electrics help!

ed110220

Ben84 wrote: »

Mine too actually (wired in the 1960s I think), but the OP does apparently have non-functional sockets upstairs while downstairs is ok, so I'm assuming that they have two independent circuits for sockets because of this.

Ah, sorry I missed that bit. That would make sense.

I think mine only has one because the construction makes rewiring tricky. The ground floor is concrete and the doors have glazing above to ceiling level so downstairs the cables can't go under the floor or around the walls but instead have to drop down in the walls from upstairs.

keystone

OP - pay particular attention to posts 8 and 9.

Cheers

rosiesposies

I am not sure what to do as I dont think any of hte above suggestions apply? These are some pics i have taken of the box and the type of fuses that are in. 4 fuses for the whole house!
But each one still powers something, we have trial and errord this, we thought it was the white on but it still then powered a socket in the kitchen!
http://imgur.com/g5jHy

http://imgur.com/SJrH2

dahac

Could be a earth fault In the sockets and this would cause the consumer unit to trip. Switch the whole electric off and check the rear of the sockets have no lose connects or earth faults.

keystone

Rosie

You have what looks like (could you make the pic a bit darker please ) an old Wylex box with plugin MCBs which have been used to replace the old rewirable fuse carriers. You probably have1 circuit for lighting, 1 for kitchen and 1 for each of upstairs and downstairs sockets. Think of it a bit of a hybrid but there are an awful lot of them about.

By turning off each one individually you should be able to loate which one is for the upstairs socket circuit.

I cannot see that, whatever happens, this will be resolved on here unless you can readily identify if there is a particular piece of kit causing it to trip as has been descibed above. Its likely that you do have a fault on the circuit in which case and you really do need to get an electrician in.

Cheers

dahac

I am a electrician and it will be more than likely be a fault within the back boxes. If one of the cable cores are touching something they shouldnt be then this would cause the consumer unit to trip. Switch the power off and check all sockets and lights.

rosiesposies

thanks guys.. its hard to identify which one powers upstairs as they all still power something when on and when each turned off something turns off. think it could be a socket with a loose wire and I suspect i know which one it is! will let u know how i get on.

dahac

Jus make sure u switch the whole power off first just to be safe!

macman

rosiesposies wrote: »

thanks guys.. its hard to identify which one powers upstairs as they all still power something when on and when each turned off something turns off. think it could be a socket with a loose wire and I suspect i know which one it is! will let u know how i get on.

Yo are making this harder than it should be. If you have 4 fuses, then how many of those are ring mains (red with 30A MCB's in them like your 2nd picture)? There can only be two, and these are the only circuits wired to your ring mains.
I don't understand what you mean by the sentence highlighted above, please explain.
When you isolate the relevant circuit, all the sockets on that will stop working, so with one out you will have no sockets upstairs, and with the other out no sockets downstairs (unless you have unusual wiring, or a very old and small property with just one ring main).
Forget about the lighting and other circuits, they will continue to work.

waynehayes

It sounds as of all if the breakers are still in the on position, and when any are turned off, outlets (such as the kitchen) that are working are turned off too.
It could be that the whole of the upstairs is a radial, spurred from the downstairs ring and that there is a break somewhere.
It might be time to call in some help?