My friend has a problem in her kitchen and I said I'd post up for her. On an almost daily basis, her sockets in the kitchen are tripping the consumer unit (sometimes several times a day). It's no one particular socket - just any socket in the kitchen. Any suggestions on what could be the problem please?
Sockets tripping consumer unit
- Thread starter Alison556
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depends whats tripping, an RCD or a MCB, if unsure try and post a pic of the consumer unit and go from there,
sounds like an RCD, possibly the fault is somewhere in the kitchen and when the circuit loaded up by ANY socket, thats when it trips
sounds like an RCD, possibly the fault is somewhere in the kitchen and when the circuit loaded up by ANY socket, thats when it trips
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Does the trip coincide with the boiler starting up? - could be a pump/valve.
I'm everywhere hahaha
She doesn't have a boiler - her hot water and central were supplied by a Rayburn (till it caught fire). She said that the other day, she had the microwave, grill and a slow cooker on and nothing happened, but she could go and just switch the kettle on or something like that and it'll trip - but it's not the one socket that's causing the trip - it could be any of them.
OK. That indicates an overload or short circuit somewhere.
What has the MCB got written on it? Something like B20 or B32 perhaps?
Does this MCB have a test button on it?
What has the MCB got written on it? Something like B20 or B32 perhaps?
Does this MCB have a test button on it?
OK, so we don't know the difference between an MCB and an RCD. Here's a pic - it's the 4th one in from the far right - says SCKTS BACK
She says that it's really random and sometimes she'll go to put the kettle on and find it's tripped or it'll trip when she switches something on.
She says that it's really random and sometimes she'll go to put the kettle on and find it's tripped or it'll trip when she switches something on.
D
Doggit
Unplug everything in the kitchen, and plug things back in one at a time to see if you can find a pattern.
that one is a 32Amp MCB, and should trip if there is a short-circuit or an overload.
An overload would be caused if you had more than two high power appliances, such as tumbledrier, dishwasher, washing machine, oven, fan heater, where the heating elements were all on at the same time. As all their heaters tick on and off according to their thermostats, they would not always coincide, so the trip might appear to be random.
A kettle and a toaster are also high power, but in a domestic kitchen are used so infrequently, and for short periods, that they wouldn't usually cause a trip.
With the range out of order, she may be using more electrical heating or cooking appliances than usual, or boiling water for the sink.
An overload would be caused if you had more than two high power appliances, such as tumbledrier, dishwasher, washing machine, oven, fan heater, where the heating elements were all on at the same time. As all their heaters tick on and off according to their thermostats, they would not always coincide, so the trip might appear to be random.
A kettle and a toaster are also high power, but in a domestic kitchen are used so infrequently, and for short periods, that they wouldn't usually cause a trip.
With the range out of order, she may be using more electrical heating or cooking appliances than usual, or boiling water for the sink.
She's already tried unplugging everything and plugging back in and all was OK. Sometimes she can get up in the morning and it's tripped but she's no idea what caused the trip. The fridge would still be on and it's been the only thing on all night but there has been one or two occasions when the fridge is off on it's own and the sockets are working.
We're starting to think it's either poltergeists or mice lol
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OK.
Try and give yourself a few hours for this exercise.
Start by switching all the MCB's off except the faulty one. Leave the main switch and the RCD on.
Go round and make a list of everything that works in the house or outside it, if there are outside lights, sockets or outbuildings.
Then go round again and if the appliance has a plug, unplug it.
All of them.
Ditto the appliances attached to the circuit via fused connection units (square plates with a fuse holder in them, either with or without a switch adjacent). Switch them off. All of them. If they only have a fuse, remove the fuse.
Leave the installation like this for 1/2/3 hours, as long as you can. Does the MCB still trip?
If it does, the probability is that it is a fault with the wiring, like damp or a damaged cable.
If it doesn't, then the probability is that it is a fault with an appliance or an overload scenario.
If it doesn't trip after disconnecting the appliances, reconnect only the essential things, like boiler, fridge, freezer, alarm etc...
If it still does not trip, use other appliances as normal, but disconnect them again after you have finished.
Sooner or later you should be able to narrow things down.
Try and give yourself a few hours for this exercise.
Start by switching all the MCB's off except the faulty one. Leave the main switch and the RCD on.
Go round and make a list of everything that works in the house or outside it, if there are outside lights, sockets or outbuildings.
Then go round again and if the appliance has a plug, unplug it.
All of them.
Ditto the appliances attached to the circuit via fused connection units (square plates with a fuse holder in them, either with or without a switch adjacent). Switch them off. All of them. If they only have a fuse, remove the fuse.
Leave the installation like this for 1/2/3 hours, as long as you can. Does the MCB still trip?
If it does, the probability is that it is a fault with the wiring, like damp or a damaged cable.
If it doesn't, then the probability is that it is a fault with an appliance or an overload scenario.
If it doesn't trip after disconnecting the appliances, reconnect only the essential things, like boiler, fridge, freezer, alarm etc...
If it still does not trip, use other appliances as normal, but disconnect them again after you have finished.
Sooner or later you should be able to narrow things down.
when the thing trips when shes there, does she ever hear anthing strange, apart from the sound of the trip clicking off.
usually a fault tripping that size breaker makes quite a bang or a popping noise possibly under the floor or behind cabinets.
However for the mcb to trip without also the rcd is very rare and suggests its just a case of too much plugged in.
I would say its hard for a rat or any animal to create a L-N fault simply due to the way cables made with a bare centre earth wire
usually a fault tripping that size breaker makes quite a bang or a popping noise possibly under the floor or behind cabinets.
However for the mcb to trip without also the rcd is very rare and suggests its just a case of too much plugged in.
I would say its hard for a rat or any animal to create a L-N fault simply due to the way cables made with a bare centre earth wire
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