HELP Tripping problems

[Sharpend]

And none of your ‘professional’ have thought to have you check this?? 
Are they young professionals? 

 

[PheonixFoX12]

And none of your ‘professional’ have thought to have you check this?? 
Are they young professionals? 

No they did not think to ask, I am not about to start ripping carpet and floorboards up since it is a main walkway through the house .

They are young professionals yes.

 

[Sharpend]

No need to rip the carpet it will lift and roll back! 

 

[PheonixFoX12]

No need to rip the carpet it will lift and roll back! 

Unfortunately I do believe my carpets are nailed down

I shall check again.

 

[Sharpend]

Unfortunately I do believe my carpets are nailed down

I shall check again.

Wow! That really says something about where you live! If it’s not nailed down it’ll be swiped

 

[Murdoch]

I think looking for vermin could well be a red herring ....

where do you switch the light on from?

 

[Sharpend]

I think looking for vermin could well be a red herring ....

where do you switch the light on from?

I only suggested this as the OP is convinced that these are separate circuits. I’m not sure how he’d determine that the ground floor sockets went off at the exact time he switched a switch in the loft? 

 

[Murdoch]

I only suggested this as the OP is convinced that these are separate circuits. I’m not sure how he’d determine that the ground floor sockets went off at the exact time he switched a switch in the loft? 

hit, nail and head

I don’t think we are being told all the facts ...

 

[Murdoch]

Now the op has 10 posts, maybe he / she could post a photo of the fuseboard?

 

[Sharpend]

Yea pictures speak a thousand words. 

 

[PheonixFoX12]

Wow! That really says something about where you live! If it’s not nailed down it’ll be swiped

Yeah mate it’ll be tricky but I’ll make another look when I get time  super strange I wasn’t able to get it up before so the adequate force.

I think looking for vermin could well be a red herring ....

where do you switch the light on from?

I wasn’t looking for vermin themselves but the damage from them on the installation possibly.
 

Just to give you some context: you get into the loft via a folding wooden ladder which is sprung. When you enter the loft there is a switch on your right directly next to you on the floor of the loft itself.

 

[PheonixFoX12]

I only suggested this as the OP is convinced that these are separate circuits. I’m not sure how he’d determine that the ground floor sockets went off at the exact time he switched a switch in the loft? 

hit, nail and head

I don’t think we are being told all the facts ...

Whoops, I am on mobile. Didn’t realise that there was 2 pages :0. When I switch on the loft lights, almost immediately the ring for the downstairs sockets trips. Sometimes immediately if there is some load on there.

The DB is some way from the loft but I’ll show some picture evidence shortly.

 

[Murdoch]

The DB is some way from the loft but I’ll show some picture evidence shortly.

So how do you know the 2 things are "connected"?

 

[Geoff1946]

Are the ring main MCB and loft light MCB adjacent in the consumer unit?

 

[PheonixFoX12]

So how do you know the 2 things are "connected"?

The upstairs lighting circuit controls the second floor and the loft circuits on a 16A MCB if that’s what you were getting at if not please explain

Are the ring main MCB and loft light MCB adjacent in the consumer unit?

Yes 4 MCB’s are directly adjacent to each other with an RCD as well. Assuming that the MCB’s are fed from the RCD. There are 2 separate circuits one lighting and one for the alarm. I suspect that those two circuit are not fed from the RCD since they are not adjacent to it.

On this topic can someone help me with this, as I was watching tv the RCD tripped completely randomly. All the sockets and lights went off except the downstairs lights and alarm ONLY which explains my thought of them not being RCD fed. But why did it trip randomly?

 

[Murdoch]

Photo please

 

[Murdoch]

But why did it trip randomly?

sounds like your sockets are all on a single rcd, which means the items in your house that “leak” the most are all adding up

a 30ma rcd can trip from around 22 mA, so it doesn’t take many pcs , xboxes, TVs to push a rcd over the threshold. That’s before you consider washing machines and alike

 

[PheonixFoX12]

sounds like your sockets are all on a single rcd, which means the items in your house that “leak” the most are all adding up

a 30ma rcd can trip from around 22 mA, so it doesn’t take many pcs , xboxes, TVs to push a rcd over the threshold. That’s before you consider washing machines and alike

As I said I shall post a photo as soon as I can! I don’t have any time tonight as I have quite some work to do but I shall share a photo of the loft circuitry and my consumer board tomorrow if I get chance  .

I am aware that RCD’s work on an imbalance between the Neutral and Line conductors. It has never tripped this randomly before and everything that was operating as it should before it tripped has never made it trip before. These items are still working now and haven’t caused it to trip again. 20ma is nothing to push an RCD to trip and nothing additional like a pc was used just when it tripped. Even the tv was on for around 20 minutes before it tripped.

The only thing I can think of was just a minor surge from the supply or the boiler might have kicked in.

 

[Murdoch]

As I said I shall post a photo as soon as I can! I don’t have any time tonight

The only thing I can think of was just a minor surge from the supply or the boiler might have kicked in.

you’ve got time to post but not take a photo ... hum

fridges and freezers often trip rcds ...

 

[PheonixFoX12]

you’ve got time to post but not take a photo ... hum

fridges and freezers often trip rcds ...

Apologies for the long messages. It is late for me and I have a job to get to in the morning. I’ll get some photos for you soon.

Seems a little odd about the RCD tripping yet those items have always been constantly running.