Supply trips

[SiGa]

Hi

I have no clue when it comes to electricity so please be gentle with me when rejecting theories.

The situation is my electricity is randomly tripping out.  For example it could do it now, then again in 40 minutes or it might not happen for 4 or 5 days or at most a week.  The boiler has been turned off and all white goods have been turned off and it still does it.  It is not happening when a particular item is turned on it is purely random.  So I don't believe it's an overloaded socket or a faulty item as the trip switch goes back on.

The only thing that has happened recently is a couple of months back the local Electricity company phoned and said they had to replace the meter.  This has only been an issue since then.  Not immediately granted but had no issue before.

I really don't know what the issue is and I am reluctant to contact my landlord to fix something which I don't know if it is his problem.  I mean I guess if it's the fuse box or a wiring issue it's his issue.  I really don't know how easy it is for an electrician to find out what the issue is.  Someone advised me they think it sounds like the fuse board. 

I tried to get advice from the Electricity company (only 1 on the island) and the answer was it was £68 to come out and look and fix a minor issue or £38 an hour if it's not a minor fix.  I am on long term invalidity benefit for various medical issues.

Hope someone can help.

Many thanks.

 

[SiGa]

Hi

I have no clue when it comes to electricity so please be gentle with me when rejecting theories.

The situation is my electricity is randomly tripping out.  For example it could do it now, then again in 40 minutes or it might not happen for 4 or 5 days or at most a week.  The boiler has been turned off and all white goods have been turned off and it still does it.  It is not happening when a particular item is turned on it is purely random.  So I don't believe it's an overloaded socket or a faulty item as the trip switch goes back on.

The only thing that has happened recently is a couple of months back the local Electricity company phoned and said they had to replace the meter.  This has only been an issue since then.  Not immediately granted but had no issue before.

I really don't know what the issue is and I am reluctant to contact my landlord to fix something which I don't know if it is his problem.  I mean I guess if it's the fuse box or a wiring issue it's his issue.  I really don't know how easy it is for an electrician to find out what the issue is.  Someone advised me they think it sounds like the fuse board. 

I tried to get advice from the Electricity company (only 1 on the island) and the answer was it was £68 to come out and look and fix a minor issue or £38 an hour if it's not a minor fix.  I am on long term invalidity benefit for various medical issues.

Hope someone can help.

Many thanks.

Sorry can't edit the post it should have read " I am on long term invalidity benefit for various medical issues so the cost of calling out the Electricity company makes that an option I can't afford".

 

[Sharpend]

Where is the meter in relation to your consumer unit?  

When you say tripping what exactly is tripping? 

 

[Murdoch]

You should report this too your landlord in writing and get them to sort it out. 

With random tripping start keeping a diary of when it happens and what you were doing at the time.

This may help 

 

[ProDave]

It could be a wiring fault, or it could be a faulty appliance.

What exactly trips? is it always the same thing? Does the switch that trips say "RCD" on it or is there a little "test" button next to the switch that is tripping?

As noted, inform your landlord. He has a duty to provide you with a safe working electricity supply. He should send an electrician to test the installation. He will start by unplugging EVERYTHING and testing the wiring for faults that may make it trip.  If he finds a fault and fixes it, job done.

It may be that with everything unplugged, there is no fault and it doesn't trip. in which case he will have to start testing your appliances. He may charge you for that as that is not the landlords responsibility.

Also "turning off" unused appliances does not always remove them totally, best to actually unplug anything not in use.  Then when a trip happens, you can be sure that anything unplugged at the time is not the issue and that will narrow it down a bit.  also switch off things like the cooker, immersion heater etc when not in use.  Another common situation is it trips when you walk on a certain floor board, keep an eye for things like that.

 

 

[SiGa]

Where is the meter in relation to your consumer unit?  

When you say tripping what exactly is tripping? 

It is immediately to the left of it.  The consumer unit (as I have now learnt it is called).  When the switch is slid back up on it everything comes back on immediately.

You should report this too your landlord in writing and get them to sort it out. 

With random tripping start keeping a diary of when it happens and what you were doing at the time.

This may help 

I will keep a diary for a start.  The last time I was home and it went was Sunday morn around 3am,  Then it was off when I got in on Sunday night at 8pm  so it went off sometime when I was out Sunday,

 

[Murdoch]

It is immediately to the left of it.  The consumer unit (as I have now learnt it is called).  When the switch is slid back up on it everything comes back on immediately.

I will keep a diary for a start.  The last time I was home and it went was Sunday morn around 3am,  Then it was off when I got in on Sunday night at 8pm  so it went off sometime when I was out Sunday,

I'm guessing you were not using much at such a time so this "points" at devices such as the heating or immersion, fridge or freezer.

This is just a educated guess.

Do you have any outside wiring? or dare I say any issues with rodents or wasps nests?

 

[SiGa]

I'm guessing you were not using much at such a time so this "points" at devices such as the heating or immersion, fridge or freezer.

This is just a educated guess.

Do you have any outside wiring? or dare I say any issues with rodents or wasps nests?

No outside wiring.  No rodent or wasps etc issues.  As I said the white goods etc have been ruled out.

I personally due to 1 of my health problems get to the communal area where our supply is located (our flat has own private entrance).  So my wife deals with putting it back on.  Hoping it doesn't go on days she is at work.

Here is a picture of where the supply is which my wife took just now.

 

[Murdoch]

Not sure how you can rule out all the white goods? Have you left them ALL unplugged for enough time for the trip to occur?

 

[SiGa]

Yes the trip occurred in a period when the immersion and fridge were off and also when the immersion and freezer were off.  Left the freezer and immersion off for over a week and still tripped.  The Washing machine which is in the bathroom is spurred(?) to a switch outside the bathroom and that is off when not in use.   The problem has occurred when that is off as well.

 

[ProDave]

Okay a few observations.

Are you saying that what trips is NOT in your consumer unit in your flat, but one of those big switches in what looks like a communal distribution cupboard? so someone has to go out of your flat to reset it?

The Fridge is on all the time, so that could be the culprit but that is just a guess. You can ONLY rule out the white goods if they are actually unplugged at the time of the trip.

The fact that you have to leave the flat to reset the trip and you can't do that on your own, would have me contacting your landlord immediately.

 

 

[SiGa]

Okay a few observations.

Are you saying that what trips is NOT in your consumer unit in your flat, but one of those big switches in what looks like a communal distribution cupboard? so someone has to go out of your flat to reset it?

The Fridge is on all the time, so that could be the culprit but that is just a guess. You can ONLY rule out the white goods if they are actually unplugged at the time of the trip.

The fact that you have to leave the flat to reset the trip and you can't do that on your own, would have me contacting your landlord immediately.

 

No that is our consumer unit amongst the others.  We do not have one in the flat. That is located above our kitchen door which goes out into the communal rear (for us) hallway.  The step to get out of the kitchen is to large for me to get out of with my mobility issues.

Sorry I haven't been clear, we have unplugged the fridge and the supply still goes off.  The Freezer has been unplugged, the immersion has been turned off and the spur(?) switch for the washing machine has been turned off and the supply still goes off.

 

[Sharpend]

I wouldn't mind betting that the meter monkey has disturbed the meter tails and you now have a loose termination. 

 

[SiGa]

Well it sounds like my next option is to contact the landlord and get him to send an electrician out.  I can't afford to ask for the Electricity company to send someone out to check the work they did because they would probably deny it was that even if it is and charge me the call out fee.

Thanks for all the advice.

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Well it sounds like my next option is to contact the landlord and get him to send an electrician out.  I can't afford to ask for the Electricity company to send someone out to check the work they did because they would probably deny it was that even if it is and charge me the call out fee.

Thanks for all the advice.

Spot on !

 

[binky]

agree with Slips, nothing happened prior to meter change, ergo, it is the most logical explantion. The only possible culprit you haven't eradicated is a central heating boiler, if you have one, and not just an immersion.

I would be inclined to contact the Electricity company again, and insist on talking to customer services or a senior manager and see if they will double check their work for no charge.