In the dark

[oay]

Apologies if this is a stupid question or has been asked many times before, but here goes.

For at least the last 16 years, I have had a Consumer Unit labelled IECOS 66-6H with various switches such as "Upstairs Lights", "Downstairs Lights" etc.

When a light bulb blows, for example in the downstairs living room, (usually at the point of attempting to switch the light on) then the "Downstairs Lights" switch on the Consumer Unit is tripped to the off position causing none of the downstairs lights to have any power. This is simple to remedy. I replace the faulty bulb with a new one and flick the switch on the Consumer Unit back to the on position. All the downstairs lights are now working again.

However, my problem is this. Out of the blue, the switch tripped to the off position (ie not whilst attempting to turn a light on). As far as I know, none of the bulbs are faulty. When I try to flick the switch back to the on position it won't stay there and immediately drops back to the off position. All the other switches are happily in the on position, so my mains is working as are the upstairs lights.

This has happened once before (about a year ago) and I had no downstairs lights for a couple of days, but remarkably it let me put it back to the on position eventually. I'm not aware of any changes to the circumstances - it just seemed to let me do it after having a couple of days' rest!

Can anyone advise what the problem might be and what I can do to rectify it?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Adam_151]

Does the breaker stay in the up postion if you switch the main switch off and try and push it up? or does it still spring back down as before?

(remeber to shut down your computer before turning main switch off, and to reste your alarm clock after putting it back on)

 

[oay]

Does the breaker stay in the up postion if you switch the main switch off and try and push it up? or does it still spring back down as before?

(remeber to shut down your computer before turning main switch off, and to reste your alarm clock after putting it back on)

Thanks for your reply. My PC's currently in the middle of a lengthy backup so I don't want to turn my mains off at the moment, but I'll try what you suggest later this evening.

Are you saying that there is a possibility that turning the main switch off will let me push the light breaker up (and stay up), and then turning the main switch back on will restore things back to being normal? If so, that's brilliant!

I'll report back later. Thanks again.

 

[Lectrician]

Are you saying that there is a possibility that turning the main switch off will let me push the light breaker up (and stay up), and then turning the main switch back on will restore things back to being normal? If so, that's brilliant!

No!

He is not saying that.

By seeing if it will reset with the consumer unit off, it proves the device is working mechanically. Turning the switch back on, assuming there is still a fault, would cause the breaker to pop again.

After the above test, I would switch EVERY light switch (from on to off or off to on, depending on what state they were in), and then try to reset the breaker (turning the consumer unit off again while reset it preferably).

If it still pops, the fault is either with something you have not switched off, or on part of the unswitched wiring, or something like door bell transformer, smoke alarm, or anything else permanently connected.

A good place to look these days is any energy saving CFL lamp - The electronics in these quite often fail, causing a L to N fault which will pop breakers immediately.

 

[oay]

Does the breaker stay in the up postion if you switch the main switch off and try and push it up? or does it still spring back down as before?

By seeing if it will reset with the consumer unit off, it proves the device is working mechanically.

I tried resetting it with the main switch off, and it still wouldn't stay in the up/on position.

Does this mean I need to call out an electrician? Can the individual switches be repaired/replaced or do you think an entire new consumer unit is required?

I'm still confused why, when this happened to me last year, the switch suddenly decided to behave again after a few days!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Does this mean I need to call out an electrician?

Yes.

Can the individual switches be repaired/replaced or do you think an entire new consumer unit is required?

They can be replaced. If that make is not available any more then the chances are that there'll be another make which will fit.

People here might be able to advise.

I'm still confused why, when this happened to me last year, the switch suddenly decided to behave again after a few days!

Maybe it was on it's way to becoming permanently broken.