Electrical points not working, can't power boiler

chickenfleece

Our electricity sockets in our kitchen and dining room have blown and our boiler is plugged into the mains in the kitchen. The cable is too short to fit into any other point and I don't think it is safe to power a boiler through an extension cable. Our landlord says he will get someone out to look at it on Monday but in the meanwhile we have no heating or hot water from the boiler and a newborn and a 3 year old to look after. Where do we stand? Do we just wait until Monday?

newbie1980

an extension lead will do for short term just keep child away but you may find boiler to be cause of blown sockets
check fuseboard is first port of call

retepetsir

Could you say what model of boiler it is? It should be fine on an extension lead as they're usually only fused to 3amps anyway.

chickenfleece

It is a Worcester 24i, I don't know much about fuses unfortunately

pinkteapot

Do you have something that looks like this anywhere in the house?

http://www.screwfix.com/p/wylex-10-way-high-integrity-consumer-unit-10-mcbs/66470?kpid=66470&cm_mmc=Google-_-Product%20Listing%20Ads-_-Sales%20Tracking-_-sales%20tracking%20url&gclid=CPP-j7uXv7sCFVMPtAodpxMAcw

DevCoder

The 24i is a 3amp external fuse and a 2amp internal pulling in 140 watts so should run off an extension lead no problems.

kingstreet

Have you recently plugged any high current appliances into the heavy duty ringmain, such as electric heaters?

If so, they may have tripped the circuit breaker for that ring.

Have a look for the consumer unit pinkteapot linked to and look for one marked 30A. Reset the tripswitch, or replace the fuse, if needed.

You need to be able to do the routine stuff like this to establish if you do need professional help.

pinkteapot

If you have a box like the one I linked to, you may well find that one switch is down while the rest are up (or vice versa). If so, you can just flick that odd one back in the opposite direction. If you're lucky, it will even say "Kitchen and dining room sockets" above it.

However, if it's an older house with a proper old fuse box then resetting that switch will mean taking out a piece of fusewire and replacing it, which is more of a faff if you're not familiar with it.

The fact that a whole load of sockets aren't working suggests a blown fuse or tripped switch at the central board...

Our light circuit trips every time a bulb goes and we have to go and flick the switch.

DevCoder

kingstreet wrote: »

Have you recently plugged any high current appliances into the heavy duty ringmain, such as electric heaters?

If so, they may have tripped the circuit breaker for that ring.

Have a look for the consumer unit pinkteapot linked to and look for one marked 30A. Reset the tripswitch, or replace the fuse, if needed.

You need to be able to do the routine stuff like this to establish if you do need professional help.

32A surely? A 30A circuit would normally be a cooker dedicated.
or 16A if its a radial circuit.

I think just to check any of the tripswitches to see if they need resetting, although I bet (sods law) this is one of those PITA problems with rewireable fuses. :mad:

ValHaller

chickenfleece wrote: »

It is a Worcester 24i, I don't know much about fuses unfortunately

I would say that checking and replacing fuses is within your remit as tenant. It is only if that does not work and it blows again - or if it blows frequently - that you would need to call the landlord. Just make sure that you are not overloading circuits.

kingstreet

krisdorey wrote: »

32A surely? A 30A circuit would normally be a cooker dedicated.
or 16A if its a radial circuit.

I think just to check any of the tripswitches to see if they need resetting, although I bet (sods law) this is one of those PITA problems with rewireable fuses. :mad:

Could be. TBH it's ages since I've had problems with ours and come to think of it, I might have been thinking about vehicle fuses!