Residual Current Device (RCD) locked in OFF position

[ben67]

I very stupidly overheated an extension cable by using it for a electric heater. The mains on the curcuit automatically switched off and I expected to see the trip switch for the circuit to be in the OFF position. ( I have a Hager Consumer Unit).

However what has happened is that the trip switch for the failed circuit has remained ON but there is a RCD switch adjacent to it which has turned off.

Unfortunately The RCD switch seems to locked in the OFF position and there is some resistance preventing me from turning it on again.

There is a second circuit in the house which has lost its mains. This seems to be protected by the same RCD.

How can I get the RCD switch to to go on to restore my mains.

 

[Chri5]

I take it the offending melted lead has been unplugged from the circuit ?

Have you tried turning the mcb's on the rcd that's tripped off, then turning the rcd on and then turning the mcbs back on ?

What make is the fuse board, rcd and mcbs on the rcd ?

 

[Steve]

As an aside, RCDs provide significantly more resistance than MCBs to turn them on - they need more pressure to reset.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Have you tried turning the mcb's on the rcd that's tripped off, then turning the rcd on and then turning the mcbs back on ?

Ben - do try this, some RCDs will not turn back on while any of the MCBs are on, even if the fault which tripped the RCD has been cleared.

 

[ben67]

Thanks.

I turned off all the circuits in the house and got the RCD to turn back on.