Weird Nuisance tripping but with a twist today!!
Discussion
Sorry for long post!
We have two leccy supplies and having had a new itchen about 6 years ago, and both fuseboxes replaced with consumer units, we had nuisance tripping on the main house board which goes in fits and starts. All testing shows no issues, sparks WAS of the opinion that it was just an accumlation of the leakages across what is a lot of stuff plugged into each circuit.
We also have a potenitally "dirty" supply, being rural and overhead lines.
Some months it can be fine, other days it can trip twice, no real obvious reason, it has made tracing any issue tricky, but we've been reassured that on each investigation, (by two different electricians) all earths seem ok and there is nothing obviously dangerous.
But this morning, the power appeared to "trip". We are on the regs that mean the sockets go off (on rcd) but the lights and boiler stay on, I know it is different for modern installations where the lights would be on rcd also.
So today the tv goes off in bed, lights stay on, boilers going. Hosue alarm starts to blip, saying it is on backup power, so I trundle down the garage to reset the rcd.. only it is still in the upwards on position! I think it must be a mini breaker, but they are also all "on". I go back to check, all the downstaris sockets are off, alarm shows amber warn light and is blipping away, confimring it is not mains powered up...
Go back to CU, press the square "test" button, and it clicks and the switch fires downwards. I go to reset it, and it wont catch, then after two goes it catches, but the other consumer unit rcd then trips....er WTF? My missus says that on resetting the rcd once many years ago, it tripped across to the other board, but never to me.
So I reset both switches, go into the house and all is not on and working...
Rang the electrician who is coming on Tuesday now. He said that he cannot see how the rcd can "trip" but the switch stay up,and it muse be a connection fault, but it DID all go back on once the test switch was hit and the rcd then reset.
Could the rcd be knackered just through the years off nuisance tripping? Is it possible to have an RCD trip but the switch stay up, or is it a "mechanical" break of the switch, so in order to disconnect it MUST trip downwards
I wont be messing with it myself, but would appreciate anyone's opinions, as to what the problem may be so I can make sure the electrician gets the parts he may need if something is knackered. RCD is a 63A 2 pole 30Ma switch, made by proteous, part number 62/2/30t.
Electrican has previously menitoned fitting a 100MA rcd which they fit on comercial applications, but I am reluctant to have this if there is a fundamental fault that is a danger. However, I have read that nuisance tripping in larger hosues and circuits can merely be due to having a lot of stuff plugged in.
(the only thing we've ever noticed using that can "cause" a trip is the laptop power supplies, all other trips seem to be random when nothing obvious is switched on).
Any help or opinion welcomed
We have two leccy supplies and having had a new itchen about 6 years ago, and both fuseboxes replaced with consumer units, we had nuisance tripping on the main house board which goes in fits and starts. All testing shows no issues, sparks WAS of the opinion that it was just an accumlation of the leakages across what is a lot of stuff plugged into each circuit.
We also have a potenitally "dirty" supply, being rural and overhead lines.
Some months it can be fine, other days it can trip twice, no real obvious reason, it has made tracing any issue tricky, but we've been reassured that on each investigation, (by two different electricians) all earths seem ok and there is nothing obviously dangerous.
But this morning, the power appeared to "trip". We are on the regs that mean the sockets go off (on rcd) but the lights and boiler stay on, I know it is different for modern installations where the lights would be on rcd also.
So today the tv goes off in bed, lights stay on, boilers going. Hosue alarm starts to blip, saying it is on backup power, so I trundle down the garage to reset the rcd.. only it is still in the upwards on position! I think it must be a mini breaker, but they are also all "on". I go back to check, all the downstaris sockets are off, alarm shows amber warn light and is blipping away, confimring it is not mains powered up...
Go back to CU, press the square "test" button, and it clicks and the switch fires downwards. I go to reset it, and it wont catch, then after two goes it catches, but the other consumer unit rcd then trips....er WTF? My missus says that on resetting the rcd once many years ago, it tripped across to the other board, but never to me.
So I reset both switches, go into the house and all is not on and working...
Rang the electrician who is coming on Tuesday now. He said that he cannot see how the rcd can "trip" but the switch stay up,and it muse be a connection fault, but it DID all go back on once the test switch was hit and the rcd then reset.
Could the rcd be knackered just through the years off nuisance tripping? Is it possible to have an RCD trip but the switch stay up, or is it a "mechanical" break of the switch, so in order to disconnect it MUST trip downwards
I wont be messing with it myself, but would appreciate anyone's opinions, as to what the problem may be so I can make sure the electrician gets the parts he may need if something is knackered. RCD is a 63A 2 pole 30Ma switch, made by proteous, part number 62/2/30t.
Electrican has previously menitoned fitting a 100MA rcd which they fit on comercial applications, but I am reluctant to have this if there is a fundamental fault that is a danger. However, I have read that nuisance tripping in larger hosues and circuits can merely be due to having a lot of stuff plugged in.
(the only thing we've ever noticed using that can "cause" a trip is the laptop power supplies, all other trips seem to be random when nothing obvious is switched on).
Any help or opinion welcomed
Edited by s3fella on Sunday 12th February 14:57
Cheers.
All the kitchen wiring was changed when the new install was made 6 years ago, and the sign off was obtained. However, we "launched" the kitchen Xmas eve, with a party, the first trip ocurred when the missus turned on her Kitchenaid mixer to do the cream for Xmas pud the next day! !
I have sometimes wondered if it could be being caused by another property? All the houses in the street are early 70s, most are original, all the renovated ones with more modern electrics seem to have problems. Of course it could be a wiring fault, but I wondered if the proximity of things like earthing rods could be not helping?
When we go away on hols, we turn all off bar the fridges, and it seems ok on return.
Kitchen is large, 3 fridges, lots of appliances, and it is electric only, no gas, so fairly high loads.
We have one fridge that was subject to a recall and had loads of innards repalced a few years aog, (Samsung) and a Bosch dishwasher, that did not need the bosch recall, and we have isolated these for an extended period by putting them on the second supply. Seems no different.
Regarding what I found today, ie the rcd "tripped" but the switch not moving, is that even possible, ie indicating it is knackered? Or is it the mechanical action of the swtich that disconnects?
All the kitchen wiring was changed when the new install was made 6 years ago, and the sign off was obtained. However, we "launched" the kitchen Xmas eve, with a party, the first trip ocurred when the missus turned on her Kitchenaid mixer to do the cream for Xmas pud the next day! !
I have sometimes wondered if it could be being caused by another property? All the houses in the street are early 70s, most are original, all the renovated ones with more modern electrics seem to have problems. Of course it could be a wiring fault, but I wondered if the proximity of things like earthing rods could be not helping?
When we go away on hols, we turn all off bar the fridges, and it seems ok on return.
Kitchen is large, 3 fridges, lots of appliances, and it is electric only, no gas, so fairly high loads.
We have one fridge that was subject to a recall and had loads of innards repalced a few years aog, (Samsung) and a Bosch dishwasher, that did not need the bosch recall, and we have isolated these for an extended period by putting them on the second supply. Seems no different.
Regarding what I found today, ie the rcd "tripped" but the switch not moving, is that even possible, ie indicating it is knackered? Or is it the mechanical action of the swtich that disconnects?
No, I mean the fact it tripped first but the switch did not move. It only moved when I hit the test button.
BUt the rcd power was definitely off with the rcd switch still in the upward, on position.
Once tested, it moved down, then reset after a couple of attempts.
I dont see how the thing can disconnect but leave the switch in the on postion!
BUt the rcd power was definitely off with the rcd switch still in the upward, on position.
Once tested, it moved down, then reset after a couple of attempts.
I dont see how the thing can disconnect but leave the switch in the on postion!
In ans to the question, no, I've never had the power trip on the sockets and the rcd stay in the on position before. All the mobs were in the on position too, so it is a bit of a weird one. I think I will order a new rcd.
30 quid for the 30 ma, 98 for the 100 mA. Seems like a quid per milliamp!
30 quid for the 30 ma, 98 for the 100 mA. Seems like a quid per milliamp!
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