ring main keeps tripping

[smthdeedog]

Ring main keeps tripping,found three sockets metal back boxes with condensation in them which is dried out, ring trip again.

Took the face off ever socket on the ring main all wiring correct and sockets dry, ring keeps tripping. we then removed the rest of the legs in the ring except two the first socket on the ring and the second in the upstairs bedroom. which means it is now a radio, trip again.

Lost any theory oh no RCD mcb 32amp Wylex board keep tripping board only has a 100amp main switch. Nothing plug in half an hour trip!

 

[Chri5]

They have a socket in the bathroom

(I know in theory if the room is large enough you could have a socket, so I'd be interested to hear the dimensions of the room).

As for the ring, have you a tester that does continuity or a mega to check insulation resistance.

Without such you make a bit of a task out of faulting. Obvious things to do / check without a tester:-

Replace all suspect wet socket plates.
Make sure all wire cores are bright and clean, re strip if any have discoloured.
Make sure everything is dry- it is not acceptable to have sockets in high condensation / wet areas. Resolve that issue or you will have similar issues in the future.
If you have a similar rated mcb that functions correctly have you changed that over and replicated the fail proving the mcb functions correctly (Not a diy job / or something that should be done until circuit wiring tests done 1st)

What experience do you have ? No rcd on the board does raise a further issue regarding the bathroom socket.

 

[tonyelectric]

chri5 where did you get bathroom from

Sounds like wet causing an NE fault to me

 

[martinxxxxxx]

Happy Christmas

I have not seen a NE fault trip an MCB?

Sounds like they have more issues than just a bit of condensation in a couple of sockets.

The OP seems to be following a very long winded method of fault finding.

I would advise that he unplugs every thing and carries out a insulation test on the circuit.

If that fails then find the furthest socket on the ring remove it and test both wires independantley. Which ever leg fails go back halfway and do the same. Should find the faulty run within removal of 3 sockets.

If you lack the equipment, you should not be undertaking this work. It is simply not safe to just keeping putting the power on till it trips

Good Luck


Probably got water in a JB or nail through wire somewhere.

 

[Chri5]

chri5 where did you get bathroom from

Boxing day morning hangover made bedroom a bathroom

 

[RF Lighting]

It sounds like the client needs to employ an electrician with an insulation tester and some experience of fault finding.

 

[martinxxxxxx]

chri5 where did you get bathroom from

Boxing day morning hangover made bedroom a bathroom

I had a mate who did that, wife wouldn't speak to him for three days

 

[Chri5]

chri5 where did you get bathroom from

Boxing day morning hangover made bedroom a bathroom

I had a mate who did that, wife wouldn't speak to him for three days

It's so easy to confuse a open bedroom wardrobe with a bathroom toilet bowl

10/10 for the wit

 

[ericmark]

Unlikely that damp will cause a 32 amp MCB to trip. If it was conducting very quickly the heat produced would cause the damp to dry out.

In fact 32 amp used anywhere will produce a load of heat and so looking at something where the heat would not be obvious.

I can only think of one item that could use 32 amp without it being obvious and that is the immersion heater.

He says keeps tripping not will not reset so not direct short just heavy overload and he has unplugged most items. So have I found it? Yes I know an immersion should not be on ring main but some are. Something similar like towel rail where filled with water could get rid of extra heat maybe?

 

[tonyelectric]

good idea eric, could also be an oil filled rad with its element breaking down.

apologies for my NE comment at the top I misread the OP and thought he meant an RCD/MCB and imagined an RCBo

 

[bernardgreen]

Is there any pattern as to when the trip trips ?

Like it only trips when someone in is a certain room but never trips when that room is empty.

If there is something like that then suspect a cable trapped under a loose floor board or creaky joist that only faults when there is weight on that part of the floor.

Looking even more out of the box if you have a party wall has your neighbour's "electrician" added a socket in their house and accidently connected it to your cables.

 

[smthdeedog]

Nothing pluged in the circuit, stays on for a half an hour, trips, some time times after its trip and you try to switch it back on it goes pop and then you try again and it stays up for a versus time then, trips .Disconnected all but two legs on the ring still tripping. cable coming from the C.U to the first socket wiring fine up and out of that socket to the second socket wiring fine (trips) I give up and suggested to the client to run a new ring after all the ring has black and red cable which means old wiring system that needs upgrading if anyone agree? Three electricians and no one found the fault. It does sound like a short to me but where?

 

[martinxxxxxx]

Three electricians and no one found the fault. It does sound like a short to me but where?

I'd be pretty embarrassed if I went to a job and was unable to find the fault.

Who are the electricians that you are using?

In terms of complexity it is not very. Any electrician should be able to identify the faulty run of wire within a 3 hours or so, for a ringmain with up to 10 sockets on it.

An insulation test of each suspect run should readily identify the culprit,

Martin

 

[smthdeedog]

Nothing to be embarrassed about i charge £15 hour client was not willing to pay for the hours needed to find the fault! Yes if we spent more time eventually the fault would of been found. at one point i was willing to find this fault for nothing because it was doing my nut in! But it was christmas eve and I spent 6 hour on this job, the other electrician charge him a £100 so the client didn't want shell out any more money on a dead horse!

 

[martinxxxxxx]

Sorry I didn't realise you were one of the electricians involved. I thought that you were the owner of the property, I charge £50 per hour and I would like to think if someone called me they would agree to paying for one hour. If they fault was not traced in that hour. i normally have a chat and agree to cap the charge at 2 hours but stay until it was sorted. But that is just me. I also have a great piece of kit for getting to the root of these problems.

Kind regards

Martin