Conufusion over circuit switches

Candy53

Sorry if I've put this on the wrong forum but didn't know where to put it.

Yesterday morning my lights flickered then the electricity went off. As it was raining and windy, I thought it might be that, but when I tried the landing light, it went on, so all the electricity went off just downstairs.

I checked the circuit breakers, and none of them had tripped?? It was the RCD switch that tripped.

The circuit breakers next to this switch are:

Down lights.
Kitchen sockets.
Down sockets.
Up sockets.
Cooker.

I wasn't using anything at the time, so because the circuit breakers didn't trip, I hadn't a clue what caused it. I don't know why none of them did trip as this is what they usually do.

The up sockets are fine, and I turned the appliances off, then turned each one back on, but nothing happened, and nothing has since, so how can I know what happened?


Thanks,
Candy.

matelodave

Have you had a bulb blow somewhere - you'll usually find that the RCD switches a lot faster than the individual circuit breakers and frequently a halogen downlighter bulb can make it go.
Some items where water or steam is around like washing machines or even electric kettles can have just enough leakage to trip a sensitive RCD. Sometimes it just trips for no obvious reason possibly due to a spike on the line.

victor2

+1 for a bulb blown somewhere downstairs.
Steam irons are our favourite for tripping the RCD, usually 1 day outside their warranty! Sensitive bits of kit, but I suppose it's just doing what it is designed to do.

Candy53

Hi,

Nope, no bulbs blown. Thanks anyway.


Candy

victor2

If everything is now working, then all you can do wait and see if it happens again.
Our light circuits don't go through the RCD, presumably your upstairs lights don't either, so that would explain why the landing light worked after the initial problem.

Candy53

Yeah, I think I will have to see if it happens again. Why though, aren't the circuit breakers tripping to tell me where the problem is?

Candy

victor2

Candy53 wrote: »

Yeah, I think I will have to see if it happens again. Why though, aren't the circuit breakers tripping to tell me where the problem is?

Candy

The circuit breakers offer protection against the likes of a short circuit. RCDs are more sensitive and typically look at earth leakage. So the problem was not big enough to trip a breaker, just the RCD.

Candy53

Oh well that's something anyway, thanks.


Candy

knightstyle

Great post above! Simply put normal circuit breakers protect the property against overloads, an RCD protects you against getting an electric shock.
Plus they have a test button for a reason so when did you last test it?

Candy53

Yeah, that was a great post 'ChumpusRex', thanks for explaining everything.

'knightstyle', where is the test button? We can't find one?



Candy

Candy53

We haven't got one of those? Should we have?


Candy