ELCB Trips With Laptops

[bongos]

Sorry edited my post above yours as you typed!

If the wiring is old it might be worth getting a local spark to carry out a periodic inspection report. They will be able to insulation test your cables and check that the RCD is operating within tolerances amongst other things.

Yep it was a Sunday and the guy could not get out of the house quick enough "oh I, the problem is deffinately next door, and I need to go as i'm approaching my time limit"

Nice customer touch.

 

[andrew1210]

Do a search on the Electrics UK forum with the word "Homeserve" and see how highly they are regarded by the sparks on here. It sounds like their homecover is designed to get your power back on any way possible, not actually sorting a possible fault with your wiring.

Yep , see what you mean lol, they certainly don't seem to be up to scratch with there customer service

The guy turned up with a couple of screwdrivers in a plastic pale, took a recently added halogen light fitting (at the time it was new) to check there first, then lost the decorative cap that covered the fixing bolt, and couldn't care less "I, it works awright without that" *scratching head thinking of what to do next*

So, anybody know whether this guy from "Homserve" ( ) was talking sense about the shared Earth? or was it a quick escape excuse?

 

[bongos]

So, anybody know whether this guy from "Homserve" ( ) was talking sense about the shared Earth? or was it a quick escape excuse?

As a couple of the sparks on here have already said "it sounds strange".

Best bet is to take a picture of where the cables enter your incoming service fuse and consumer unit and post them here. It's possible that if there is a shared earth with next door then it could be seen here but it wouldn't be in a grey PVC cable in the attic as Mr Homeserve suggests.

I also can't think of any reason why your neighbours CU would have to be reset to allow yours to be reset either. Maybe cancel your Homeserve membership too...

 

[andrew1210]

Will get some pics tomorrow or wed. will post when done...

Thought "Mr Homserve" was talking mostly rubbish , will prob not renew the plan

One last thung that might help, when the ELCB trips with my old laptop, I don't think this laptop had an earth ("figure 8" connector to transformer, no earth?) would this possibly change the theory that it is earth leakage if there os no Earth? My new laptop does earth however and it trips it also

 

[Hibbo]

Right, something sounds very wrong here!

You need to find out if this cable does actually go to next door, and if so exactly where it goes. I have never even heard of anything like this. Are you good pals with your neighbours, so you could have a mooch through their house to see where this mystery cable goes?

I hope that you are mistaken about this cable, and that it actually goes to something in your house; and the homeserve bloke was just talking utter utter *******s, because if there is some weird shared circuit going on here it doesn't sound good.

You are right that a laptop PSU without an earth should not affect an RCD...