Problems with electric tripping at night.

[Dande]

Ok guys. I just realized that the electric seems to be tripping at almost exactly 8 pm every night and it very rarely if at trips in the daytime.

I don't have any lights on sensors or anything. I have 2 external lights that are either switched on or off.

One of those lights didn't work when I put a new bulb in so there is obviously an issue but I thought they would be on the lighting circuit and not the downstairs plugs?

 

[Old Salt]

Is it possible you have an economy 7 meter/timeswitch or similar. My dad had a similar problem and it turned out to be the timer.

 

[Taylortwocities]

E7 kicks in a lot later than 8pm. Assuming it’s on radio controlled teleswitch.

 

[Dande]

I have Honeywell ST699B boiler control I think.

Strangely as I am sat here writing this the sockets have just tripped twice in a short space of time. The kitchen sockets went off about 5 seconds after the rest of the sockets. The main switch never trips. I have the tumble dryer and oven on but I don't understand how that can affect the upstairs/downstairs sockets? Is that possible?

 

[JohnD]

Strangely as I am sat here writing this the sockets have just tripped twice in a short space of time. The kitchen sockets went off about 5 seconds after the rest of the sockets. The main switch never trips.

you had better tell us what is written on the device that trips.

all the letters and all the numbers

and preferably attach a photo of it

to start you off, does it say "B32?"

does it have a test button?

 

[Dande]

you had better tell us what is written on the device that trips.

all the letters and all the numbers

and preferably attach a photo of it

to start you off, does it say "B32?"

does it have a test button?

Here is a few pictures of my consumer unit set up. Is that what you mean?

 

[Dande]

To add to what I posted above yes It does say B32 and here is a closer picture. It also says something about showing what type of fault it is by how the leds flash?

 

[JohnD]

yes

there are 7 circuit devices to the left of the main switch. all are rcbos which is good. which one(s) trip?

do you get any flashes after a trip? which pattern?

 

[Dande]

yes

there are 7 circuit devices to the left of the main switch. all are rcbos which is good. which one(s) trip?

do you get any flashes after a trip? which pattern?

I only just found that so next time it trips I will try and catch it and see.

It's the upstairs/downstairs sockets that trip nearly all the time but occasionally the kitchen will too.

So on average the sockets trip 3-4 times a night and the kitchen maybe 1-2 times a month.

I have been unplugging things to try and rule them out and I have nearly done them all.

 

[Dande]

I only just found that so next time it trips I will try and catch it and see.

It's the upstairs/downstairs sockets that trip nearly all the time but occasionally the kitchen will too.

So on average the sockets trip 3-4 times a night and the kitchen maybe 1-2 times a month.

I have been unplugging things to try and rule them out and I have nearly done them all.

Ok so it went off tonight about 8.15 and according to the led light flashes it is saying it is an series arc fault?

 

[333rocky333]

from the Schneider website

A series arc occurs when electricity intermittently jumps a gap between two or more points within the same phase. An example of what may cause a series arc is if a wire is only loosely connected under the screw terminal of a wall switch, and there are very small gaps between the wire and the terminal. If the gap is small enough, an arc may occur between the wire and terminal. Because a series arc occurs within the same phase, the amount of current is no higher than the load current itself.

 

[Dande]

from the Schneider website

A series arc occurs when electricity intermittently jumps a gap between two or more points within the same phase. An example of what may cause a series arc is if a wire is only loosely connected under the screw terminal of a wall switch, and there are very small gaps between the wire and the terminal. If the gap is small enough, an arc may occur between the wire and terminal. Because a series arc occurs within the same phase, the amount of current is no higher than the load current itself.

Yeah ok thanks. So really all the sockets wiring now needs to be visually inspected?

 

[flameport]

So really all the sockets wiring now needs to be visually inspected?

Possibly, but it could also be inside something that's plugged in.

 

[JohnW2]

I suspected that there was some good reason why I currently would be very hesitant to even think of having ('unnecessary'??) AFDDs in my installation

Kind Regards, John

 

[333rocky333]

I suspected that there was some good reason why I currently would be very hesitant to even think of having ('unnecessary'??) AFDDs in my installation

Kind Regards, John

I quess it will be a nightmare faultfinding in the future, worse than locating rcd trips.
surely switching a socket off under load could cause an arc, or even just a kettle switching off.