Problem with electrics

Thaze

Hey guys,

Read through a few other threads and couldnt really find anything to help so posted a new one.

Last week we had a power cut for about 20mins or so and when the power came back on i thought everything was fine until i checked the fuse box. The switch for the "Kitchen Sockets" was off and everytime i switch it on it trtips the RCD. Ive tried unplugging everything in the kitchen then switching it back on but it still trips instantly. My boiler is connected to the same circuit so you can imagine my frustration during this cold time of year. Ive tried everything i can think off but have no idea of what it is unless its some sort of earthing problem. Any advice anyone can give will be greatly appreciated.

fluffpot

Even if you've unplugged everything, some fixed items can still be connected (such as your boiler) Switching it off won't necessarily 'remove' it from the circuit. It's either a fault with the wiring in the walls or something fixed and hence why the RCD is still tripping. Time to get a sparky in I think....

CaptainKidd

You say its trips the rcd, how many circuits is the rcd covering at the fuse board? Try switching all the circuit breakers off beside the rcd then turn the rcd on then one by one turn the circuit breakers back on and it should narrow it down for you to a specific circuit.

How compentent to you feel at opening up a fuse board before i recommend what i was going too?

muckybutt

CaptainKidd wrote: »

Try switching all the circuit breakers off beside the rcd then turn the rcd on then one by one turn the circuit breakers back on and it should narrow it down for you to a specific circuit. If it a Neutral to earth fault this would prove nothing.

How compentent to you feel at opening up a fuse board before i recommend what i was going too? Unless you know what you are doing DONT ! even with the mains board switched off there will still be live wires inside unless you can completely isolate the board.

Sounds like it could either be a faulty RCD which can happen or it could be a Neutral to Earth fault either appliance or hard wiring, in which case turning MCB's off wont cure the problem or narrow it down.
You really need an approved sparky to have a look and do some tests.
If one of the MCB's trips at the same time as the RCD tripping then the fault is definately on that circuit and again coule either be an appliance or hard wiring.

CaptainKidd

Try switching all the circuit breakers off beside the rcd then turn the rcd on then one by one turn the circuit breakers back on and it should narrow it down for you to a specific circuit. If it a Neutral to earth fault this would prove nothing. Where did i say anything about a neutral to earth fault? Iam trying to help the OP to narrow down what the fault could be and the simpilist thing to start with is what i said.

How compentent to you feel at opening up a fuse board before i recommend what i was going too? Unless you know what you are doing DONT ! even with the mains board switched off there will still be live wires inside unless you can completely isolate the board Again this is why i asked how compotent he felt, so why the need for the red writing.

ormus

ive replaced a few faulty RCDs in the past.

sparkiedave

is the boiler on a SWITCHED fused connection or just a fused connection, if it's on a switched one it will probably be a double pole switch, so it will disconnect the neutral at the same time, if all the breakers are off then you have a neutral earth fault in the hard wiring, do you know what caused the original power cut?

Thaze

The power cut was just one that happened across the town. Im not 100% sure what your asking about the switch thing, but the boiler has its own switch under it. Ive tried turning everything the RCD is running through and switching them on one at a time and it is only the "Kitchen socket" that trips it when i put it on the rest work fine.

Its only when i try putting the "kitchen sockets" on that the RCD trips. All other switched on the fuse board work fine. I have tried rewiring the "kitchen sockets" into a spare fuse switch on the board and it is still doing it.

All the sockets have been switched off and removed. The only thing i cant "unplug" is the boiler but i has a switch and i have turned that off.

baldelectrician

I was going to suggest the boiler

Have you unplugged ALL the appliances (even the ones you need such as the fridge / freezer)?

Try running the fridge from an extension

I think you may need to get someone in.

You should use a competent person for the work, links below
In Scotland:
Individuals registered;
http://www.sbsa.gov.uk/register/ListAC.asp
Companies
http://www.sbsa.gov.uk/register/SearchRegCo.asp?T=Construction
In England and Wales:
http://www.competentperson.co.uk

fluffpot

Not all fused switches are double pole.... so switching off the boiler might not necessarily isolate the neutral from the circuit which is what I was trying to say in my first post!
What you could try is switching off the kitchen circuit at the fuse board, opening up the now 'dead' boiler switch and disconnecting the boiler flex from the switch, but leaving the other cables in place. Then try switching back on. If it stays on then it's the boiler at fault, but you'll probably still need an electrician to sort this.

muckybutt

duplicated post