Kitchen Electrics - any advice?

[StaceyW]

We have been having a problem with our electrics since February this year. The consumer unit keeps tripping especially, when it is raining (it has happened when it's been dry, which is really confusing!). When we switch the consumer unit back on we can put everything back on apart from the kitchen(sockets) . We originally thought this was due to the outdoor light but this has now been disconnected & it is still happening. We have tried unplugging everything & switching all the plug sockets off but the consumer unit still trips. We have had 2 separate electricians out who have tested every plug socket & appliance with no luck. It all comes back on after a period of time, and as it usually happens at night, it is either back on by the morning, or by the time the electrician arrives! The last electrician we had out thinks we might have a junction box under our floor boards under the sink that has got wet as our washing machine was leaking onto the floor but we have fixed the leak as well now. After fixing this we had ~96 hours when it didn't happen, but the storm yesterday has caused it to go off last night, and it hasn't yet come back on. We really need to get to the bottom of this problem as our boiler is on our kitchen breaker & we lose our heating when it happens. Is there anything else we can try before we start ripping up floors and walls??

 

[bernardgreen]

We originally thought this was due to the outdoor light but this has now been disconnected & it is still happening.

A Neutral to Earth fault in an appliance ( such as a damp outside lamp ) can result in tripping an RCD when another item is switched on. The faulty appliance can be turned OFF at the time.

When you say the outside lamp has been disconnected were both the Live and the Neutral disconnected. If the Neutral is still connected than the lamp could be the cause of the tripping

 

[JohnD]

post a photo of your consumer unit ("fusebox") with flap open so we can read the circuit labels, and the letters and numbers on the breakers.

and the meter and surrounding devices and cables

How old is the installation?

What do you mean about the power coming back on? On its own?

 

[StaceyW]

Hi, thanks for getting back to me. Have attached a couple of pictures of the unit. Also the electricity meter. I'm not sure on the age of the installation, we bought the house last year and it was here already. When it happens, we generally have to switch the 'kitchen sockets' switch down, and then all others will come back on. If we try to put it up, it will trip again. It usually happens at night, and generally, in the morning, we can then flick the kitchen back up, and all is OK. It's as if it has 'dried out' maybe? It then lasts for 12 hours, or a week!

 

[StaceyW]

A Neutral to Earth fault in an appliance ( such as a damp outside lamp ) can result in tripping an RCD when another item is switched on. The faulty appliance can be turned OFF at the time.

When you say the outside lamp has been disconnected were both the Live and the Neutral disconnected. If the Neutral is still connected than the lamp could be the cause of the tripping

View attachment 215916

Hi, all wires in the unit for the outside light were disconnected and taped up. The electrician that came last checked it all over and agreed that it was properly disconnected and wasn't the problem...

 

[bernardgreen]

all wires in the unit for the outside light were disconnected and taped up

Taped up wires in damp locations ( outdoors for example ) can still provide enough leakage via the damp tape to trip an RCD. Was the disconnection inside the house or inside the lamp ?

 

[StaceyW]

Taped up wires in damp locations ( outdoors for example ) can still provide enough leakage via the damp tape to trip an RCD. Was the disconnection inside the house or inside the lamp ?

Hi, the disconnection was inside the house. When the electrician looked at it, he put wire caps on also.

 

[bernardgreen]

Hi, the disconnection was inside the house.

OK so not the outside lamp. But still possibly a difficult to find Neutral to Earth fault coupled with the current load from some perfectly good appliance

 

[johnny2007]

We had a similar problem a few years ago and it was a faulty socket.
Been ok since the sparky replaced it (in fact, on our suggestion he replaced all of them in the kitchen).

 

[StaceyW]

OK so not the outside lamp. But still possibly a difficult to find Neutral to Earth fault coupled with the current load from some perfectly good appliance

Yeah, I think that pretty much sums it up! : ) I think I'm going to ask the electrician to put the boiler on a different circuit so that we can at least maintain heating and hot water. Then we can chase it down. The next thing is to have a look under the floor for the junction box he suspects is there...

 

[bernardgreen]

Just for clarification is the MCB that is tripping or the RCD ?

Hidden junction boxes are not a good thing when fault finding on random tripping events.

 

[StaceyW]

We had a similar problem a few years ago and it was a faulty socket.
Been ok since the sparky replaced it (in fact, on our suggestion he replaced all of them in the kitchen).

The electrician did test them all, and made a couple of adjustments. He's sure they are OK. It may be something that needs trying though if this goes on much longer...

Just for clarification is the MCB that is tripping or the RCD ?

Hidden junction boxes are not a good thing when fault finding on random tripping events.

The RCD thing goes and that means that everything on that side of the consumer unit goes off. The only way to get the RCD to stay up/on is to put the 'kitchen sockets' one down.