kwc Posted December 16, 2008 Posted December 16, 2008 Hi All, Did a call today in which the panel (gardtec 595) was tripping during the unset period and reporting expander loss and tampers. System has been in for about 6 months after we took it over from a sparky. It has caused no problems until this week. After checking things i found that the feed into the spur had the live and neutral reversed. There was two spurs on the wall, One for the alarm and one unused ready for cameras. The first loop in went to the camera spur then out to the alrm spur.(Wired both lives to the live and two neutrals to the neutral). Then the loop came out and into the feed IN for the alarm spur. (wired LIVE to NEUTRAL and NEUTRAL to LIVE) to the loop out)! I corrected this and the voltages were now okay at the panel. How could this have been working? Kev
A-G Posted December 16, 2008 Posted December 16, 2008 Live & neutral being reversed will have no effect on the operation. I've been to houses with the incoming feed reverse polarity! ... but because it's ac it makes no difference, except for safety. If you reverse them the switching and overload protection will be on the neutral. . . . PM me for access to the SSAIB members discussion area.
kwc Posted December 16, 2008 Author Posted December 16, 2008 Live & neutral being reversed will have no effect on the operation. I've been to houses with the incoming feed reverse polarity! ... but because it's ac it makes no difference, except for safety. If you reverse them the switching and overload protection will be on the neutral. Obvious when i think about it (ac). Just got a fright when both fuses were out and my mains stick still glowed!
MatonTE1 Posted December 17, 2008 Posted December 17, 2008 Live & neutral being reversed will have no effect on the operation. I've been to houses with the incoming feed reverse polarity! ... but because it's ac it makes no difference, except for safety. If you reverse them the switching and overload protection will be on the neutral. Just to pick up on the overload protection on the neutral - whats the story where a panel has the internal mains termination block with the neutral going through the fuse,with the live being either 110 or 220/240 depending on which terminal you use (and obviously which tap of the transformer it goes through)?
Baracus Posted December 17, 2008 Posted December 17, 2008 I come across Live and Neutral reversed all the time, even in my own house when I first moved in!
hpotter Posted December 17, 2008 Posted December 17, 2008 Posted few months ago about a job where live & neutral reversed in the street - on a 1950's house. Been like it since it was built. Scary.
A-G Posted December 18, 2008 Posted December 18, 2008 Posted few months ago about a job where live & neutral reversed in the street - on a 1950's house. Been like it since it was built. Scary. When I was a sparky I went to a house and found L&N reversed at the mains. I phoned the supplier (Yorkshire Electricity Board, as it was back then), but they didn't seem very concerned and said they would get someone out tomorrow. I told them it was serious and I needed it done today as an urgent job but they refused so I told them I would cut their seal and reverse it myself. They threatened me with prosecution but I did it regardless and challenged them to prosecute ... but of course they didn't. My opinion was that having discovered the danger I had to either switch everything off or correct the problem. . . . PM me for access to the SSAIB members discussion area.
hpotter Posted December 18, 2008 Posted December 18, 2008 My opinion was that having discovered the danger I had to either switch everything off or correct the problem. Too right. The home I'm refering to the L & N was reversed literally out in the street since 1950s. They came & dug the pavement up. Still gives me the sweats. Immagine changing a light bulb, finger on N, where's the first fuse/breaker? Sub station?
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