Consumer unit problem

[dazzacarmichael]

I have a split wylex nhr6604 consumer unit the old one had to be replaced and this one is in. Well the problem is after a bit of rewiring I had to do to putting in a extra light switch and improving the earth wires up to current specs the only section of the circuit that will work is that protected by the RCB, none of the lighting circuits will work in the unprotected section of the wylex where before they did. If I put anything in the unprotected section of the CU the RCB trips and the entire circuits go down.
please help!!! could it be the earth wire? as we got a doggy plumber in and he was working in the area where the new earth spike is?
Darren

 

[andy]

I have a split wylex nhr6604 consumer unit the old one had to be replaced and this one is in. Well the problem is after a bit of rewiring I had to do to putting in a extra light switch and improving the earth wires up to current specs the only section of the circuit that will work is that protected by the RCB, none of the lighting circuits will work in the unprotected section of the wylex where before they did. If I put anything in the unprotected section of the CU the RCB trips and the entire circuits go down.
please help!!! could it be the earth wire? as we got a doggy plumber in and he was working in the area where the new earth spike is?
Darren

1: no such thing as an RCB. you probably have an RCD.

2: exactly what did you do? sounds like a neutral in the wrong place

3: i dont think the plumber would have much to do with this

 

[has]

Sounds like loose connection on non rcd side,have you checked all connections in consumer unit especially bus bar, have you tested with volt tester. don,t take this the wrong way but are you sure you are competent as its not a place to be messing about if unsure.

 

[Adam_151]

when you are moving the circuits between sides of the CU, you are moving the neutrals as well arn't you?

 

[dazzacarmichael]

I'm a physics teacher and we call them circuit breakers sorry its a force of habit blame the national curriculum and me for following it.
my wife wanted an extra set of lights in the hall and an extra switch controling the light that is already their I wired in the extra set of wall lights on a new lighting circuit as I thought they that would be useful if the trip went as those lights are right by the CU so we would still have lights to reset the circuit. The problem came when I wired in the old lighting circuit into the fuse box it had been being run off of an old style 'fuse box' that was not connected to the new wylex but tapping off into it just before the wylex, I thought I would transfer it over to the wylex and get rid of the old fuse box, as soon as I did that circuit wouldn't work on anything other than the RCD and now none of the circuits would work on anything other than it where before they did. If I reconnect the old lighting circuit back into the old 'fuse box' it doesnt work. nothing will work unless its through the rcd and as soon as I connect it back into the circuit the whole thing trips. Could it be that the neutral and the live wire for the old lighting circuit were originaly round the wrong way (black live ect) and now ive wired them up to black neutral they arnt working.
Am I being realy thick the neutrals should be wired in to the neutral block if they are being controled by the RCD.
Daz

 

[andy]

there are 2 neutral blocks. (or at least there should be). make sure you have neutrals for RCD circuits in the RCD neutral. live and neutral bein mis-wired wont stop it workin, since current goes back and forth. if you got a neutral and earth mixed up, then you could expect problems. pics of CU (and old CU if still connected) would be useful

I'm a physics teacher and we call them circuit breakers sorry its a force of habit blame the national curriculum and me for following it.

in that case, your teaching people wrong info.

 

[dazzacarmichael]

Andy you are a diamond
Thats what I think Ive done I have connected the normal trips into the neutral of the RCD. that would trip the RCD wouldnt it?
please describe what would happen if the neutral and earth were in the wrong place as that could be useful.
Andy many thanks slag off state science education as much as you like mate I owe you if your right. Nothing beats a bit of experience.
cheer
daz

 

[andy]

Andy you are a diamond
Thats what I think Ive done I have connected the normal trips into the neutral of the RCD. that would trip the RCD wouldnt it?
please describe what would happen if the neutral and earth were in the wrong place as that could be useful.
Andy many thanks slag off state science education as much as you like mate I owe you if your right. Nothing beats a bit of experience.
cheer
daz

bein a physics teacher, youd know that current would return down the earth and thru the earthing instead of thru the neutral... and would bypass an RCD and trip it, altho it should be pretty obvious if you have neutral and earth the wrong way in a CU

connect neutral to the wrong bar and the RCD will detect an inbalance and trip. it doesnt know the fault is because its wired wrong, it just sees a fault and switches off.

 

[dazzacarmichael]

Its the neutral bar. Nothing wrong with the earths as all circuits work with the RCD and have been for the last 2 months and if it was down to the earth they wouldn't have worked at all and would still be not working.
no it all makes sense.
again thanks
daz

 

[Qedelec]

Andy, not wishing to be pedantic but the correct term is Residual Current Circuit Breakers.

 

[andy]

Andy, not wishing to be pedantic but the correct term is Residual Current Circuit Breakers.

but there RCCB's. not RCB's

 

[Qedelec]

Whats a 'c' between sparks?

 

[arctic]

and there is actually they're !!

 

[andy]

and there is actually they're !!

its not my fault i failed english!

 

[Qedelec]

I think all Jordies have the same problem. Way aye man