Help! RCD wont go back on...

[cam123]

Hi, if anyone could help me with this i'd be very grateful. I'm currently house-sitting for a friend and something has gone haywire. I don't know if i'm being an idiot or if I need to ring an electrician...

Ok so, we'd only been here about an hour when we realised the kitchen lights weren't working. On checking the consumer unit, the RCD was off but all of the MCBs were fine. The RCD would not go back into position and kept flicking back to off, the second time taking one of the MCBs with it.

The MCB that went off is labelled "wisebox" and we have no idea what this is, but more importantly even when that MCB is left off, the RCD wont go back to on.

The only way we can get the RCD to go back on is by turning off the main big red switch.

Any ideas? Does this mean that one of the actual MCBs has gone wrong? Thanks in advance.

 

[starspark]

One thing you can try yourself is unplug all appliances that are on the circuits on the rcd side and seeing if the rcd and mcb will then reset.
If it does gradually plug things bacvk in and see if something causes the rcd to trip.

Failing this you will probably need an electrician to find fault as it will probably require being in the consumer unit dropping neutrals and splitting circuits etc.

hope this helps

 

[chivers67]

Can you call your friend and ask them what this "wisebox" is and whereabouts in the house it's located?

 

[cam123]

My friend doesn't know what the wisebox is, he isn't very practical to say the least. Googling it, it seems to be something for remote controlled lights, which i can't see that they have, although they do have remote speakers throughout the house, they are still working though so it can't be that.

Am i wrong in thinking that if the problem is the wisebox, and it's MCB is off, the RCD should go back to on without a problem? Surely the problem is isolated already if the MCB is off without finding it and unplugging it aswell?

Or do i need to unplug other things from other MCBs on that bit of the board (ovens, kitchen lights etc.)?

To be honest, I just need to get the other things on that RCB working - i need the oven but not the wisebox!

 

[starspark]

you need to unplug everything on the rcd side.The mcb is only switching the line.
If its an intermittent fault etc then like i said the neutrals etc may need dropped out to identify the faulty circuit then rectify from there.
If after unplugging appliances and its still tripping then i strongly suggest you call an electrician to rectify.

 

[JohnW2]

Am i wrong in thinking that if the problem is the wisebox, and it's MCB is off, the RCD should go back to on without a problem?

Yes, you're wrong. I won't bother about the technicalities but, because the MCB only disconnects the live, but not neutral, it is a possible for a fault on that circuit to cause an RCD to trip even if the MCB is off.

I think you're probably going to have to get an electrician. If the fault is this 'wisebox', or the circuit it's connected to, the electrician might decide to simply (completely) disconnect it temporarily until your friend gets back.

Kind Regards, John.

 

[cam123]

Thanks very much indeed to both of you, I might go on a hunt for the wisebox and then call the electrician... I think it might be in the garden, controlling the gates and lights out there. Helpful to know that my "logic" is totally wrong too! Cheers!

 

[sparkwright]

I thought it may be a good idea to simply google the word wisebox.

How do I think of these things?

It looks like a remote controlled junction box for controlling garden stuff like lights and pond pumps.

So it may be possible you have a duff pump or moisture getting into something.

 

[JohnD]

with a bit of luck there will be a junction box screwed to the side of the house, or in a shed, and it may be possible for the electrician to identify and disconnect the source of the fault.

Look for a plastic or metal box, typically light grey, about 4 inches cubed but may be about the size of a telephone directory.

Also look for any equipment (probably outdoors) thaty has stopped working.

I reckon sparkwright is on the money.

Outdoor electricals often suffer from water ingress.