Electrics keep tripping

Haigy
Haigy Posts: 3 Newbie
in In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving
A little back story my lads room has a single socket in. I replaced and went to a double screwed to wall all working well he managed to knock it off the wall and theback plate broke i thought id glue it back to wall bit of gorilla glue do the trick so its stuck to wall. Now the electric can go days without tripping or every hour itl trip.

Could it be the glue no other electrical work has been done and it only started when i did the glue trick.

Comments

  • Ebe_Scrooge
    Ebe_Scrooge Posts: 7,320 Forumite
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    edited 6 December 2019 at 2:54PM
    The most obvious cause would be that one of the wires has come loose from the terminal inside the socket. Switch off the power to that circuit, remove the faceplate and check that all 3 wires are secured firmly into their terminals. Also check that the wires - in particular the insulation - haven't been damaged.

    Glue isn't really the best solution for the broken backplate - you'd be better replacing it with a new one. They're not expensive - even if you can't get a backplate on its own, a whole new socket is only a couple of quid. Is it really worth risking it when you're dealing with electricity ? Especially if it's in a child's bedroom.
  • ianto11
    ianto11 Posts: 251 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    Is the back box one of these
    If so, the knock it's had to break it has probably stressed something on the socket faceplate.....swap both out.....under a fiver
  • Haigy
    Haigy Posts: 3 Newbie
    It is 1 of them ianto without the earth screw bit il go get a bew 1 this afternoon n swap it out cheers guys
  • Ebe_Scrooge
    Ebe_Scrooge Posts: 7,320 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    Haigy wrote: »
    It is 1 of them ianto without the earth screw bit il go get a bew 1 this afternoon n swap it out cheers guys

    Wait ... What ??? You've got a socket with no earth terminal ???? Never heard of such a thing. You'll sometimes get light fittings that don't need an earth, but a socket should ALWAYS be properly earthed. With the greatest respect, are you sure you really know what you're doing ? And if there's no earth wire present to attach to the socket, please PLEASE get an electrician to look at at, something is very wrong.
  • Belenus
    Belenus Posts: 2,549 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    Is there an earth socket on the faceplate along with the live and neutral?

    The last time I fitted a new double socket there was no earth on the plastic pattress box.

    All the wires attached to the faceplate.
    A man walked into a car showroom.
    He said to the salesman, “My wife would like to talk to you about the Volkswagen Golf in the showroom window.”
    Salesman said, “We haven't got a Volkswagen Golf in the showroom window.”
    The man replied, “You have now mate".
  • Belenus
    Belenus Posts: 2,549 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    edited 9 December 2019 at 4:34PM
    Haigy, is it a spur/radial or part of a ring circuit?

    If it is a spur/radial it should have three wires, live, neutral and earth.

    If it is part of a ring circuit it should have 6 wires.

    2 x live, 2 x neutral and 2 x earth, each trio connecting to the next sockets in the ring.

    It might even have 9 wires if it is part of a ring circuit and also feeding a spur.


    Don't mess with electricity unless you are certain that you know exactly what you are doing and frankly, it doesn't really sound as if you do.

    £30/£50 for an electrician is a bargain compared to a fire, severe shock or worse.
    A man walked into a car showroom.
    He said to the salesman, “My wife would like to talk to you about the Volkswagen Golf in the showroom window.”
    Salesman said, “We haven't got a Volkswagen Golf in the showroom window.”
    The man replied, “You have now mate".
  • Dan-Dan
    Dan-Dan Posts: 5,272 Forumite
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    Darwinism :eek:
    Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.
  • Ebe_Scrooge
    Ebe_Scrooge Posts: 7,320 Forumite
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    Dan-Dan wrote: »
    Darwinism :eek:

    Must admit, I did have my doubts right from the start, with the comment about using glue to fix a broken socket .......
  • Dan-Dan
    Dan-Dan Posts: 5,272 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    Ironically Gorilla Glue costs about the same as a new socket
    Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.
  • ianto11
    ianto11 Posts: 251 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    Ebe_Scrooge wrote: »
    Wait ... What ??? You've got a socket with no earth terminal ???? Never heard of such a thing. You'll sometimes get light fittings that don't need an earth, but a socket should ALWAYS be properly earthed. With the greatest respect, are you sure you really know what you're doing ? And if there's no earth wire present to attach to the socket, please PLEASE get an electrician to look at at, something is very wrong.

    With respect the OP didn't say that the socket didn't have an earth connection, only the pattress box he has, all SP and DP sockets have the L, N and E required connections on the socket faceplate
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