Massive thunderstorm and tripped circuit - connected?

[rubble2]

Just had the mother & father of thunderstorms - not seen anything like it for many years.

Anyway came downstairs from watching the Hail/rain/thunder/lightning etc. to find that the RCD protecting the downstairs sockets had tripped out, tried resetting it but everytime the downstairs ring main MCB is reset the RCD trips. Have unplugged all appliances but no joy.

It seems to be too much of a coincidence for it not to be connected to the storm but could the storm have caused a failure of the ring main MCB in some way?

I need to have a closer look tomorrow but am mindful of it being a bank holiday weekend so I want to have a clear plan of action to rectify the problem.

Thanks

 

[Taylortwocities]

Aha, rain.

If so I would suspect any electrical connections outside. That may be sockets, lighting etc.

An earth fault (water ingress) to either the live or the neutral will cause the RCD to trip. So remember that just switching off the switch to an outside light will not isolate the neutral connection.

 

[rubble2]

Thanks for that,

Fortunately I tried resetting the circuit this morning and found that it didn't trip out again so I guess that water ingress was the problem.

Strangely though the only outside socket we have is on a completely different circuit that powers the kitchen, the circuit that failed controls just the sockets in the two downstairs living rooms.

Still, everything appears to be ok today (apart from a leak in the kitchen ceiling- doh!)

 

[ban-all-sheds]

So remember that just switching off the switch to an outside light will not isolate the neutral connection.

General design tip for all: Always provide a double pole isolator in the house for circuits which go outside.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Still, everything appears to be ok today (apart from a leak in the kitchen ceiling- doh!)

That may be your problem. If there is a junction box in the kitchen ceiling then water may have got in there.

 

[rubble2]

That may be your problem. If there is a junction box in the kitchen ceiling then water may have got in there.

Don't think it is connected, the kitchen had a flat roof over the extension which was replaced with a pitched roof about 18months ago, the area where the leak is in beneath the void under the pitched roof so I know there is no electrical wiring there.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Once water gets in it's amazing what routes it can take.