Help! Mains Circuit Breaker won't go back to on

Mortgage_&_debt_free

Hi all
Came home last night to find all electrics off, fridge defrosted, etc - oh, goody!

Tried all the obvious stuff, can't see what the cause might be (fuses OK, etc).

Pushed the circuit breaker switch to on but it just flicked back to off, so unplugged everything, still no luck.

To go back to basics I turned the fuse box off totally so there's no call for electric beyond the c/b but it still keeps springing back to off, it will not go to on.

I'd be grateful for any ideas people may have about what to do.

To answer a question some of you may have, I have decamped to OH house, which is why I can use a PC!!

Thanks

startrekker

Think you have done everything I would, did you turn everything off? Boiler for instance,and took the plugs out of evry socket, checked there was no light switch still in the on position. Looks like you may have to call an electrician......if all that doesnt work.

Mortgage_&_debt_free

Didn't do every single one, but that's why I turned the fuse box off, so it didn't matter what was/wasn't plugged in, it was cut off at source, but still no luck.

Syman

could you have a leak above the board? or perhaps a build up of condensation.

breakers do on occasion burn themselves out when they trip, so even if you change the breaker the problem that caused the trip may happen again. you really do need to get a sparky in to have a look.

robby-01

you have to do as startreker says.Then check if the breaker resets.

Canucklehead

Hi

We had a make by the name of 'Square 'D' If a breaker tripped you have to turn it fully off before turning back on. There are other makes that do the same thing i'm sure.

Corgi Guy.

roger56

Canuckleheads point is well worth checking, I've come across breakers that need to be moved manually to the off position before they can be turned back on. When they trip the button goes to a central position.

robby-01

roger56 wrote:

Canuckleheads point is well worth checking, I've come across breakers that need to be moved manually to the off position before they can be turned back on. When they trip the button goes to a central position.

The op has said that the breaker will not reset.And is going back to the off position when he tries to put it into the on position.This is known as tripping and is a result of a fault on either the fixed wiring or an appliance.
Op is the device you are refering to an rcd or an mcb.

Mortgage_&_debt_free

robby-01 wrote:

The op has said that the breaker will not reset.And is going back to the off position when he tries to put it into the on position.This is known as tripping and is a result of a fault on either the fixed wiring or an appliance.
Op is the device you are refering to an rcd or an mcb.

Thanks for all your replies.

The breaker is an old single switch type. A spark has had a look and said there is power going into the breaker but not coming out. He thinks the breaker is knackered and is putting a modern board on tomorrow. However I am still concerned about what caused it to trip in the first place.

Talking to my neighbour the alarm went off at 11pm, which is the time when the standard lamp I have in the lounge switches off on a timer when I'm away.

Can anyone suggest why this might have tripped the switch & what I can do to prevent it happening again, or is it likely that the breaker was the cause and a new one wouldn't be susceptible to problems from the light turning itself off? - it's never happened before.

Thanks

robby-01

breakers wear out and fail safe.Dont worry about it.If you are getting the unit changed ask for the wiring to be checked to put your mind at rest.
Roger56 will be along later to post a link to partp and tell you all about the regs

startrekker

Boy am I in trouble now....................

The modern units these days are like a woman,,,,,over sensitive at times...our dishwasher now and then trips our system, its been checked ok and no problems, we now only put the washer on when we are at home, in case it trips the main board out and the alarm goes off and the fridge and freezer start to defrost...............