Electric tripping randomly

[valiant]

Any advice would be appreciated. My electricity trips out for no apparent reason – even in the middle of the afternoon in Summer when we are not using anything. There is absolutely no rhyme or reason to it. Sometimes twice a day then nothing for a week. An electrician has looked at it and says that he could be there for a week and still not get to the bottom of it. Any ideas?

Interestingly it tripped out twice in recent nights as storms passed over

Rgds

 

[Diyisfun]

I had the same problems. My case was that I had added an extension to the kitchen, an electrician had complete all the wiring including 1 or 2 extra bits.
I had been having the tripping problem for weeks(every 3 or 4 hours), I spoke to the sparky that did the job he had no idea. So I thought I would check all his wiring. Many sockets latter I found the little bugger 'it was a terminal that had not been made tight & was arcking.
So happy hunting.

 

[securespark]

What is tripping, an mcb, rcbo, or rcd?

If an mcb or rcbo, you at least already know which circuit is affected. If an RCD, you need to try and isolate which circuit is causing the problems.

I appreciate this is difficult if the tripping is intermittent, and the switch resets every time.

If it is an RCD or rcbo, then there could be an earth fault. Appliances that use water are common culprits. Things like imm htrs, kettles, irons, boilers, showers, pond pumps etc.....


DIY says it can also be down to a loose connection - this can be true. In my green days, I left a loose connection on a shower rcd, and it kept tripping due to heat build-up.

Give us some more info., please.

 

[valiant]

Thanks for the help. Not technical so not sure what these acronyms mean. – but its not individual fuses. There is a trip switch in the fuse box which takes out the whole house and garage and its that which keeps going.

Interestingly enough I had some electrical work done about 6 or 7 years ago and as I recollect this system was earthed and this trip switch installed in the fuse box (old house). I think the problems started then but have got worse.

Also interesting that you mention water. I have a marine aquarium in the garage and a submerged cess pit pump.

This help?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I have a marine aquarium in the garage and a submerged cess pit pump.

Neither of which, presumably, you can disconnect for any length of time....

 

[Qedelec]

Sounds like you have a TT system with an Earth spike. The main switch will be a Residual Current Circuit Breaker RCCB You will need to isolate the circuit thats causing it befor looking deeper into tha cct.
If its tripping in the day its unlikely to be the lights so you can rule them out. Try switching the MCB's that supply unneccessary items such as Shower, cooker and immersion heater.

 

[Steve]

if the main switch is a 100ma or 80ma RCD, try plugging the aquarium and pump into a 30ma RCD and see if that trips. If so, you have found the problem. If you dont want to replace either, then keep the RCD plugged in and then the whole house isnt cut off every time an earth fault occurs with one of them.

 

[TeesdaleSpark]

>>Interestingly it tripped out twice in recent nights as storms passed over

Lightning has been known to trip out my rcd.