Hello, hoping someone can help on this forum!
I have a 170 yr old cottage, and last year the electrics started tripping out through the night, at multiple times and during the day. Strangely it sorted itself and didnt happen again, until today.
I woke up and the electric was off. The main switch is a pretty old looking thing with a yellow button beneath. I tried pushing the switch up to put the electric back on but it would just trip back to 'off' again, on the 5th attempt, it stayed on, but then went off 5 times in an hour. I even turned every electrical appliance off, even fridge, clock radio, I mean everything, including CH boiler even!
The consumer unit has those pull out block fuses with bare fuse wire inside, ie there arent individual trip switches on a circuit. Over the years it seems a shower circuit has been added (with separate trip switch x2, one old and one new).
Im not sure if this is linked to the problem, but 2 years ago I was up the ladder painting the house and I put my hand on the main electric cable just before it joins the house. I got an electric shock off it!
Im sure the cottage does really need a rewire but I cant afford it at the moment. Can anyone hazard a guess how old this trip switch/consumer unit type is? any advice greatly appreciated!
I have a 170 yr old cottage, and last year the electrics started tripping out through the night, at multiple times and during the day. Strangely it sorted itself and didnt happen again, until today.
I woke up and the electric was off. The main switch is a pretty old looking thing with a yellow button beneath. I tried pushing the switch up to put the electric back on but it would just trip back to 'off' again, on the 5th attempt, it stayed on, but then went off 5 times in an hour. I even turned every electrical appliance off, even fridge, clock radio, I mean everything, including CH boiler even!
The consumer unit has those pull out block fuses with bare fuse wire inside, ie there arent individual trip switches on a circuit. Over the years it seems a shower circuit has been added (with separate trip switch x2, one old and one new).
Im not sure if this is linked to the problem, but 2 years ago I was up the ladder painting the house and I put my hand on the main electric cable just before it joins the house. I got an electric shock off it!
Im sure the cottage does really need a rewire but I cant afford it at the moment. Can anyone hazard a guess how old this trip switch/consumer unit type is? any advice greatly appreciated!