22/07/2026
Earlier this week, I was called by a customer for loss of Power to one socket and 4 wall lights in the dining room. I agreed to attend Today and have a look....I don't think i was ready to find what I did 🙈
On arrival, there was a 3g switch with power to all 3 gangs, 1 powering the ceiling light but the 4 wall lights not working (2 lights off each switch) . The customer then mentioned about the one socket not working as well. I noticed some trunking low level from the socket going towards a fused spur which was turned off - GREAT! or so I thought. I turned the spur on, lights came on, and so did the socket. I then discovered that the socket had a neutral fault. customer explained that her late husband had done the wiring himself over 25 years ago.
Faults found
▪️The plugtop on a flex cable coming from the socket to the spur wired Live to supply, Neutral to Load, so stayed live when unplugged 😳🤣
▪️The socket with a neutral fault, found wall lights directly wired into this (neutral only), dual supply over 2 circuits not fused down to 3amp.
▪️1 wall light wired backwards (Live Neutral Reverse) . Once rectified, socket neutral fault disappeared.
Long story short, the customers husband had pinched a neutral from the socket to power the wall lights after a rodent had chewed through original light feed under the floorboards.
The only way this would have been found sooner would have been from a consumer board upgrade as sockets and lights on unprotected side of board.
Dodgy? Yes
Fixable? Also Yes.
I managed to undone all the customers husband diy mistakes and rectify power as normal.
That was a fun one to fault find 😎
