"James Salisbury" wrote in message
...

"Sbharris[atsign]ix.netcom.com" wrote in message
oups.com...
I unplugged the lamp and tested the resistence between the live
pin on the mains plug and some exposed metal on the lamp. I got
no resistence reading at all (i.e. it must have been a very high
resistence). I then tested the neutral pin in the same way and
got the same high resistence result.

Many appliences ground the outside of metal appliance, which means it
should be in electrical contact with your neutral pin.

No, No, No.
Modern appliances with exposed metal parts will be connected to Earth.
This means it should be in contact with the EARTH pin.
NEVER connect exposed metal parts to neutral.

It may appear that the neutral wire has no voltage but this is not so. If a
short is placed between earth and neutral the RCD in your consumer unit will
trip. If it doesn't there is an earth fault. Get it seen to.

Roger