Consumer unit tripping; advice please.

[cerclebois]

Recently our consumer unit, a Memera 2000, has tripped several times. All instances so far have been when we were out or at night. In all cases most items are off with only TV and PVR on standby. Combi boiler central heating is off, waher drier too. That only leaves the fridge and frezzer active.


Our house was built in 1971 and we moved in mid 2002, and found the previous owner had been a should not have done it himself man. To correct his misdemeanours we had an electrician in.

ate 2002 we had the kitchen and utilty room refitted, at which time the old fuse box was replaced with the CU by a qualified electrician.

Sorry about the image quality, The items covered by the brown switches left to right


Garage and front door sockets

Utilty room, boiler, fridge

Sockets

Cooker
========

WC fan heater

Downstairs lights

Upstairs lights


I am not a DIY man amd will be calling in a qualified electrician. However I would like your thoughts on what the cause of the trips might be, and what might be a way I could have some idea the fault lies, also anything non leccy I could look at in likely faulty equipment,

Over to you!

 

[EFLImpudence]

Which one is tripping? The double red one (RCCB) in the middle?

 

[cerclebois]

The red one in the middle with the rest button above it.

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

Any external lighting running off the garage/front door sockets?

(What are front door sockets?)

 

[kai]

Don't leave your TV on standby, or it's associated boxes, flick off the socket switch after use - solves the problems full stop!

I used to have the same problem of nuisance tripping, but killing standby solved the problem, and saved me some electricity costs in the process.

 

[cerclebois]

Just had another incident in midst of posting.. grr.
@Scoby_Beasley
The porch light appears to run within the lighting circuit, as does the outside security light. Both have their own wall switches, eiach side of the wall which separates house from attached garage.

There are two 3pin sockets by front door, into which are plugged my telephone base unit and the electric door bell.

@kai

ATM I will keep that one in mind, as I do record after I have gone to bed, it would be a problem to not use standby and the daytime incidences have been when no timer recordings were due to start.

Thanks both for the tips posts

 

[EFLImpudence]

The prime suspects are -

water ingress, integral heaters and motors.

It may be an accumulation of small faults, i.e. it may only happen when items are on together.

 

[cerclebois]

Water ingress: nothing obvious. Does it have to be much; could it just be atmospheric?

Integral heaters; do you mean like the boiler or washer-dryer, or something else? Both my examples were not working at the incidents' time.

Motors; I assume like the fridge and freezer.

I vaguely recall something about built up dirt and other gunge having effect on performance and so causing the sort of problem T'm having. Could that something to consider?

Missus is thinking fridge or freezer, both Kupperbusch, that are ten yrs old.

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

..... both Kupperbusch, that are ten yrs old.

Have I just learnt a new swear word??? "Not going out tonight, I'm kupperbusched!!!"

 

[viewer]

Believe missus and get them checked.
http://www.itv.com/news/london/update/2013-01-04/fire-brigade-calls-for-safer-fridges/

 

[Jaymack]

RCD's will trip on earth fault for various reasons, and usually when doing their job I find. For intermittent faults, a test is required on the circuits connected to the RCD, (and the RCD); using an RCD tester by a competent electrician.

There are recognised procedures to follow on fault finding. In addition PAT may be required to eliminate appliances, (appliances with no earth connection will not cause an RCD to trip, i.e. TV's etc.)

Regards

 

[bernardgreen]

For intermittent faults, a test is required on the circuits connected to the RCD, (and the RCD); using an RCD tester by a competent electrician.

Special attention needs to be paid to the insulation resistance between neutral and earth on ALL circuits.

An RCD can trip when there is a load on one circuit without any fault and no load on a different circuit that has a neutral to earth fault.

 

[cerclebois]

From the latest posts it seems that further actions by yours truly would be useless and even counter productive. So it's get that man in, methinks.

Thanks everyone once again for your contributions.

 

[Jaymack]

For intermittent faults, a test is required on the circuits connected to the RCD, (and the RCD); using an RCD tester by a competent electrician.

Special attention needs to be paid to the insulation resistance between neutral and earth on ALL circuits.

An RCD can trip when there is a load on one circuit without any fault and no load on a different circuit that has a neutral to earth fault.

Of course it will trip on N-E earth faults, the reason for installing the RCD is for protection against earth faults per se. As I stated, there are various logical fault finding procedures that can be used.

Regards

 

[xr4x4]

Just in case it's not obvious, or not been mentioned, It could be a cable fault.