Fuse board - power and lights off one fuse?

KAT68_2

Excuse my ignorance as what I know about electrics you could write on a match stick.

But we currently have faulty lights in our kitchen. Everytime the switch is flicked the RCD trips. However not the fuse that is for the kitchen lights, not sure if this is relevant.

However when the RCD trips it also takes out all the lighting upstairs as well as the power. I have been told that power and lighting should not be on the same circuit.

Please could anyone assist?

The work was done by a registered NICEIC electrician. (for sure, I checked). I need to know if he has followed regs or if i need to get him back.

Thanks

keystone

KAT68 wrote: »

However when the RCD trips it also takes out all the lighting upstairs as well as the power. I have been told that power and lighting should not be on the same circuit.

The RCD will protect a number of circuits. Your lighting won't be on the same circuit as the power each of which will have its own circuit breaker. Now if power and lighting both go off when only a single breaker trips then that would be wrong.

I need to know if he has followed regs or if i need to get him back.

You haven't specified what work he did but it sounds as though you may have a new consumer unit. Its not our place here to discuss whether or not he has followed regs because we just don't know. You have to assume that the paperwork he has given you saying it is in conformity with the regulations is correct. The only way you would verify that is to pay for an independent audit of the work and having the installation checked.

You need to get him back because you have a fault of some description and although you don't say so it sounds as if the work was recently done and therefore would be covered by his guarantee. . Also its not unusual when fitting a new RCD protected consumer unit that you get nuisance tripping of the RCD. He can fix that too.

Cheers

KAT68_2

HI Keystone

Many thanks for your response. Understand that you can't comment on whether the work follows regs but really appreciate the reply.

I will have to check but i do think we have a single breaker marked lights and power on different floors.

The work was done and certified at the end of Jul last year so not sure if that's still covered by a warranty but yes it is a new consumer unit. When you say "nuisance" tripping......what sort of thing causes that please? everytime a bulb blows the circuit breaker trips but i dont think the RCD does.

With the problem we are having at the moment, as the kitchen lights circuit breaker isn't tripping, does this problem also sound like nuisance tripping?

Thanks!

keystone

KAT68 wrote: »

I will have to check but i do think we have a single breaker marked lights and power on different floors.

I am not a professional sparky but that would be wrong if so.

The work was done and certified at the end of Jul last year so not sure if that's still covered by a warranty but yes it is a new consumer unit.

Should be covered. If he's not offering you a years guarantee on his workmanship then he should be.

When you say "nuisance" tripping......what sort of thing causes that please? everytime a bulb blows the circuit breaker trips but i dont think the RCD does.

There is always some current leakage in any installation. The RCD (Residual Current Device) trips when that leakage level reaches a certain point. It may be that the sensitivity of RCD isn't right for your installation or it may be that there is a wiring fault (which cis probably on the kitchen light circuit) that has to be chased down.

You need the sparky to look at it again. Also someone who is more qualified than I will come along soon and give you more info/help.

Cheers

societys_child

Non tech jargon . . . the problem could be caused by:

two (insulated) wires pressed together too tightly (behind the switch plate or in the light fitting for example.

Wouldn't be the first time.

spannerzone

You can easily check what each RCD protects by switching one off at a time and seeing what stops working. Hopefully you can easily identify what affects what circuit then note it down.

John_Pierpoint

can you look at something like the Screwfix catalogue and, by posting links, show us what you have in the place of the old fashioned fuse box.

We are on edition 17 of the wiring regs now and what you have does not sound like the current wiring regulations. What is it that you needed to be done to the existing installation?

What sort of supply do you have (ie one that comes up from underground at one extreme or one that comes draped on two wires attached to a row of poles across a field at the other extreme?)

Ectophile

Just to post a contrary view - I understand that it is common practice these days to put the power circuits of one floor onto the same RCD as the lighting circuits of the other. That way, if an RCD trips, you don't lose all power to that floor - if the lights have gone out then you can still plug in a table lamp to see what you are doing.

ROY47

KAT68 wrote: »

However when the RCD trips it also takes out all the lighting upstairs as well as the power. I have been told that power and lighting should not be on the same circuit.

You may have whats known as a split board , when the rcd trips the idea is it only switches off the affected side of the board NOT the complete board

as said above ^^^^ the upstairs lights and downstairs sockets should be on one half of the consumer unit or board and downstairs lights and upstairs sockets on the other half of the board

So if you have a fault on the upstairs / kitchen (depends on how it was rewired ) lights it should switch off your downstairs sockets
sounds like the consumer unit / board has been wired wrong

But you may still have a fault in the kitchen light
Get him back !!

lifes-too-short

Hi Kat, can you post a few pics of the board please, it would help a lot. There is a few scenarios that could be going on however the post could go on for a whhile if we were all to assume what it might be.

keystone

We can gumflap on here to our hearts content to no useful purpose. OPs only option is to get their sparky back. Did you call him this afternoon? He could have been there tomorrow morning.

Cheers