Hello.

My electric is tripping about once a week, at random times of the day and not as I turn something on or off. It's a pain in the butt as it's not tripping room circuits but the sockets for the whole house. I thought it was an element to n the oven but it's happened when the oven was switched off at the wall. I've attached a photo - it's the main RCD on the right that goes,, not the smaller ones for each room.

I've had all the appliances PAT tested by a friend who does texting for schools. No joy.

Any ideas welcome. I've been told it could be the pump in the heating that's gone faulty.

Thanks.

Have you got a spur off the ring with an Outside security light on a PIR sensor? Is anything like the dishwasher on at the time. Fai.ing that the garage would be a good place to start as it'll be damper than the rest of the house.

Might be worth getting your friend to do an ohms check on all your sockets, that may cause issues too.

Good luck! 

Im useless when it comes to stuff like this and rely heavily on a uncle who is my local sparky!

If you have a cordless kettle check the base isn't wet.

The worse cause of tripping i ever found was a large slug laid on an open junction box under a kitchen floor!!! :sick:

Edited 15 November, 201411 yr by Biodieselgangan

If the rcd is tripping, then something is leaking to earth.

Check storage heaters and immersion if they run during affected times.

Garage is another good place to start along with outside lights.

Any signs of mice? They like chewing wires

The last mysterious RCD problem I had turned out to be green slime growing on the insulation between the terminals in a the cordless kettle base; however I do remember an issue years ago where nothing in our house was at fault; it was a spike caused by a faulty appliance at a neighbours house.

 

It might be worth asking your neighbours if they are having any issues.

I very much doubt a neighbours house would cause that, as their consumer unit would trip before yours.

Is it a new build?  If so get the builders back in.  

 

I thought I had traced this type of fault to an appliance, but it was a faulty side of a dual socket - got the builders back to replace it free.

 

If its not a new build, previous owners' DIY would be where I'd look as that's where I've had the most trouble before, especially where they've put in light fittings or extra sockets.

Thanks guys. Not a new build so can't speak to the builders. I'll check the kettle too.

I very much doubt a neighbours house would cause that, as their consumer unit would trip before yours.

 

 

That would only happen if they HAD an RCD, still plenty of old houses out there running fuse wire, including a lot with owner/cowboy installed electric showers.

Could it be the fridge or freezer turning on tripping the RCD.

Garage, sockets and lights on one 32amp circuit.  That isn't right.

 

as above RCD is a leak to earth, so even if the item is turned off (unless the socket is a double pole), then the neutral and earth are still connected, can could potentially by leaking power.

 

Disconnect the garage wiring and see if that helps (live & neutral)

The lights are on a separate box. This one is just the sockets (although I suppose the garage has lights and sockets).

Nothing going on with the kettle. I am suspicious of the hearing as it sounds noisier than normal. Might get the pump checked. It's only happening about once a week at most so it's tricky to see what the cause is, as I've used just about every electrical Item in that time without a trip

When we had a similar problem it turned out to be dodgy wiring.

 

Someone had done the wiring in the and done a really bad job.

 

The cause was 2 junction boxes burried in the plaster. They were open with no cover on and had used a terminal block. So basically the plaster was touching the terminals and causing a very small current to pass to earth which would trip the RCDs now and then.

 

The earth on the fuse box also wasn't connected to an earth!

 

Hope you sort it out.

 

Phil

I very much doubt a neighbours house would cause that, as their consumer unit would trip before yours.

You'd be better checking with several neighbours ,as it wo't be immediate neghbours that get problems. Reason- power is fed in in three phases, and house 1 might be blue phase, house 2 yellow and house 3 red. House 4 could then be blue. It used to show up in the 60's when mains baby alarms were all the rage. Plug monitor into mains socket  in baby bedroom and reciever ito socket in master bedroom. House on say blue phase. Some housed down the road ,they also used blue phase and crying baby was heard in both receivers.

I would definitely get a spark in to do a proper check on the electrics.

 

Last thing you want is to ignore a problem which could have terminal results.

You'd be better checking with several neighbours ,as it wo't be immediate neghbours that get problems. Reason- power is fed in in three phases, and house 1 might be blue phase, house 2 yellow and house 3 red. House 4 could then be blue. It used to show up in the 60's when mains baby alarms were all the rage. Plug monitor into mains socket in baby bedroom and reciever ito socket in master bedroom. House on say blue phase. Some housed down the road ,they also used blue phase and crying baby was heard in both receivers.

Its nothing to do with the neighbours. The fault lies within the Op's property. My advice is get a sparky to do a continuity test on all your earths from the fuseboard. It could also be a knackered RCD, they can develop faults over time.

Get your consumer unit checked out.

We have just had some rewiring work done and mentioned to the sparky that in the past we had the box tripping out now and again.

He tested it and found the Consumer unit to be at fault.

The individual fuses were not tripping as fast as they should which meant that the whole box tripped out.

We had a bigger unit fitted for not much over £200 and it is now spot on. 

Ruffday, a consumer unit is just the housing for the mcb's so can not be at fault. It had to of been the mcb's that were at fault.

Get your consumer unit checked out.

We have just had some rewiring work done and mentioned to the sparky that in the past we had the box tripping out now and again.

He tested it and found the Consumer unit to be at fault.

The individual fuses were not tripping as fast as they should which meant that the whole box tripped out.

We had a bigger unit fitted for not much over £200 and it is now spot on. 

 

Fuses dont trip, MCBs and CBs trip. plus there are a few different types, some of which are more sensitive than others, but ALL of them trip in milliseconds.

 

Next, MCBs and CBs only trip when the current flow exceeds the maximum rate (IE 5, 15, 32, 45Amp etc); so unless you're overloading one of the circuits, they should only trip when something electrical shorts out (ie is dead when power is restored).

 

A more likely scenarios is an ELCB trip out (Earth Leakage Cicuit Breaker); these are very sensitive devices that measure the BALANCE of electricity between the Live and Neutral, even a bit of damp in the wrong place can trip out one of these.

 

Although expensive compared to normal MCBs or CBs, they dont cost £200; sadly I think you have been ripped off.

Edited 24 November, 201411 yr by GentleGiant

When we had our kitchen done via B&Q last year, I asked them to quote for a new consumer unit. The job done as a standalone job fitted was £2000. Needless to say, called in a very well recommended electrician who supplied and fitted for £239. I would say based on that that the figure was about right.

Fuses dont trip, MCBs and CBs trip. plus there are a few different types, some of which are more sensitive than others, but ALL of them trip in milliseconds.

 

Next, MCBs and CBs only trip when the current flow exceeds the maximum rate (IE 5, 15, 32, 45Amp etc); so unless you're overloading one of the circuits, they should only trip when something electrical shorts out (ie is dead when power is restored).

 

A more likely scenarios is an ELCB trip out (Earth Leakage Cicuit Breaker); these are very sensitive devices that measure the BALANCE of electricity between the Live and Neutral, even a bit of damp in the wrong place can trip out one of these.

 

Although expensive compared to normal MCBs or CBs, they dont cost £200; sadly I think you have been ripped off.

Well I don't profess to be an expert so Fuses ,MBCs CBs or whatever you want to call them something was not working as it should.

 

The £200 was to supply and fit a new complete consumer unit and test all the electrics so I don't think I was ripped of

Well I don't profess to be an expert so Fuses ,MBCs CBs or whatever you want to call them something was not working as it should.

 

The £200 was to supply and fit a new complete consumer unit and test all the electrics so I don't think I was ripped of

 

 

Much more likely there was a fault in the wiring that was FIXED during the rewire; as I said, the only item in the Consumer unit likely to cause what you described is the ELCB, they are plug in modules - just like all the other CBs,MCB, and cost about £50-80 RETAIL.

 

If he fitted a new consumer unit - you were ripped off, regardless of if it was cheap for the job - the job didnt need doing!!!!

 

It is a bit like getting a bargain £200 exhaust system replacement, when all that needed doing was a new £15 gasket fitting.

Much more likely there was a fault in the wiring that was FIXED during the rewire; as I said, the only item in the Consumer unit likely to cause what you described is the ELCB, they are plug in modules - just like all the other CBs,MCB, and cost about £50-80 RETAIL.

 

If he fitted a new consumer unit - you were ripped off, regardless of if it was cheap for the job - the job didnt need doing!!!!

 

It is a bit like getting a bargain £200 exhaust system replacement, when all that needed doing was a new £15 gasket fitting.

 

We asked him to fit a bigger unit so we could split some of the circuits.

So instead of just one circuit for sockets we have one for the kitchen and one for the living room and a separate one for upstairs etc.

And we now have a bang upto date unit instead of one that is well over 15 years old.

And as I am not qualified to fit it and I certainly cant sort out the proper paperwork I think it was a good deal

Edited 25 November, 201411 yr by ruffday