Vacuum cleaner trips out fuse.

[jonboy1970]

Hi there...
When ever we use the vacuum cleaner upstairs,the fuse on the upstairs sockets trips out as soon as the vacuum cleaner is turned on.

I take it thats its a fair assumption that if the fuse inside the plug is not blowing then the initail surge is less than 13 amps..


I have noticed that the labeling on the fuses is incorrect and the wiring from the upstairs sockets is actually on the fuse labelled up damp course??
There are 3 wires going into this damp course fuse.(2 red,1 brown)
And the upstairs sockets fuse is not used.
I have tried switching to the correctly labelled fuse ,however the vacuum then tripped the rcd.

Damp course fuse is a B6
Upstairs sockets are the same as the downstairs and fuse rating is a B32

The vacuum doesnt trip out down stairs sockets.

Anyway what id like to know is what could be causing the tripping out?[/b]

 

[Maxxy]

The vacuum cleaner

 

[Maxxy]

Seriously though, probably worth getting a PIR done, and getting your circuits properly identified and protected.

 

[JohnD]

You could also fit a new plug on the vac cleaner, with a new fuse cartidge in it.

Is the thing that blows a rewirable fuse? Or is it an an MCB? Or an RCD? When is printed or engraved on the thing that trips?

 

[securespark]

Isn't that "What"?

You been drinking too much 6X down in Hants?

 

[JohnD]

Who? Why? Watt? Which Welsh Witch?

 

[securespark]

I'm sure you slurred that "Which Welsh Witch"....

You have been drinking!

As long as it's 6X or Greene King, I'll let you off. But only if you bought it from that pub in the New Forest (whose name escapes me now)......

 

[JohnD]

You have been drinking! ......

No... it's the drugs

 

[securespark]

That's OK, then.

 

[Spark123]

Sounding like the upstairs sockets are on a B6 breaker that is not on the RCD side of the CU??. The initial surge of a vacuum cleaner is probably enough to trip the B6 breaker. To swop it to the RCD side of the CU would mean swopping the neutral conductors as well, although best to get it checked out first before swopping it over as you don't know if its a radial or ring main etc. I haven't got a clue what damp course circuit is either.

 

[JohnD]

There are some systems that say they prevent damp soaking into the wall by applying a low voltage to it... more often found in old stone buildings where a dpc cannot easily be provided. There will probably be a transformer and control box somewhere, and some wires going into the brickwork near ground level.

I suspect that the RCD tripping is because there is a different fault on the socket circuit, and some knucklehead had bypassed the RCD by using the 6Amp circuit

This may be a good time to ask friends and neighbours if they recommend a good qualified local electrician.

p.s. I suspect the two red wires are for the socket ring and the brown is for the damp system... of course I don't really know because I can't see it. But remember that if you move those two Reds to the RCD side, you must move their associated Blacks to the RCD Neutral bar as well.

 

[jonboy1970]

Thanx Spark ..And John
At last some people with a sensible answer..
Yeah you're spot on regarding the side of the B6 fuse being on the opposite side to the RCD.

Left side
RCD
80
Amp

B32
Sockets
Kitchen

B16
Combi
Boiler

B32
Not in
use

B32
sockets
upstairs

Gap


Gap



Right side
B6
Damp
Course

B32
Front
Sockets
Downstairs

B6
lights
up

B6
lights
down

Mains
Trip
100
amp


read the above from left to right..
These are all labelled as you see ,but the one that isnt was all ready mentioned in my first post.





What you see above is the layout of the MCB

As you said Spark the neutrals located on the right hand side
So if i moved the neutrals for the upstairs sockets as well as the lives would this stop the tripping out?

 

[Spark123]

Yes they would need swopped over, but to reiterate what I said before you may not have a 2.5mm² upstairs ring socket circuit hence connecting to a 32A MCB would be wrong. This is why it is important to have it checked by an electrician (who'll probably swop it over for you too).

 

[2scoops0406]

I'm sure you slurred that "Which Welsh Witch"....

You have been drinking!

As long as it's 6X or Greene King, I'll let you off. But only if you bought it from that pub in the New Forest (whose name escapes me now)......

[pedant]6x is brewed by Wadworths of Devizes,Wiltshire and Greene King is based in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. [/pedant]