Cooker & Double sockets issue

[ipbr21054]

Hi,
We have visited our daughter in her new house.
Whilst using the oven she started to make a cup of tea but after say 15 seconds of the kettle being switched on the fuse tripped.
Looking at the fuse that was tripped the label reads Boiler.
The gas boiler in the kitchen cupboard has a green led.
So on these fuse we have Boiler, Oven, 2 Double Sockets.
Obviously the kettle was in one double socket when it tripped.
Strange as there is another double socket on the opposite wall also in the kitchen but wasn't affected so must be on another circuit.
Resetting the fuse & turning oven off the kettle boiled fine like it should do.
After 5 minutes we boiled the kettle again but when the cooker was switched on it tripped again.

What are your thoughts of the 2 double sockets & Boiler on the same circuit as the oven ?

 

[flameport]

What are your thoughts of the 2 double sockets & Boiler on the same circuit as the oven ?

Nothing wrong with that provided the circuit is designed for such things - yours appears not to be, or there is some fault.

What is written on the device that trips, and does it have a test button?
Or post a picture of it.

 

[ipbr21054]

Hi,
The device that trips is the main consumer unit.
It trips flipping the switch down for this circuit which is labelled boiler.
Flipping it back up turns it back on.
All the other trip switches in the consumer unit are unaffected.

I thought Coker on its own switch and all downstairs sockets on there own.

 

[EFLImpudence]

The main consumer unit is not a device that trips.

What is written on the device that trips, and does it have a test button?
Or post a picture of it.

 

[sparkwright]

It would be useful to know a little about the device that trips.

We need to know the rating in amps (A).

We also need to know if it is an MCB or an RCBO (an RCBO has a test button).

We also need to be sure if the there is a fault on the cooker or kettle (you haven't necessarily ruled this out yet) which could be causing the tripping.

By you telling us the rating of the MCB or RCBO in A we can tell if this is a simple overloading problem.

 

[ipbr21054]

KIT SKT Boiler is the one that trips.

 

[ipbr21054]

Using the cooker on its own and the boiler green led on all is ok.

Using the kettle with the boiler green led on is ok.

Boiler & Kettle with boiler green light on trips.
Boiler & Kettle don't like each other.

 

[sparkwright]

16 amp MCB (with seperate RCD).

Almost certainly overloading issue.

Best thing to do is either not use kettle and that oven together, or see if there is a socket on another circuit to plug the kettle in.

 

[ipbr21054]

So she moved in 1 week ago and the previous owner issued a very recent signed off electrical certificate.
Is this then incorrect in respect of its test checks etc ?

 

[sparkwright]

It's not wrong as such, just badly designed.

It may be possible to upgrade the MCB to 20 or 25 amps, BUT AN ELECTRICIAN WOULD HAVE TO CHECK ALL THE WIRING IS SUITABLE FIRST, SO DON'T TAKE IT UPON YOURSELF TO DO THIS.

 

[mfarrow]

The setup is very strange. Unusual to find socket circuits on 16A MCB. Usually you'd expect 20A devices if radial circuits, or 32A if rings.

Also, the lack of proper ingress protection at the top of the consumer unit tells me it's not been installed by a professional. I'm also surprised to see a single device for lights rather than separate circuits up & down: probably a bodge to get around a borrowed neutral on the landing. Also a mix of ages of MCB (clear by the Hager logo).

I'd get a real electrician in to look at it all.

 

[ipbr21054]

No I won't and just as well it happened whiles we were here.
I thought a cooker would be on its OWN trip in the consumer unit the say downstairs and/or kitchen sockets on there own trip, well my house is.

 

[sparkwright]

A single oven under 3 kW would often be put on a socket circuit if it meant less work!

The wiring does appear to be a little unusual, in that, as you say, there arent simple circuits like kitchen sockets, upstairs sockets, downstairs sockets.

But it is very common, especially in older houses, to have less conventional circuit arrangements, as your daughter has. Not necessarily wrong, but often the result of older wiring, and having things added to it.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Lateral thinking:

Your daughter doesn't actually have a 'cooker circuit' nor apparently a 'cooker' - but an 'oven' plugged into one of the kitchen sockets.

Does she have a gas hob?

 

[ipbr21054]

Yes, electric oven & Gas hob.
Looking at the consumer unit it does have separate up & down lights/sockets.