[Mr White]

Neon screwdrivers are known to give false impressions and to be not accurate. I would suggest you buy a multi-meter (They cost less than £20) and learn how to use it. As for the screwdriver, throw it in the bin.

20:14 26/11

[greengrass]

A follow up to my post Neutral lost in kitchen 13amp sockets.

Forgot to add what would the rough cost be of changing the CU its stand up job average height eye level. Cut and draw job through cavity wall if meter tails need replacing. Existing 8 fuses 2x 5amp 2 x 15am 4x 30amp re wire type pain in the butt, when replacing a damage socket, having to turn all off then go around after resetting everything effected by power loss.
Many thanks in advance.
I don't mess with elec I know it takes no prisoners. Any small permitted work on MY own property is checked and double checked.
Greengrass.

[Mr White]

The total cost will depend on several factors which need to be seen in person as well as other factors such as parking etc.
You would not have a leg to stand on if you were told it will cost £1k and the final cost is £2k.
Best get at least two quotes and compare.

[greengrass]

[quote="Mr White"]The total cost will depend on several factors which need to be seen in person as well as other factors such as parking etc.
You would not have a leg to stand on if you were told it will cost £1k and the final cost is £2k.
Best get at least two quotes and compare.[/quote]

I see where you're coming from. Now fixed camera see images
image of C.U boxed and image of side of bungalow. Where red car is parked is where side door to room the CU is in on wall between window and door with meter box outside under window.
Parking no problem where red car is is where the room the CU is on same wall as meter box outside below window. No cramped cupboard resulting in Electricians cramp. That will only happen in my wallet.

[BLAKEY1963]

Ah Mr greengrass hope you are well.
Get an electrician in to help you.

[Mr White]

Parking is just one of the factors often forgotten by folk who want quotes, as I said there are other things too, and also as I mentioned if you were told on any forum it will cost around £1k and the final cost is £2k, you can not expect to say

"A person who has only seen seen a picture or two, and has never been here said it will be £1k so your £2k price is wrong"

You still need to get at least two quotes from some one who visits site.

[ericmark]

The neutral loss first thing that comes to mind in a kitchen is either a switched FCU or some grid switches often labelled fridge, washer etc, gone faulty. Unlikely to loose neutral with a ring final as no switches to cause it to fail.

Neon screwdrivers are good tools for picking up faults like borrowed neutrals but are not really much good as a tester.

Don't recognise the fuse box, the Wilex has plug in replacements for the fuses, quite simple to change, around £11 each, really should be tested first, but unlikely to be a problem.

As to consumer unit change, first job is to test house, all too often there are faults which have been there for years, but without an RCD you just do not know the fault exists, so when the RCD is added also you need to correct existing faults.

I would be expecting over £500 for most houses which is around a days work and cost of parts. There is some options, cheap option is two RCD's covering whole house, better option is all RCBO's which means each circuit has it's own RCD.

This house has two consumer units, main one has two RCD's and a MCB not RCD protected feeding the kitchen consumer unit which has 4 RCBO's fitted. So there is an option to have say the sockets on RCBO's and the rest on two RCD's it is something to talk about with the electrician doing the work so adjusting the price for your pocket. The more the RCD's fitted (a RCBO is a RCD and MCB combined) the less likely they will trip for no reason.

I bit the bullet here after my mother put an extension lead in a bucket of water as she thought it was on fire when she saw the red neon, dementia had reached a stage where she could do silly things. In my own house RCD's were fitted years ago when my son passed his RAE at 14 years old to become a radio ham, he is now 40. My father-in-law still has no RCD protection.

Here in my mothers house the wiring was not good enough to use RCD's so to fit them needed a rewire, so it cost around £3500 to fit the new consumer unit, not cost of CU but cost of the rewire needed before it could be fitted, in my own house I still have old Wilex consumer units with the £11 MCB's fitted both feed from two RCD's in a separate box, but when fitted you could not buy consumer units with RCD's built in, would not do that today, in fact I have a new metal consumer unit ready to fit and turn three boxes into one box.

Last year I lost a freezer full of food due to the RCD tripping while away from the house. Lucky second freezer was on the other RCD so only lost one.