POWER UPSTAIRS WENT OFF
- Thread starter kking183
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I don't suppose there is another device labelled RCD or RCCB that has tripped?
my first thought would be a faulty MCB, they do fail sometimes, maybe try swapping the upstairs and downstairs breakers (assuming they are the same ratings) and see what happens.
Is your wiring ring or radial? what are the cable sizes and breaker ratings?
Is your wiring ring or radial? what are the cable sizes and breaker ratings?
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A faulty MCB?
A burn-out in the CU?
A break in a radial circuit?
You need to go round with a plug-in tester & see if you have any upstairs sockets on at all.
If not, you need a two-pole voltage detector & some fault-finding know-how.
A burn-out in the CU?
A break in a radial circuit?
You need to go round with a plug-in tester & see if you have any upstairs sockets on at all.
If not, you need a two-pole voltage detector & some fault-finding know-how.
depends how skilled and confident you are, and what test instruments you have.
I'm thinking a failed MCB, or at least one, possibly two
damaged cables or loose connections. Sometimes a loose connection will burn through as it overheats. To lose all power on the ring it would probably be bad enough that you should see or smell the heat damage
Cables are most often damaged by drilling or nailing through them in a wall or floor.
What make and model is your consumer unit?
Have you got a multimeter where the insulated probes have fingerguards and just a small bit of metal showing at the pointed tip? If not, go and buy one (only about £10 in the high street). If it has, or you can get, insulated crocodile-clip ends to fit, that will also be useful but you might need a better electrical or electronics shop for these.
Are you willing to open your CU? (it is vital to turn it off first)
If you have a digital camera, it will help a lot of you post a pic of the CU, also the cables connecting it to the meter, the meter itself, the service head that supplies it, and all the cables around it.
//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=129539
If there are any stickers on the CU, a picture so we can read them may also give useful information.
Preferably do this before you open it.
BTW if you ever remove or refit an MCB, always wind out the busbar-fixing screw as far as it will go. A mistake that sometimes happens is to fit them so that the busbar is not gripped properly when they are tightened as it has not gone in right.
I'm thinking a failed MCB, or at least one, possibly two
damaged cables or loose connections. Sometimes a loose connection will burn through as it overheats. To lose all power on the ring it would probably be bad enough that you should see or smell the heat damageCables are most often damaged by drilling or nailing through them in a wall or floor.
What make and model is your consumer unit?
Have you got a multimeter where the insulated probes have fingerguards and just a small bit of metal showing at the pointed tip? If not, go and buy one (only about £10 in the high street). If it has, or you can get, insulated crocodile-clip ends to fit, that will also be useful but you might need a better electrical or electronics shop for these.
Are you willing to open your CU? (it is vital to turn it off first)
If you have a digital camera, it will help a lot of you post a pic of the CU, also the cables connecting it to the meter, the meter itself, the service head that supplies it, and all the cables around it.
//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=129539
If there are any stickers on the CU, a picture so we can read them may also give useful information.
Preferably do this before you open it.
BTW if you ever remove or refit an MCB, always wind out the busbar-fixing screw as far as it will go. A mistake that sometimes happens is to fit them so that the busbar is not gripped properly when they are tightened as it has not gone in right.
So ---
You didn't find any loose connections and yet a mechanical disturbance cleared the fault. Something is loose in there. For your next test, try to recreate the fault by gently tapping the CU and the individual breakers, especially the one for the upstairs sockets.
You didn't find any loose connections and yet a mechanical disturbance cleared the fault. Something is loose in there.
For your next test, try to recreate the fault by gently tapping the CU and the individual breakers, especially the one for the upstairs sockets.have a look from above (using a torch) to see if all the red wires are clamped into the terminal (you may be able to see how there is a moving clamp, and it is possible for wires to be on the wrong side of it.
If not, TURN OFF THE POWER and inspect the bottom connections of the MCBs, where you will find a copper tab off a busbar is gripped by equivalent screw clamps (this is where they are most often wrongly fitted). If you see any heat discolouration this is a good clue. You can use a suitable screwdriver (preferablr an insulated one) to check screws for tightness. You must check for dead before touching anything or using a screwdriver. You will find sets of "VDE" screwdrivers which have red and yellow handles.
You will also find a row of black wires going into a brass bar, these are less often loose as they are easier to see.
If not, TURN OFF THE POWER and inspect the bottom connections of the MCBs, where you will find a copper tab off a busbar is gripped by equivalent screw clamps (this is where they are most often wrongly fitted). If you see any heat discolouration this is a good clue. You can use a suitable screwdriver (preferablr an insulated one) to check screws for tightness. You must check for dead before touching anything or using a screwdriver. You will find sets of "VDE" screwdrivers which have red and yellow handles.
You will also find a row of black wires going into a brass bar, these are less often loose as they are easier to see.
Not all VDE tools have red/yellow handles, and I'd not be surprised to learn that not all red/yellow tools are VDE approved...
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