Electrics keep tripping... Please help me diagnose it.

Driver4 · 5 Oct 2010

Hi, I'm having an issue with the electrics tripping and need some help diagnosing the problem. The current setup has the lights and power sockets for the different rooms on individual switches on the consumer unit.

Last Sunday evening the electrics in my living room/hallway and kitchen tripped. I flipped both the living room/hallway and kitchen switches back up but after a few minutes the electrics tripped again. So to narrow the problem, I just flipped the kitchen switch and it was fine. I left it like this for a day and no problem. Today I flipped the living room/hallway switch and after around 2 hours the electrics tripped. This led me to believe there was a problem with the living room/hallway so I unplugged everything and flipped the switch back up but again after a couple of hours it tripped. I haven't tried the living room/hallway switch flipped up with the kitchen switch down as we have a fridge freezer and I don't want to switch it off unless I absolutely have to.

Is there anything else can I check before calling in an electrician?

When the electrics trip, it only knocks out the kitchen and living room/hallway. I'm not sure why they are both affected as they are on separate switches. All the lights and power sockets in the other rooms are fine.

Can something in the kitchen affect the living room/hallway even though they're on different switches?

Any help much appreciated.

Taylortwocities · 5 Oct 2010

Here we go, again.

Your starter question, for 10 points......
The device that trips, what -exactly - is written in it?

Does it say something like B32, or does it say 30mA or 0.03amp, etc

And, post a picture of the fuseboard and indicate what is "tripping".

Driver4 · 6 Oct 2010

Thanks for the reply, I've attached a couple of images of the consumer unit. "Kitchen Sock" is the kitchen sockets which are fine and "Down Sock" next to it on the right is the living room/hallway which keeps tripping. Let me know if you need any further info.

Diyisfun · 6 Oct 2010

Taylortwocities..I would have also asked 'Have you had any work carried out recently'.

holmslaw · 6 Oct 2010

Driver4 · 6 Oct 2010

Diyisfun said:
Taylortwocities..I would have also asked 'Have you had any work carried out recently'.

No work carried out recently although I did have the exact same problem this time last year. In the end, I just waited a few days before flipping the switch back up and it was fine ever since. I could do the same this time but I'd like to know what's causing it as there's clearly a problem.

Driver4 · 6 Oct 2010

holmslaw said:
You're going to need an electrician with the proper test equipment. It seems you have an existing incorrect connection between two separate circuits and a L-N fault on the 'living room/hallway switch'.

Is this something I can do myself with the right equipment? I don't mind calling in an electrician but I'd like to diagnose as much as I can myself (with the help of the forum) so it doesn't cost me the earth!

holmslaw · 6 Oct 2010

Chri5 · 6 Oct 2010

Driver4 said:
although I did have the exact same problem this time last year. In the end, I just waited a few days before flipping the switch back up and it was fine ever since.

On the kitchen ring circuit do you have an external socket, light or feed to a shed ?

Reason I ask is that the climate has been wet, it was this time last year and water in a external lamp, socket or cable would cause exactly the fault you mention. Leaving it a few days (and it clears) suggests something is drying out.

Driver4 · 6 Oct 2010

Chri5 said:
Driver4 said:

although I did have the exact same problem this time last year. In the end, I just waited a few days before flipping the switch back up and it was fine ever since.

Click to expand...

On the kitchen ring circuit do you have an external socket, light or feed to a shed ?

Reason I ask is that the climate has been wet, it was this time last year and water in a external lamp, socket or cable would cause exactly the fault you mention. Leaving it a few days (and it clears) suggests something is drying out.

That's what I thought so I unplugged the outdoor light which is on the living room/hallway circuit but it still trips, even when EVERYTHING is unplugged on the circuit. I have a feed which goes to the garage but that's on a separate switch and I've switched it off from the mains in the garage to rule that out.

The only things connected to the kitchen circuit is the gas cooker (for the digital display), fridge freezer and washing machine. All the other small appliances have been unplugged.

londonboy · 6 Oct 2010

The last time I saw this was when damp in the wall was tracking down the conduit into the back of a socket outlet.

The wall looked dry but behind the plaster it was soaked.

Driver4 · 6 Oct 2010

londonboy said:
The last time I saw this was when damp in the wall was tracking down the conduit into the back of a socket outlet.

The wall looked dry but behind the plaster it was soaked.

Would I be able to see this from taking off the socket plates?

londonboy · 6 Oct 2010

Yes because the metal box behind was rusted to pieces, and was damp to touch.

Power off obviously

Driver4 · 6 Oct 2010

Ok thanks, I'll have a look. The kitchen was damp proofed some years ago but I guess it could have returned.

What I'm having trouble understanding is why the kitchen works and it's the living room/hallway that keeps tripping?

I'm going to try and leave the kitchen switch down and flip the living room/hallway switch up and see if it still trips. I'll report back later.

WabbitPoo · 6 Oct 2010

I am not an electrician. A few years ago I had a similar problem. The electrician found that the mcb was faulty. A replacement like for like sorted out the problem. What about swapping the two 32A mcbs over and see if the problem shifts to the other circuit....? Dont do this unless a spark on here says its OK!

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Electrics keep tripping... Please help me diagnose it.

holmslaw

holmslaw

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