Electrics cutout after drilling through ceiling but didn't hit anything

Ben1989

Hi all,

I was trying to install a ceiling light yesterday and my drill slipped and went fully into the ceiling. 10 minutes later the RCCB cut out. Turn it back on and then does the same 5 minutes later.

Thinking I hit a socket wire upstairs I isolated the upstairs socket circuit. The RCCB cuts out again.

Upstairs, rip up the carpet, rip up the board and I find my hole and it's hit nothing but fresh air.

Leave electrics off for an hour and turn it back on and it's remained on over night (with the lighting circuit still isolated as the light is still unplugged). We unplugged everything and are in the process of checking every single appliance. However, the absolute coincidence of that is extreme unlikely, in my opinion. 

I have some questions:

1) What could have been doing it?
2) Why has it seemed to have stopped (for now)? 
3) Is it possible for plugged-in items to trip it even though they're not being used (such as a drill)
4) I did kind of have to 'yank' the pendant a little to get off through years of paint applied to it. Is it possible to have physically pulled something? (even though it's remained isolated?

I appreciate any advice.

TIA

rob7475

The fact that the RCCB tripped 10 minutes after you drilled into the ceiling suggests that you didn't hit anything otherwise it would have tripped immediately.

I'd check the wiring into your pendant and make sure nothing's come loose in there. If it's not that, it's possible it's your drill that's tripping it - has it tripped at all since your drill's been unplugged?

tacpot12

I'd also check the socket where the drill was plugged in. A loose connection in their might have been disturbed when you uunplugged your drill. 

Ben1989

I initially thought I hadn't hit a wire because the drill was still in my hand and not launched to the other end of the hall haha.

I actually removed the pendant and it's just bare wires at the moment.

Could the drill trip it even though it wasn't being used at the time but plugged in? It has in fact not tripped since being unplugged. I keep mithering the wife for a cordless drill.

Thanks tacpot12, I'll give it a check. 

Eldi_Dos

When you pulled the pendent down could the cable have pulled another cable hard against a sharp edge affecting it's insulation.

Ben1989

I'm not sure I think the lighting circuit has it's on conduit and also it's remained isolated. I know nothing however,

FreeBear

Ben1989 said: I'm not sure I think the lighting circuit has it's on conduit and also it's remained isolated. I know nothing however,

"Isolating" the lighting circuit by way of the MCB only kills power on the live side (line). The neutral is still connected, and if the RCCB detects any leakage current on this neutral, it will trip.

Ben1989

FreeBear said:

Ben1989 said: I'm not sure I think the lighting circuit has it's on conduit and also it's remained isolated. I know nothing however,

"Isolating" the lighting circuit by way of the MCB only kills power on the live side (line). The neutral is still connected, and if the RCCB detects any leakage current on this neutral, it will trip.

So it could still be the lighting circuit that could be tripping it?

FreeBear

Ben1989 said:

FreeBear said:

Ben1989 said: I'm not sure I think the lighting circuit has it's on conduit and also it's remained isolated. I know nothing however,

"Isolating" the lighting circuit by way of the MCB only kills power on the live side (line). The neutral is still connected, and if the RCCB detects any leakage current on this neutral, it will trip.

So it could still be the lighting circuit that could be tripping it?

If there is a fault on the lighting circuit, then yes it could still cause the RCCB to trip.

Ben1989

Right okay. Thanks FreeBear. Drill seems to not be the cause

Ben1989

Cracked it!

The neutral and earth making contract were cutting it out. I just tested it