Hi All,

My consumer unit is doing a funny thing. One of the bulbs went in my kitchen
and tripped the MCB on the consumer unit, so I dutifully changed the bulb
and tried to flick the switch back to the on position. Unfortunately it
wouldn't stay there. Presuming that there must be something else causing it
to go (I can't see what as it only appears to control the lights to the
kitchen and they were switched to the off position) I flicked the main
switch off and tried again. Even this time it wouldn't stay on and the small
coloured indicator also didn't budge.

Obviously there is something else wrong but I'm at the limit of my limited
knowledge. Can anyone give me some advice or is it time to call an
electrician?

Thanks.

"Fredrick Skoog" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

My consumer unit is doing a funny thing. One of the bulbs went in my
kitchen and tripped the MCB on the consumer unit, so I dutifully changed
the bulb and tried to flick the switch back to the on position.
Unfortunately it wouldn't stay there. Presuming that there must be
something else causing it to go (I can't see what as it only appears to
control the lights to the kitchen and they were switched to the off
position) I flicked the main switch off and tried again. Even this time it
wouldn't stay on and the small coloured indicator also didn't budge.

Obviously there is something else wrong but I'm at the limit of my limited
knowledge. Can anyone give me some advice or is it time to call an
electrician?

Thanks.
Take the new bulb out and try the mcb again, let us know what happens.

Fredrick Skoog wrote:

My consumer unit is doing a funny thing. One of the bulbs went in my
kitchen and tripped the MCB on the consumer unit, so I dutifully changed
the bulb and tried to flick the switch back to the on position.
Unfortunately it wouldn't stay there. Presuming that there must be
something else causing it to go (I can't see what as it only appears to
control the lights to the kitchen and they were switched to the off
position) I flicked the main switch off and tried again. Even this time
it wouldn't stay on and the small coloured indicator also didn't budge.

Obviously there is something else wrong but I'm at the limit of my
limited knowledge. Can anyone give me some advice or is it time to call
an electrician?

Sounds like something else is causing a short, which is still present: I
would think the most likely cause something wrong in the bulb holder;
failing that the ceiling rose above it. Unscrew them and have a shufti.

David

In article ,
"Fredrick Skoog" writes:
Hi All,

My consumer unit is doing a funny thing. One of the bulbs went in my kitchen
and tripped the MCB on the consumer unit, so I dutifully changed the bulb
and tried to flick the switch back to the on position. Unfortunately it
wouldn't stay there. Presuming that there must be something else causing it
to go (I can't see what as it only appears to control the lights to the
kitchen and they were switched to the off position) I flicked the main
switch off and tried again. Even this time it wouldn't stay on and the small
coloured indicator also didn't budge.

The MCB needs replacing if it won't stay on even when the main
switch is off. (Are you sure the main switch you switched off
does cover that MCB?)

Obviously there is something else wrong but I'm at the limit of my limited
knowledge. Can anyone give me some advice or is it time to call an
electrician?

Replacing MCB's varies in complexity depending on the make/model
of Consumer Unit. Some simply plug in, others can require quite
a bit of disassembly of the CU.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

Fredrick Skoog wrote:
Hi All,

My consumer unit is doing a funny thing. One of the bulbs went in my
kitchen and tripped the MCB on the consumer unit, so I dutifully changed
the bulb and tried to flick the switch back to the on position.
Unfortunately it wouldn't stay there. Presuming that there must be
something else causing it to go (I can't see what as it only appears to
control the lights to the kitchen and they were switched to the off
position)
Obviously there is something else wrong but I'm at the limit of my
limited knowledge. Can anyone give me some advice or is it time to call
an electrician?

Thanks.

I flicked the main switch off and tried again. Even this time
it wouldn't stay on and the small coloured indicator also didn't budge.


Either your MCB is knackered, or it may be of a type that needs a reset,
ie push the switch down further than the normal off position and then
back up to on. If indeed it only feeds the kitchen you must have
(at least) one other 6A MCB . AS a temporary measure pull the wire out
of it and stick it in with another 6A feed till you get a replacment.
Obviously main switch off first!!!

Allan.

Fredrick Skoog wrote:

My consumer unit is doing a funny thing. One of the bulbs went in my
kitchen and tripped the MCB on the consumer unit, so I dutifully changed
the bulb and tried to flick the switch back to the on position.
Unfortunately it wouldn't stay there. Presuming that there must be
something else causing it to go (I can't see what as it only appears to
control the lights to the kitchen and they were switched to the off
position) I flicked the main switch off and tried again. Even this time
it wouldn't stay on and the small coloured indicator also didn't budge.

If a MCB has tripped as a result of a short duration fault current (i.e.
like the brief short circuit that can occur when a bulb blows) they
ought to reset straight away.

Some models however can refuse to reset straight away if the cause of
the fault was a sustained overload for several minutes. Here the trip
mechanism is different (it relies on a bimetal strip like that used in a
thermostat), and the device may not reset until its thermal trip
mechanism has cooled a little. If you have a heavily loaded lighting
circuit it is possible you are seeing a borderline thermal trip as well.

If after a cooling off period it still fails to reset - even with the
power off at the main switch, then I would suspect that the MCB itself
has failed.

Obviously there is something else wrong but I'm at the limit of my
limited knowledge. Can anyone give me some advice or is it time to call
an electrician?

What make of CU is it? If you post a photo of it somewhere for us we can
advise on what options you have.

--
Cheers,

John.

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"Fredrick Skoog" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

My consumer unit is doing a funny thing. One of the bulbs went in my
kitchen and tripped the MCB on the consumer unit, so I dutifully changed
the bulb and tried to flick the switch back to the on position.
Unfortunately it wouldn't stay there. Presuming that there must be
something else causing it to go (I can't see what as it only appears to
control the lights to the kitchen and they were switched to the off
position) I flicked the main switch off and tried again. Even this time it
wouldn't stay on and the small coloured indicator also didn't budge.

Obviously there is something else wrong but I'm at the limit of my limited
knowledge. Can anyone give me some advice or is it time to call an
electrician?

Thanks.
Cheers Guys
I waited a while and tried again and it reset ok, seems like it may have
been a thermal issue.

Thanks again though