Hi, last year I had a new metal fuse box fitted. Today I am replacing ceiling lights. I disconnected the lighting in the box only to find all electrical sockets are on the same link and therefore disconnected at the same time. Should this happen? I thought they would be on a separate connection. Otherwise how can I use my drill also means all electrical appliances have to be disconnected whilst working on the light, ie, fridge freezer. Any advice welcome. Thank you.
Hello, Thank you for the replies. I have been told the 'qualified' electrician who fitted the new unit had mistakenly connected the wires for sockets and lights to the same place. They have now been sorted.
Thanks again.
Are you a tradesperson and able to answer this question?
Don’t quite understand your question? Do you mean the lighting and power are on the same circuit or RCD / MCB? If the lighting is on its own circuit just switch the mcb or Rcd off. If you disconnect the live without disconnecting the neutral and you touch the neutral and earth together the Rcd will trip even with the mcb switched off. As the mcb is single pole and the Rcd is double pole. Hope you turned the main switch on the con unit off first before you even took the lid off it! In fact, the main switch is dp also so you could use that. So to answer your question if the above scenario applies, yes it will trip, but I don’t quite understand your question, and working on a live consumer unit and disconnecting stuff is not good practice at all. If unsure get an electrician in.
Edit... but it took you to find out that this spark had connected it up wrong. I would be asking after that what else might be wrong.... or even right? Was he was a part p spark ( probably not). What did the circuit details on your certificate read as? This is such a basic error on his part, but if you are happy to do nothing more about it that’s entirely your decision.
Is your new consumer unit a split board like 3 and 3 or 4 and 4. Do you mean the lights are on the same side as the sockets. As above alittle difficult to diagnose without seeing it. Have you just switched Rcd trip off or taken cover off and taken out cables. As with board still live this could cause serious injury.
