Weird issue cuts out all sockets in house

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I have a garage which just has a new consumer unit installed. The building, separate to the house, takes its 13amp supply from the main house.

I'm installing some lighting on one of the circuits on the board, all switches are off and I'm freely touching the copper. No current.

When I put my metal screwdriver across and bridge the wires it knocks out all the sockets in the house.

Keeping in mind the garage consumer unit circuit is off.

What's causing this?
 
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You are probably shorting out neutral and earth and tripping an RCD or RCBO.
 
A fault between Neutral and Earth can trip an RCD even though the MCB for that circuit is switch OFF.

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Last edited:
Presumably you've left the main switch (on the garage CU) on while you"re working on the lighting circuit? Bad habit to get in to
 
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So does the fault lie with the consumer unit in the garage that has just been installed? If I tell the electrician he should know what to look for. He's coming back to do the full test on the building.
 
Is it an RCD/RCBO that is tripping in the house (if it is it'll have a TEST button on it).
If thats a yes then low odds there is any fault in the garage CU, most likely cause is you not isolating properly before starting to work.
 
So does the fault lie with the consumer unit in the garage that has just been installed?
When I put my metal screwdriver across and bridge the wires it knocks out all the sockets in the house.

The only fault is the short circuit you created with your metal screw driver, The RCD is doing exactly what it is intended to do.
 
The only fault is the short circuit you created with your metal screw driver, The RCD is doing exactly what it is intended to do.

The OP mentioned "all switches are off". That suggests the main switch has not been correctly wired or is faulty.
 
The OP mentioned "all switches are off". That suggests the main switch has not been correctly wired or is faulty.

not to me.

it suggests to me that if he meant the Main Switch was off, he would have said so.

Which is also more probable.
 
Freely touching the copper?

Why would you turn off all switches except the main switch?

I guess only the OP can confirm.

Potentially worrying that a consumer unit has been wired to a "13A supply" though. Although it might be perfectly safe, it's an odd configuration.
 

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