Electric tripped & trip switch won't turn back on, Pls H

[mcleanzola]

Hi

I hope someone can help.

My electricity tripped last night & I can't get the trip switch to stay in the on position.
I moved into this house a few months ago & nothing is as it should be.
The switch that has tripped controls the living room, dining room, downstairs hall, upstairs hall & 3 bedrooms.

I have switched off everything in all these rooms & tried to switch the trip back on. It stays on for 20 seconds max then trips.

I have nothing plugged in, in the dining room or upstairs hall ever. The downstairs hall just has the house phone. 2 bedrooms & the living room have the TV's & I have 2 touch lamps in 1 bedroom.
That is it.

All the ceiling lights still work. They must be on a different switch.

Just wanted to know if there may be a reason behind this that I can sort or should I call out an electrician.

The trip switch box is located upstairs. (First time I have ever come across that, so thought i'd say incase relevant.)

Thanks in advance for any help
Lisa

 

[RMS]

It would help if you could upload a picture of the consumer unit (trip switch box).

 

[MeterMonkey]

if everything is unplugged and its still tripping.

ID either go with a mouse has bitten through one of your cables and is still attached, or someone (a child) has jabbed something into a socket and broken it.

Both could lead to a short circuit which would cause the trips to trip.

Electrics isnt really a DIY job, get an electrician out to find and fix the issue.

 

[RMS]

ID either go with a mouse has bitten through one of your cables and is still attached, or someone (a child) has jabbed something into a socket and broken it.

Either of the above seem quite specific. Very possible but very specific.

 

[MeterMonkey]

ID either go with a mouse has bitten through one of your cables and is still attached, or someone (a child) has jabbed something into a socket and broken it.

Either of the above seem quite specific. Very possible but very specific.

I know these forums can be quite indepth a times, but the OP said lights n stuff where still on, so it cant of been the RCD that tripped, and with nothing connected to the sockets and it still tripping, an overcurrent seems unlikely.

 

[Taylortwocities]

What is it that has tripped:
Has it got a test button on it. This pic may help you identify it, or post a picture showing what is tripping.

Untitled

• Taylortwocities
• 27 Mar 2010
• 43

It may be an earth fault. If so I always start off looking at any place where electricity and water might come together.
Usually they are separated by a seal of some kind but sometimes the seal breaks down.

Plces to look are outside lights, sockets, any electrical stuff in gardens or outbuildings.

Next place is central heating systems. If there is one isolation switch for the heating, turn that off.
Also look at heating pumps, valves, etc and look for leaks

Make sure everything is unplugged as well as switched off.

 

[crystal ball]

ID either go with a mouse has bitten through one of your cables and is still attached, or someone (a child) has jabbed something into a socket and broken it.

Either of the above seem quite specific. Very possible but very specific.

I know these forums can be quite indepth a times, but the OP said lights n stuff where still on, so it cant of been the RCD that tripped, and with nothing connected to the sockets and it still tripping, an overcurrent seems unlikely.

It might be an RCBO for the sockets, or a split CU with lights on the non RCD side

 

[securespark]

In case it's an LE fault, try switching off all the MCB's, then reset the switch that has tripped. Does it stay on?

If so, try switching the MCB's on one by one. Leave them on for a good few minutes. If the trip stays on, switch the next MCB on and so on. Hopefully, it will trip when you get to the faulty circuit.

If it does not reset even with all MCB's off, then it is either an NE fault or you have a faulty trip switch.

 

[mcleanzola]

Thanks for all your help.

I've switched off all the MCB's & it still trips.

Water, a child or even a mouse are all possible.

Tried the test button, no joy.

I have called an electrician who is coming out today so I will let you know what the exact problem was.

Many Thanks for your help.

 

[martinxxxxxx]

Did it rain heavily in Aberdeen last night?

 

[pjcomp]

Was it the sort of RCD that trips to the halfway-down point and has to be pushed all the way down before being reset (MEM/Eaton springs to mind). Hope fully your electrician will have been and sorted it by now - what was it?

PJ

 

[thomo27]

Was it the sort of RCD that trips to the halfway-down point and has to be pushed all the way down before being reset (MEM/Eaton springs to mind). Hope fully your electrician will have been and sorted it by now - what was it?

PJ

my bets on this scenario, square d need to be turned off then back on to reset too...

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It's not refusing to go back on - it's not a reset problem.

It just won't stay on....

It stays on for 20 seconds max then trips.

 

[mcleanzola]

Hi,

Electrician has fixed it, YAY !

There was some problem between a back hallway socket & the living room socket. They are on the same loop (?) and something was causing it to trip.
The electrician could not identify what was making it trip, but still found the problem & has fixed it by splitting the feed to, two 16 amp breakers instead of 1, 32 amp breakers.

Hope this makes some sense. Just trying to remember exactly what he said.

Only thing that was a bit strange was neither of the sockets in question get used. But I suppose anything could have caused it.

Thanks to all of you for your help. It has been very much appreciated !

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The electrician could not identify what was making it trip, but still found the problem & has fixed it by splitting the feed to, two 16 amp breakers instead of 1, 32 amp breakers.

Well if that has worked then the problem is a N-E fault somewhere in the cable that used to run between those 2 sockets.