Electricity keeps tripping - please help a newb

[Rich-G]

Hey all,

Don't know much about the electricity so hopefully someone can offer some advice.

I moved into a new flat a couple of months ago. The electricity trips every now and then, least more than average but nothing too annonying. Then the other night having built a new computer the electricity tripped again, unfortunatly this was worse than normal and im sure I saw sparks for a split second at the wall socket. When I reset the switch box and switched the computer on it immediately switched again. I reset the trip switch once more, this time with no appliances in, and when I switched on the kitchen appliances only (ones that I have been using for two months) it tripped again. I'm sure I saw a spark at the fuse box. I left the box in its tripped position and didn't touch it for the rest of the evening.

I rang the landlord who told me that if a contracter came out and found no fault, or a fault with one of my appliances I would foot the bill. I'm worried that a contracter will do some rather bog standard stuff that prehaps I can do myself with say equitment bought from Maplins? I was advised by the contracter to plug in each appliance one at a time to try and isolate if it is indeed one of the appliances. I followed the advice given and lo and behold no issues... In addition, I purchased a socket tester from maplin's and all seems well in that department. I've also replaced the extension chord I was using on the computer with a surge protected extension chord. I decided not to get the contracter out and wait it out. I continued to run the electrics as normal for a day, today it tripped again, immedaitely retripping when I reset the switch. One thing I did notice today though was that my girlfriend left her hairdryer plugged in (not switched on, but powered at the socket). The morning of the first set of trips we experienced the other day, she was usng the hair dryer and happened to trip the electrics. The thing is the hair dryer may not be the problem as when we investigated the first set of trips, it tripped without anything plugged in but the kitchen appliances... does this rule out the hair dryer?

The contracter I spoke to on the phone hinted that the fuse box could indeed be overheating after the first trip, therefore the subsequent trip minus the hair dryer being plugged in, may have been through heat and not through any other course - ie it may not rule out the hair dryer. Doesnt help that I have also got this new computer... could that be a cause? Its a 700 Watt power supply its running off...

What kind of things can I do to further investigate this issue? How can I test the RCD to see if its tripping prematurely (something the contracter said that he would do)... I don't really want to have the landlord of my flat invite a contracter out if theres a large chance that on the day all will work and I will end up paying the bill.

Can anyone here recormend anything else to try?

Cheers,

Rich.

 

[Rich-G]

Oh some other information that may be useful....

I live in a new flat. The RCD protects the downward bathroom heater, kitchen appliances, kitchen sockets, towel rail and sockets... Theres other none RCD protected stuff and also a seperate box entirely for the electric storage heaters. We never use the towel rail so havent even got it enabled at the fuse box. I have tried to isolate if its one of the actual switches here, like maybe the downward heater, but we don't really use this stuff... so may just be a red herring...

 

[viewer]

What is tripping, the RCD or the MCB?

 

[bengasman]

Has your landlord given you a copy of the periodic inspection report and the gas safety certificate, aka landlord certificate? The first is recommended though not compulsory, the second is very much compulsory (only if you have gas in the flat of course. Hefty fines for dodgy landlords. If your landlord’s first reaction is to threaten you with bills without doing anything to check if there is a problem, he could well be trying to bluff you.
Post a few pics of the fusebox, plenty of chaps on here that can tell a mess from a proper installation.
One very easy check for yourself. Find the gasmeter, there must be a thick yellow/green wire attached to the pipe within 600 mm from the meter running back to a connection on or near the fuse board. Ditto for the main stopcock on the water mains. If they are missing, or only one of them, your installation qualifies as dangerous, and your landlord can be in deep, smelly brown stuff. I forgot what it is called, but is has a habit of hitting the fan.