Why do 6 wall sockets not work suddenly?

Myser

Did he open the consumer unit (fuse box) and check the connections to the breakers inside?

There is a possibility that one or more of the breakers could be faulty, but no way of knowing without properly testing. The brand doesn't look familiar (LVE?).

Was he a registered electrician?

---lee---

The switch to the right looks like an RCD. Faults in these are quite common due to lack of maintenance (very few people regularly press the test button). A proper electrician would have the equipment to test the RCD in isolation, it may be tripping at a low, normal, leakage amount.

The sockets issue sounds like a separate fault. My interpretation is that the electrician has narrowed down the fault to a cable which forms one of the legs of the ring on it's way too the first socket or returning from the last socket. If that's the case, it should be possible to disconnect the faulty leg of the circuit, thereby turning it into a radial and downgrading the MCB from a 32 to a 20 amp.

RCD can also be tripped by leakage in faulty appliances. Those that mix water and electricity or involve heating elements are most common.

dave030445

---lee--- wrote: »

The switch to the right looks like an RCD. Faults in these are quite common due to lack of maintenance (very few people regularly press the test button). A proper electrician would have the equipment to test the RCD in isolation, it may be tripping at a low, normal, leakage amount.

The sockets issue sounds like a separate fault. My interpretation is that the electrician has narrowed down the fault to a cable which forms one of the legs of the ring on it's way too the first socket or returning from the last socket. If that's the case, it should be possible to disconnect the faulty leg of the circuit, thereby turning it into a radial and downgrading the MCB from a 32 to a 20 amp.

RCD can also be tripped by leakage in faulty appliances. Those that mix water and electricity or involve heating elements are most common.

Scary the advice some people give a little knowledge is very bad.

---lee---

dave030445 wrote: »

Scary the advice some people give a little knowledge is very bad.

It's not advice mate. There is a an electrician involved and as he's the guy onsite, only he can make the appropriate diagnosis and fix.

I can't see why isolating a damaged cable would be such a bad idea, it's better than tearing the whole place up - but perhaps you could expand instead of just making flippant remarks?

OP, have you recently hung some new pictures or been hammering/screwing anything into walls, ceilings or floors?

dave030445

---lee--- wrote: »

It's not advice mate. There is a an electrician involved and as he's the guy onsite, only he can make the appropriate diagnosis and fix.

I can't see why isolating a damaged cable would be such a bad idea, it's better than tearing the whole place up - but perhaps you could expand instead of just making flippant remarks?

OP, have you recently hung some new pictures or been hammering/screwing anything into walls, ceilings or floors?

so what is it
At the moment the breaker is in the on position so isolating one leg of the ring (if on a ring) will not help. :rotfl:

blackcloud

Thanks for all your replies.
Well at 3pm today the switch went again as usual which it does every few hours. I tried to turn it on but it would not stay on, so had no heating, hot water, no plugs working (still had lights).
I called an emergency electrician and he came out and and said "who installed this RCCB?!! its put in like an amature!" It was installed by the letting agents landlord (thats another issue about the letting agents not helping and dont really want to go into that but they are not helping and I am having to get things done myself, but thats another issue)

Also he said there was a wiring fault somewhere and would mean a whole day of going though all the electric in the house to find out where it was and that he has somehow bypassed the issue which means we will continue to get electric like we did before (ie everything working excpet 6 wall sockets). He assured me it would not fail (although not sure how he can assure me it wont fail) but it was only a temporary fix and it had to be fully repaired asap. I had to pay £120.00 for him to come out and fix it.

He checked the appliacanes like the other guy and the sockets and couldnt find any faults with them.

ANyhow, he said "Well the letting agents have a duty to repair this as its hazzardus and needs fixing" I explained the letting agents are not helping and asked if he could do what needs to be done and he said he could be it would be around £400- £500 pounds and a whole day.

hung some new pictures or been hammering/screwing anything into walls, ceilings or floors?

Nothing for a while now now no.

Did he open the consumer unit (fuse box) and check the connections to the breakers inside?

Yes the guy today and yesterday did. I think.

Was he a registered electrician?

I think so.

thescouselander

I hadn't realised your place was rented. In that case it would be best to force the landlord into fixing it and it is definitely not your responsibility to sort this out. If you're not getting anywhere by asking nicely perhaps you need to threaten legal action.

martindow

thescouselander wrote: »

I hadn't realised your place was rented. In that case it would be best to force the landlord into fixing it and it is definitely not your responsibility to sort this out. If you're not getting anywhere by asking nicely perhaps you need to threaten legal action.

If the landlord won't do anything your local authority will have a department dealing with lettings (private rentals not just council houses). They have considerable powers and can enforce repairs.

OP, it may be worth posting on the house buying, renting and selling board. This is really a landlord and tenant problem and you should not be spending money sorting out the LL's responsibilities.

Risteard

It is shocking (pun intended) and outrageous that this "Electrician" thought it appropriate to bypass a safety device (functioning correctly) even as a temporary measure.

thescouselander

Risteard wrote: »

It is shocking (pun intended) and outrageous that this "Electrician" thought it appropriate to bypass a safety device (functioning correctly) even as a temporary measure.

Not sure where you got that from - how to you know the electrician bypassed any safety devices? All we know is the OP said the issue was bypassed - they didn't provide any technical details on what was done. For all we know the electrician might have just disconnected the faulty ring.