Fuse Box Confusion...

[voldo]

Hi,

I have just upgraded from old type fuse box to new one which has trip switches. Since installation, the upstairs lights and sockets shut down. I look at the fuse box and the RCD always trips. ts always the right hand side RCD switch that trips. I only use 4 trips, 1 for lights upstairs, 1 for sockets upstairs, 1 for sockets downstairs and 1 for lights downstairs.

The RCD on the right side protecting the lights and sockets upstairs of my house trips 6-7 times a day. I don't understand what it is though as the sockets or lights switches switches do not trip but the RCD switch trips. Does this mean the lights or sockets upstairs are causing the problem? Or can it be something else? All help is appreciated.....


A picture of the fuse box is here:

 

[Lectrician]

You need to get your electrician back to carry out an insulation test on the affected circuits.

Did you get any certification paperwork? Results on that?

I hate seeing disused MCBs left in a consumer unit,

 

[DaftPunk]

Can you post a copy of the test results you were given when the new consumer unit was installed?

 

[AndyPRK]

Does it trip when the landing light is switched on ?

Does the landing/stair light come on ?

 

[RF Lighting]

I hate seeing disused MCBs left in a consumer unit,

I hate seeing a 10 way dual RCD board being used for FOUR circuits

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

You have an earth leakage problem, this could be down to an appliance that is on load or down to an issue with regards to the hardwiring or the RCD.
So firstly unplug (not switch off at the plug) but unplug all electrical loads and also switch off/remove fuse of any items connected via fused connections, then see if this stops the trips. If it does you have an appliance or appliances that are causing excessive leakage to earth, normally an appliance with a heating element.
If the trips continue call the electrician and ask to rectify it.

 

[voldo]

Thanks for the replies, I did not get any certificates, test results or any other paperwork. My old fuse box had six sockets that used fuse wire. So I brought this one thinking I would need at least 6 switches but it turned out in my old fuse box only used 4 of the 6 sockets and now I have 4 trips in use. Was I meant to get paperwork? What kind of tests should have been carried out?

 

[Belboz]

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Thanks for the replies, I did not get any certificates, test results or any other paperwork. My old fuse box had six sockets that used fuse wire. So I brought this one thinking I would need at least 6 switches but it turned out in my old fuse box only used 4 of the 6 sockets and now I have 4 trips in use. Was I meant to get paperwork? What kind of tests should have been carried out?

It is a legal requirement that the installation of a new consumer unit has the correct documentation to prove it is safe to put into service, also there would be a regulation on notification of this, where in the UK do you live, did you use a competent electrician or was this a DIY hash up?

The documents would have been in the form of an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC), this would have characteristic of the supply, schedules of inspection and schedules of test results, you should have also received a compliance notice or completion cert from building controls.
The electrician would have also ideally completed an Electrical Installation Condition Report, prior to swap out, this would have proved you existing hardwiring was suitable for new CU and RCD protection.

 

[sparkwright]

Does it trip when the landing light is switched on ?

Does the landing/stair light come on ?

Voldo, you should answer this question.

Common causes for problems like you descibe include;
Andy's suggestion that the hall and landing have a shared neutral acoss two separate lighting circuits.

or

A neutral connected to the wrong neutral bar in the new consumer unit.

or

An old neutral to earth fault somewhere within the house wiring that went undetected with the old consumer unit.

Did you actually use an electrician to carry out this work?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It seems highly unlikely.

Of course voldo may not have realised that he wasn't an electrician.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I hate seeing a 10 way dual RCD board being used for FOUR circuits

It is a good idea to fit a bigger CU than you actually require.

 

[AndyPRK]

Maybe RF was thinking of an all RCBO's unit.

or just the 1 RCBO if it was RF's house lol

 

[rjm2k]

Maybe RF was thinking of an all RCBO's unit.

or just the 1 RCBO if it was RF's house lol

Maybe he was thinking he would have ripped them out, put blanks in and used them on other jobs