I'm stuck

[ryetee]

Last night the whole house fused. It coincided with me coming back from the pub and playing my guitar loud!! I fliiped all the switches back on and everything came back bar one - the upstatirs lighting. Soon as you put this on it trips out again.
Anyone got any ideas - I presume I've got a short but where to start?
I've tried removing all the bulbs in the upstairs but that hasn't worked.

 

[spark]

Are you saying that every MCB in the board tripped at the same time? When you turn the upstairs lights back on, what is it that trips? Is there an RCD protecting the whole board?

 

[ryetee]

Is the MCB master circuit board or what I would call the fuse box? If it is every switch tripped - i.e.e wenyt fromj on to off. I switched them back 1 by 1. This worked except for the upstairs lighting - everytime you put it to on it flips back to off straight away.

 

[ryetee]

a

 

[ryetee]

Is the MCB master circuit board or what I would call the fuse box? If it is every switch tripped - i.e.e wenyt fromj on to off. I switched them back 1 by 1. This worked except for the upstairs lighting - everytime you put it to on it flips back to off straight away.

 

[spark]

When you try to reset the MCB (stands for miniture circuit breaker) for the upstairs lighting, does it actually seem to 'blow' or will it just not reset back into the on position? Try resetting it slowly, you'll feel it if current is trying to pass through the breaker as it resets, it will pop slightly. Whatever you do don't hold it on for a long time as breakers have been known to explode. You say you've removed all of the lamps and tried to reset it. Try turning every switch so that each light is potentially off as well, even though the lamps are removed. If for example there is a problem with some control gear or a transformer, even though the lamp is out, there may still be juice supplied to that piece of equipment which may be faulty.

 

[ryetee]

Spark
Apparently there was a very short powercut last night and nothing to do with pub/guitar. Don't know if that makes a difference.

The switch seems to blow - when switching on it clicks whereas the others are all smooth. Tried keeping it in place - still trips back.

Tried what you suggested too with the switches. As far as I can make out this circuit is 5 lights - 3 bed, 1 bath and the landing light. Landing light is on a 2 way switch. I've had a look to make sure no ones run anything off this circuit and I don't think there is.

I presume I'm getting a short somewhere - how do you find those?
Could it be the MCB itself? Can I prove it without getting electrocuted?

 

[spark]

The easiest way for you to find out is to grab a torch, switch off each MCB in turn, then turn off the main switch to the board. Swap your upstairs and downstairs lighting MCB's around. You must be absolutely sure that the board is dead before you do it, especially if you've not got an uninsulated screwdriver. Turn the main switch back on and then each breaker in turn and see what happens. If the breaker's knackered then the downstairs lights will not work and uptairs will. If it's a fault on the circuit then the breaker will trip again. If you're not sure about it, then don't even attempt it. If it's the breaker that's had it, stick upstairs and downstairs in the same breaker temporarily until you can get a new breaker, just don't load the circuit up by turning on loads of lights. Let me know what the outcome was. Good luck.

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

You sure the mcb isn't a music critic

 

[ryetee]

mmm might leave that one until me hands stop shaking.
I'll let you know.