RCD tripping - why?!
 

My house was rewired 3 or 4 years ago and I have never had a problem
with it but now the RCD is switching the electricity off as soon as I
reset it. I have found that the problem circuit is the one for the
kitchen sockets and have disconnected everything and switched off the
boiler that is also on the circuit but this does not help. Is there
anything obvious I can check or do I need to get an electrician in?
Thanks,
TC

RCD tripping - why?!
 

TC wrote:

My house was rewired 3 or 4 years ago and I have never had a problem
with it but now the RCD is switching the electricity off as soon as I
reset it. I have found that the problem circuit is the one for the
kitchen sockets and have disconnected everything and switched off the
boiler that is also on the circuit but this does not help. Is there
anything obvious I can check or do I need to get an electrician in?

The obvious questions a

Have you changed anything recently, like fitted something in the kitchen
that involved drilling/screwing/nailing that could have damaged a cable?

Are you sure you have disconnected all appliances? With the boiler for
example are you sure its switch is a double pole one? Any appliances
with hidden connections like washing machines, cooker hoods etc? The
most likely cause is a fault in an appliance (especially ones with big
heaters).

The other possible causes would include water ingress somwhere (boiler
is a prime candidate), or cable damage causing a Neutral to earth fault
perhaps. Do you know what type of earthing arrangement your supply has[1]

You could certainly do some basic checks with a multimeter if you are
happy taking the cover off the consumer unit and disconnecting the
cables for the kitchen sockets from it.

[1] See the following if you need more explanation for this:
http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/electrical/...al.html#system

--
Cheers,

John.

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RCD tripping - why?!
 

"TC" wrote in message
ups.com...
My house was rewired 3 or 4 years ago and I have never had a problem
with it but now the RCD is switching the electricity off as soon as I
reset it. I have found that the problem circuit is the one for the
kitchen sockets and have disconnected everything and switched off the
boiler that is also on the circuit but this does not help. Is there
anything obvious I can check or do I need to get an electrician in?

If you're absolutely sure there are no other outlets on that circuit,
such as a cooker hood, or the igniter for a hob, the only easy check you
could do would be to take all sockets off the wall far enough to check
whether anything has come adrift behind one.

I had this problem in my garage, and discovered that a mouse had
explored a surface-mounted socket through an unused cable entry
knock-out. It tripped the rcd at the time, I now realise, but I was
able to immediately reset the trip. The mouse became unwell, and after a
couple of weeks became so unwell that the rcd tripped again and wouldn't
reset. I thought it was just a mass of cobwebs when I poked my finger
behind the socket, but soon realised cobwebs tend to be rather drier.
There are very few people on whom I would wish this experience (well,
not all that many), so I hope your kitchen problem is less unpleasant.


--
Kevin Poole
**Use current month and year to reply (e.g. )***

RCD tripping - why?!
 

In article . com,
"TC" writes:
My house was rewired 3 or 4 years ago and I have never had a problem
with it but now the RCD is switching the electricity off as soon as I
reset it. I have found that the problem circuit is the one for the
kitchen sockets and have disconnected everything and switched off the
boiler that is also on the circuit but this does not help. Is there
anything obvious I can check or do I need to get an electrician in?

Make sure all the plugs are pulled out too -- just switching off
isn't necessarily enough to stop a faulty appliance tripping an
RCD.

--
Andrew Gabriel

RCD tripping - why?!
 

Andrew Gabriel wrote:

In article . com,
"TC" writes:
My house was rewired 3 or 4 years ago and I have never had a problem
with it but now the RCD is switching the electricity off as soon as I
reset it. I have found that the problem circuit is the one for the
kitchen sockets and have disconnected everything and switched off the
boiler that is also on the circuit but this does not help. Is there
anything obvious I can check or do I need to get an electrician in?

Make sure all the plugs are pulled out too -- just switching off
isn't necessarily enough to stop a faulty appliance tripping an
RCD.

--
Andrew Gabriel

Thanks for all the advice. I (think I) have disconnected everything
and have checked all the sockets for loose wires but the circuit still
causes the RCD to trip. I think I'm going to get a pro in and hope it
doesn't need rewiring!

TC

RCD tripping - why?!
 

TC wrote:
Andrew Gabriel wrote:
In article . com,
"TC" writes:

My house was rewired 3 or 4 years ago and I have never had a problem
with it but now the RCD is switching the electricity off as soon as I
reset it. I have found that the problem circuit is the one for the
kitchen sockets and have disconnected everything and switched off the
boiler that is also on the circuit but this does not help. Is there
anything obvious I can check or do I need to get an electrician in?

Make sure all the plugs are pulled out too -- just switching off
isn't necessarily enough to stop a faulty appliance tripping an
RCD.

Thanks for all the advice. I (think I) have disconnected everything
and have checked all the sockets for loose wires but the circuit still
causes the RCD to trip. I think I'm going to get a pro in and hope it
doesn't need rewiring!

next step is to test the ring circuit the sockets are on with a
multimeter to see if insulation is bad. Sounds like a wiring problem on
that ring. Find the problem and at worst you just need to replace one
bit of cable. At best just poke a wire back where its meant to go.


NT

RCD tripping - why?!
 

RCD tripping - why?!
 

In article .com, TC
writes
Andrew Gabriel wrote:

In article . com,
"TC" writes:
My house was rewired 3 or 4 years ago and I have never had a problem
with it but now the RCD is switching the electricity off as soon as I
reset it. I have found that the problem circuit is the one for the
kitchen sockets and have disconnected everything and switched off the
boiler that is also on the circuit but this does not help. Is there
anything obvious I can check or do I need to get an electrician in?

Make sure all the plugs are pulled out too -- just switching off
isn't necessarily enough to stop a faulty appliance tripping an
RCD.

--
Andrew Gabriel

Thanks for all the advice. I (think I) have disconnected everything
and have checked all the sockets for loose wires but the circuit still
causes the RCD to trip. I think I'm going to get a pro in and hope it
doesn't need rewiring!

TC

Do check with a multi meter that you haven't got any Earth to Neutral shorts
anywhere, these can cause real headaches and aren't that obvious until some
current starts flowing!.

As to pro's.. I've yet to find one who knows what goes on with an RCD!....

--
Tony Sayer

RCD tripping - why?!
 

TC wrote:
wrote:

TC wrote:
Andrew Gabriel wrote:
In article . com,
"TC" writes:
My house was rewired 3 or 4 years ago and I have never had a problem
with it but now the RCD is switching the electricity off as soon as I
reset it. I have found that the problem circuit is the one for the
kitchen sockets and have disconnected everything and switched off the
boiler that is also on the circuit but this does not help. Is there
anything obvious I can check or do I need to get an electrician in?
Make sure all the plugs are pulled out too -- just switching off
isn't necessarily enough to stop a faulty appliance tripping an
RCD.
Thanks for all the advice. I (think I) have disconnected everything
and have checked all the sockets for loose wires but the circuit still
causes the RCD to trip. I think I'm going to get a pro in and hope it
doesn't need rewiring!
next step is to test the ring circuit the sockets are on with a
multimeter to see if insulation is bad. Sounds like a wiring problem on
that ring. Find the problem and at worst you just need to replace one
bit of cable. At best just poke a wire back where its meant to go.


NT

The electrician that came today decided that its probably due to
dampness in the roofspace area where the cable must goes - into a
junction box he thinks. This would be a real pain to redo and so for
the time being he's taken the circuit off the RCD for me to put back
later when things might be dryer. Not ideal but at least I have hot
water now!

The more relevant point is that the roof space is damp at all.

Its not the wiring that needs attention, its the roof.

Take this as a cheap warning of a potentially expensive problem that you
now have time to address with some urgency.

Get up there with your flashlight!

Now, whilst its ****ing with rain!

Note everything and take pictures!




TC