Neutral to earth voltage

check at the supply intake point anyhow.or is it just a prob with a circuit?.

if you've confirmed reverse polarity (with a phase tester).isolate the source of leakage current by switching off(mcbs etc).is the installation neutralized?

they're about .but as you say it might need a re-wire or partial re-wire if it's domestic.regardless of the pump problem.fault current if that's what it is would be low alright.there can be a lot of variables with these problems anyhow.might be something completely different

2011 wrote: »

Perhaps I am not understanding this correctly.

What I thought the OP was saying is that when the earth is disconnected and then reconnected it arcs. In that case there is a problem.

If there is arcing happening between live and earth after the pump is switched off then I would not be so concerned. Apoligies if this is the case.

sorry there i deleted that post .i was pointing out that any arcing from switching the inductive load would be on the L and N poles.
He has confirmed reverse polarity and no neutralizing .earths are arcing with supply off(mcb?)so there seems to be a earth fault current from somewere.if this supply(earth) is looped on somewhere it might be a return fault current from another circuit or maybe the met is earthed through the pump .hard to be definite anyway i'm only guessing but will have to find out now

well. keep in mind the 'bigger picture' anyway.installation prob needs a major overhaul.sounds like dodgy neutralizing maybe on the rcd side. earth fault current from a non-rcd circuit might be diverted to met or ground when rcd trips causing sparking

Just two things i've seen before :

If the neutral is not tied to the earth ,
and the earth in the house isn't connected to an earth rod or something
your PC might drag the earth up - seen it with an old PC and an extension with "no" earth.

Some submersible pumps have temperature monitoring etc built in , communicates over the power cable . If the L & N gets mixed up the monitor can die , but the pump itself will work away.

I have came across a problem like this before. There was no potential difference between live and earth and i was getting 230v between earth and neutral and live and neutral. The problem with the arcing may be because your connecting a damaged earth wire that has voltage on it to an earth wire which is properly earthed and at zero volts. get a phase tester and hold it on the earth that has voltage on it, then with you phase teater still touching the bad earth join the other (good) earth to it, the voltage should dissapear...But beware!!! the voltage is just making its way back through the earth then down to your earth rod.... this may seem ok but if by chance somebody dug up the earth rod or even dissconnected it from the earth bar it will mean the fault voltage will just go straight to the earth bar and make everything that is earthed in your house live!!!! I eventually found that a socket screw had cut through the live in the back-box creating a short....fuse never tripped!!