I was looking for where to moan but the site search function is not working.

 

Wife plugged into a wall socket she doesn't normally use. The receptacle popped out of its clip and disappeared into the box. I took the faceplate off, unscrewed the securing plate and wiggled the receptacle back into place. Then the light in the room wouldn't work. I had unknowingly loosened one of the wires from the back of somewhere. It is grey and comes from the switch so is it live or neutral? 

There are black and grey wires coming from the ceiling light but am I switching the live or neutral. Add to this the grey wire coming from the ceiling? is connected to the ground on the back of the socket. 

Looked into the ceiling fixture to try and ascertain the switching arrangement but the wires from the roof space into the fixture are red and black. W.T.F 

Add insult to injury i can't find my power finding screwdriver and am only using a multimeter so need live and neutral to get a reading and can't just touch a wire to discover "polarity" 

 

Just another moan about local electricians using any old piece of wire that is handy, regardless of colour.

Take a nap

12 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

It is grey and comes from the switch so is it live or neutral? 

Colors seems to indicate exactly nothing with Thai electricians. Any color can be anything. And only because blue is neutral in one socket doesn't mean the same applies to the next socket.

You can't even assume that yellow/green is earth. Maybe it is, maybe not!

Good to have a moan or 2.

If you buy a little pen like tester, it will beep, beep, beep when you are on a live wire. So if you have 2 wires going to a switch or socket, you can tell which cable is live and which is neutral. One will be beep, beep, beeping and the other will not.

????

Venting is for radiators, not electricity. ????

13 minutes ago, phetphet said:

Venting is for radiators, not electricity. ????

Wait until the smoke comes out. Then you have to vent. 

I thought this was going to be about needing an air vent...

48 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Just another moan about local electricians using any old piece of wire that is handy, regardless of colour.

so at least they are not prejudice... 

Over the years wires in our house installed have different colour so the small screwdriver tester is kept on the fuse breaker unit. 

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

And only because blue is neutral in one socket doesn't mean the same applies to the next socket.

Had a look in another wall socket. Not even close. 

 

All fixed now more by trial and error than logic. 

Bonus? Found my tester screwdriver.

 

47 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Wait until the smoke comes out. Then you have to vent. 

Electricity is simply smoke in a wire. I know this because when something goes wrong it escapes from the wire(s)

 

1 hour ago, Bill97 said:

Take a nap

I took a deep breath. After the wife and I shouted at each other.

 

Might have a go at the scooter fuel injection now as a mocy guy has just delivered my 130cc injector.

Or leave that until tomorrow. (Never do today what you can put off....)

1 hour ago, VocalNeal said:

It is grey and comes from the switch so is it live or neutral? 

Always switch LIVE.

 

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Always switch LIVE.

Now how many Thai electricians do you think heard that before? And how many will act accordingly?

As far as I see they have only one rule: It works, kind off, and that's it. Anything which might happen tomorrow is too far away in the future to even think about it.

Harden up mate.

You would be whinging more if you had to pay an electrician in the west $90 per hour and a $150 call out fee.

Get Somchai to take a look. Not worth risking your life over a 500 baht job.

Just seal the plug up and use an extension cable.

32 minutes ago, markclover said:

Just seal the plug up and use an extension cable.

Ah! that's the washing machine socket that had a loose wire. That's was caused the wife shouting. I said I would fix it. I don't need reminding every 6 months.