13amp sockets trip switch keeps going - anyone know why?

globalds

couldn't you move the baby into your room until the boiler is fixed.

wallofbeans

ormus wrote: »

you only have one ring main for sockets. pretty rare. most houses have two seperate ones.
can you plug a heater into the cooker box socket?
(if you have one).

i wonder why we only have one? house is pretty old and i guess the electrics havent been updated in a while!

we have a plug socket in the kitchen that just like that picture. So i can use that and it'll be on a different ring main? good to know.

Raksha

Just a tip - boil your kettle once and fill a thermos, then you don 't have to keep boiling water for cups of tea etc.

wallofbeans

globalds wrote: »

couldn't you move the baby into your room until the boiler is fixed.

already happening!

premkit

plug one of the big items into that cooker socket, this will ease the load.

wallofbeans

andrew-b wrote: »

Have you got hot water as i noticed the circuit labelled "water heater"?

yes, water tank in airing cupboard has an electric power so we can use that to get hot water for showers etc.

i hope this gets sorted by wednesday as planned coz this all going to be costing a few quid id bet!

thanks for the help!

wallofbeans

andrew-b wrote: »

Sorry i just realised i'd missed about the cooker point. So you could have all heaters at once if you really want to by plugging one into the cooker point but it's going to get expensive...still don't go beyond 2 on the other sockets. If you do connect one to the cooker point switch it off before you use the cooker to avoid overloading the cooker circuit.

i think we're going to avoid using 3 anyway! we'll only use the fan heater to give a boost to upstairs before we get into bed but by that time, the heater downstairs will be off...

macman

Can't work out why your property has only one ring main-it's not a flat, as you have 2 lighting circuits, up and down?
The norm would be 2 ring mains, one up and one down, and (on most modern installs) a 3rd one for the kitchen.

ic

If you can get away with it, run the heaters on a lower power setting - they probably have three settings along the lines of 0.8kW (3.5A), 1.6kW (7A), 3kW (13A). If you run on a lower setting, you'll have more power available for use elsewhere. Anything with an electric heater built in will require a significant amount of power - as you've figured out tumble dryer, iron, kettle, toaster, hair dryer, etc.

To work out the number of amps is simple, no of kW divided by 230 (volts), e.g. 3000 watt kettle / 230 volts = 13 amps. As you've discovered, 30 amps is your max. Anything more and the wiring in your circuit is at risk of overheating and melting or burning as it is not rated to carry the current.

keystone

You should be using 240 volts as the average UK voltage in such calcs.

Cheers