Switch Keeps Tripping

colli

Hello,

The switch for the upstairs light keeps tripping, any ideas what could be causing it? None of the bulbs have blown and all seems to work ok when the switch has been put back. It's started to happen a couple of times a day (even overnight when nothing is on!).

I know very little about electrics, are there any simple checks I could do myself to identify the problem or am I best off just getting a professional in? I don't want the house to burn down due to an electrical fault!

thanks

macman

All your upstairs lights are probably on the same circuit, so does the MCB only trip when operating one particular light switch on that circuit? If so, then it's probably a fault with the that switch or the light fitting that it controls.
If it's a general circuit fault then the problem is harder to define, or it could just be a faulty MCB.

colli

thanks for the reply. Nothing in particular seems to set if off. The lights will be fine then hours later either when going to bed or getting up after they've been off all day/night we'll find the switch has tripped.

totalsolutions

Swap / replace MCB

muckybutt

Question is...is it an mcb tripping or an rcd tripping ? either way though if they are tripping then they are doing their job ie they have recognised a potential fault condition and have operated.

Suggest you get a sparky in to have a good look at the electrics.

philbostavros

Do you mean the circuit breaker trips out when you switch the upstairs light (landing) or lights (all the upstairs lighting)?

Whichever, provided you are confident, then ensure all lighting breakers are switched off (or to be really safe - switch the master trip off), remove light switches and check for loose wires and ensure all screws are tight (they can work loose due to vibration etc).

Once everything is back in place, restore breakers and assuming they dont trip straightaway, switch each room on in turn to see if okay.

IF NOT CONFIDENT THOUGH, get an electrician in.

(Coincidentally, my son rang early this morning in a panic, as his main trip had gone and if he tried to reset, it stayed on for a minute but he could hear a buzzing in the kitchen. Turned out to be a screw had worked loose in one of the kitchen sockets. The trip had detected the resulting arcing and did its job. Simple job to tighten screws.)

colli

Just an update incase anyone else has a similar problem. Switch was fine for a day then tripped again and would not go back. OH was upstairs at the time and saw sparks coming out of the bedroom light fitting. Thought it would be a fairly simple problem to resolve but would rather not take the risk with electrics so got a professional in. The previous owner had left a bare wire when fitting that was touching the metal fitting. All sorted now and well worth the money getting someone in who knows what they're doing!

meebsquat

If they were stupid enough to leave a bare wire, I bet it wasn't even earthed!!