Fusebox tripping - HELP!!!

fionnwilson · Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 12:12 pm Post Subject: Fusebox tripping - HELP!!!

Hello - hope you can help...
...our fuse box keeps tripping (only for the bedroom and front room). We\\\'ve had an electrician around who looked at the fuse box, all the sockets etc and said they were fine. He said he thought the problem was probably a faulty appliance but he also recommended that we leave the switches that were tripping in the fuse box switched on with no appliances at all plugged in in the bedroom and front room, and see what happens. He said if they still tripped with nothing at all plugged in then this would indicate a more serious problem. This is exactly what happened! Has anyone any idea what the problem could be, and also give me some idea of how big a job it would be to put right?
Thanks a million!
Fionn

JohnD · Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 12:32 pm Post Subject:

Might be mice nibbling the cables, might be a nail through a cable, might be that a socket has been replaced and the new one put in clumsily, loose wire of a screw pinching it, might be water getting in somewhere, might be an inexpert bit of rewiring.

If you've found a qualified local electrician (not a handyman) I'm sure he will track it down.

edited to say, my mistake, you say he's looked at the sockets. So mice or nails next to look for.

fionnwilson · Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 1:01 pm Post Subject:

Many thanks for replying

I'm assuming this could be a big job, a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack? Do you think floorboards being pulled up etc could be involved?

JohnD · Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 1:12 pm Post Subject:

The advantage of using a proper electrician is that he may have £500 worth of test equipment which will help him to work out where the trouble is. And of course if he's done a dozen similar jobs he may have a good idea of where to start looking.

If you know of any recent new curtain rails screwed to the wall, pictures hung, traces of mice etc you can point this out as clues.

fionnwilson · Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 1:18 pm Post Subject:

Thank you - you've helped put my mind at rest. One last thing - do you think we are in any danger??! Every time I go into my flat I sit there waiting for a massive explosion!!!

JohnD · Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 1:50 pm Post Subject:

You certainly have some kind of fault, and it needs fixing. If there is live cable, damaged under the floor, it could start a fire (remember that the fuse or MCB is sized to alllow enough current to pass, to run a couple of electric heateers, or three ovens) before it trips. Most likely it won't, but if I were you I'd leave that circuit off (take out the fuse, or switch the MCB so the circuit is safe), and get your electrician back (make sure he is a member of one of the industry schemes, which will mean he has achieved a level of qualification. If he is, he will probably proudly say so on his business cards and van. If his van is plain white with no trade name and he does not do paperwork, find another electrician).

fionnwilson · Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 2:00 pm Post Subject:

Thanks very much for your time John. Much appreciated.

Adam_151 · Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 3:33 pm Post Subject:

I would strongly advise that you don't keep reseting the breaker, it has been established that there is a fault. Without knowing the exact nature of the fault I couldn't speculate on what could happen, but chances are its generating some heat (no idea how much without knowing the fault), if it heats up, pops the breaker then cools down, then thats all well and good and a fire is avoided, but if you keep reseting it every time it pops, it could be causing the fault to get hotter and hotter, which could result in fire.

So if at all possible, switch it off and leave it off and use extension cables from another room until you have an electrician find and rectify the fault

PompeySparks · Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 4:11 pm Post Subject:

I'm wondering whether it is your RCD that is tripping (Main switch which may protect all or at least about half of the MCB's) or your actual MCB...

fionnwilson · Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 10:58 am Post Subject:

Adam...

That's what we've been doing - we're just leaving the switch off and running extension leads from the kitchen. It got too scary listening to the bangs!!! We've got another electrician coming round on Sunday to have a look. Hope he can find what the problem is...

Thanks for replying

fionnwilson · Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 11:02 am Post Subject:

Hi Pompey,

I have NO idea what an RCD is (!!!), but I will def mention it to the electrician when he comes round on Sunday. Thanks for your suggestion - all gratefully received!

Adam_151 · Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 11:24 am Post Subject:

An RCD will have a test button, thats probably the easiest way to describe how to find it

Link here: http://www.niceic.org.uk/consumers/fusebox.html

has some more detail

hope this helps

fionnwilson · Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 12:09 pm Post Subject:

Many thanks Adam,

I'll have a good look at my fuse box tonight and see what's what and whether or not I have an RCD!!

Fionn

clairenmartin · Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 7:32 pm Post Subject: What happened next

I have exactly the same problem what happened when the electrician came on Sunday. Are you all fixed?

securespark · Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:05 pm Post Subject:

fionnwilson wrote:

It got too scary listening to the bangs!!!

Having listened to many, can you pinpoint where the noise is coming from? This should locate the fault.

__________________
As George Michael once said, "..if you're gonna do it, do it right, right?"