Perhaps someone can help?
Last week we were watching TV and the RCD for the downstairs ring clicked off. We clicked it back on and finished the program. Then afterwards it did it again whilst using the PC. So we decided to hit the sack.
Just before heading up we noticed some blistered gloss paint on a pillar in the living room. Investigation showed that the water main just before the stopcock (Typically) was leaking and beginning to spray. So I began disassembling the kitchen units for access and we called a plumber who came and sorted the leak. It was obvious that the leak had been going at a small rate for some time.
There were cables associated with the downstairs ring coming up of the floor here and there around the leak, but they seemed normal and undamaged.
We left it until the next day as it was now 2am!
Next day the downstairs ring RCD, a 32a one with the test button wouldn't stay on permamently, but would stay on for seemingly random lengths of time, from a few seconds to an hour, and irrespective of load upon it too!
It would click off within 3 seconds with nothing plugged in or loading it at all, to an hour with lots of stuff on, dishwashers going, kettles boiling etc?
I replaced the RCD for elimination purposes....... still exactly the same.
I spent some time trying to pin it down to an area, or an appliance or electrical device, but it seems totally random. I have thought I have heard the ocassional electrical 'pop' noise when switching the RCD on, but cannot honestly be sure about that one?
Two things have been mentioned to me, an intermittant neutral fault, and rodent damage.
It's difficult to get under the floor, so I cannot see if there have been any places in the wiring where water might ingress, or if the insulation has been gnawed, we did have a problem with mice though last year.
The problem seems to be limited completely to the downstairs socket ring, how might I go about testing for the fault?
Many thanks in advance.
Alex
Last week we were watching TV and the RCD for the downstairs ring clicked off. We clicked it back on and finished the program. Then afterwards it did it again whilst using the PC. So we decided to hit the sack.
Just before heading up we noticed some blistered gloss paint on a pillar in the living room. Investigation showed that the water main just before the stopcock (Typically) was leaking and beginning to spray. So I began disassembling the kitchen units for access and we called a plumber who came and sorted the leak. It was obvious that the leak had been going at a small rate for some time.
There were cables associated with the downstairs ring coming up of the floor here and there around the leak, but they seemed normal and undamaged.
We left it until the next day as it was now 2am!
Next day the downstairs ring RCD, a 32a one with the test button wouldn't stay on permamently, but would stay on for seemingly random lengths of time, from a few seconds to an hour, and irrespective of load upon it too!
It would click off within 3 seconds with nothing plugged in or loading it at all, to an hour with lots of stuff on, dishwashers going, kettles boiling etc?
I replaced the RCD for elimination purposes....... still exactly the same.
I spent some time trying to pin it down to an area, or an appliance or electrical device, but it seems totally random. I have thought I have heard the ocassional electrical 'pop' noise when switching the RCD on, but cannot honestly be sure about that one?
Two things have been mentioned to me, an intermittant neutral fault, and rodent damage.
It's difficult to get under the floor, so I cannot see if there have been any places in the wiring where water might ingress, or if the insulation has been gnawed, we did have a problem with mice though last year.
The problem seems to be limited completely to the downstairs socket ring, how might I go about testing for the fault?
Many thanks in advance.
Alex