Doing a decorating job at my daughter's house and removed the sockets. I
found that one of them had an additional neutral. From looking at the signs
of channelling in the walls I believe it is from the wall lights circuit.
Obviously the previous owner took the live feed from the switch and the
neutral from the socket.

Incorrect - yes - but I can't see it as being dangerous as all the neutrals
are connected to a common bus block in the consumer unit.

Any views?

John

In article ,
"john" writes:
Doing a decorating job at my daughter's house and removed the sockets. I
found that one of them had an additional neutral. From looking at the signs
of channelling in the walls I believe it is from the wall lights circuit.
Obviously the previous owner took the live feed from the switch and the
neutral from the socket.

Incorrect - yes - but I can't see it as being dangerous as all the neutrals
are connected to a common bus block in the consumer unit.

Any views?

It is dangerous, and not allowed.
Someone doing some work on the ring circuit (like you are)
might quite reasonably expect it to be safe when the fuse/MCB
is disabled, but if that light is switched on, they could be
electrocuted by contact with a neutral wire.

--
Andrew Gabriel

john wrote in message ...
Doing a decorating job at my daughter's house and removed the sockets. I
found that one of them had an additional neutral. From looking at the signs
of channelling in the walls I believe it is from the wall lights circuit.
Obviously the previous owner took the live feed from the switch and the
neutral from the socket.

Incorrect - yes - but I can't see it as being dangerous as all the neutrals
are connected to a common bus block in the consumer unit.

Any views?

John


Positively lethal.
Someone decides to upgrade the ring main; they disconnect both ends from the C.U. then switch back on so that the other
circuits are still usable. Someone switches-on the wall lights - they don't work but the switch is left on. At that
point, all neutral conductors in the disconnected ring main are live.
--
Stephen Chalmers

"john" wrote in message
...
Doing a decorating job at my daughter's house and removed the sockets. I
found that one of them had an additional neutral. From looking at the
signs of channelling in the walls I believe it is from the wall lights
circuit. Obviously the previous owner took the live feed from the switch
and the neutral from the socket.

Incorrect - yes - but I can't see it as being dangerous as all the
neutrals are connected to a common bus block in the consumer unit.

Any views?

As well as the safety issues raised, if at some point a split consumer unit
is added, protecting the sockets with an RCD, and the lights with either a
different RCD or just an MCB, then the RCD(s) will trip as soon as the light
is switched on!

Sparks...