32 amp RCD in one of the power circuits at home does not stay on i.e. not working even if all the sockets are off. I have just replaced it with another working one and still the same. Then I replaced it with a normal 32 amp MCB and this one is working. this gives me the indication that there is no leak between the natural and the live but still can not understand why it is not working. Any help will be highly appreciated.
32am quare D RCD does not stay on
- Thread starter Zehroni
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32 amp is not a common size for a RCD, for a RCBO yes, for a MCB yes, but it seems you may be using wrong names.
Can you start again, so we know what your talking about?
You have a leak to earth. Are any of your sockets outside/under a sink or anywhere else liable to get wet?
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That is an RCBO, it is a MCB and RCD combined. Since an MCB works seems not an over load but earth leakage, and it is not easy to find, I have just treated myself to a tester,
on the right so I can test how much leakage there is, think it cost around £35 it was about the cheapest I could find, and also one of these 
can be used, the VC60b shown again around £35 and you have then got to learn how to use it, and since it uses 500 volt it can be shocking.
So in the main you look for likely problems, which includes unplugging anything not in use, as a neutral is rarely switched and a neutral to earth fault can trip the RCBO, and if you can't easy find it, then likely cheaper to get an electrician than to buy the equipment to test with, even if your willing to learn how to use it.
can be used, the VC60b shown again around £35 and you have then got to learn how to use it, and since it uses 500 volt it can be shocking.So in the main you look for likely problems, which includes unplugging anything not in use, as a neutral is rarely switched and a neutral to earth fault can trip the RCBO, and if you can't easy find it, then likely cheaper to get an electrician than to buy the equipment to test with, even if your willing to learn how to use it.
Unless you are sure that all your sockets have double pole switches, just turning them off is not enough, you need to unplug all appliances. You also need to turn off any switched spurs on the circuit (which should be DP switched). This is because a single pole switched socket does not disconnect the neutral and a neutral-earth fault in an appliance can trip the RCD.
but nothing has been added to the circuit recently it everything has been working ok for ages.
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Without an insulation tester it is highly unlikely you will find the fault, I remember a mate having a motor blowing fuses, and the multi-meter showed nothing, but the insulation tester showed nearly a direct short, they use 500 volt although also a 250 volt range, it needs this voltage to find faults.
It is unlikely it is wiring, it may be a socket which at some time got wet, or some thing plugged in, with my daughters house the meter showed the fault all power off, and I split the ring final worked out what side, then slowly socket by socket removed and tested, it was one retaining screw which was touching a neutral wire which had been caught when stripping the wire, a bit of sleeving and cured, but took around 4 hours to find.
I actually bought an insulation tester to do daughters house, this
one, but meters no good if you don't know how to use it.
It is unlikely it is wiring, it may be a socket which at some time got wet, or some thing plugged in, with my daughters house the meter showed the fault all power off, and I split the ring final worked out what side, then slowly socket by socket removed and tested, it was one retaining screw which was touching a neutral wire which had been caught when stripping the wire, a bit of sleeving and cured, but took around 4 hours to find.
I actually bought an insulation tester to do daughters house, this
one, but meters no good if you don't know how to use it.Insulation degrades, suppressor capacitors age, heating elements (especially) can get leaky with age. etc.
Surely it won't take that long to unplug everything, turn off all the switched spurs etc and check if the breaker will now reset?
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Some faults are intermittent, maybe an element got damp and has now dried out.
Yes, though start at the DB and see if there's a fault and go to a central point then work back or forward depending on where you find the issue
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