Immersion heater tripping the lighting

[Amy Moore]

Hi,

Just moved into to a flat with an immersion heater. Flat is fully electric, whenever we switch the immersion the lights trip. It only happens with the lights, everything else stays on. We know the immersion will need changing eventually but does any one have any ideas why this is happening?

 

[ericmark]

Would guess the lights and immersion on the same trip?

 

[SUNRAY]

I'd guess immersion is either:

1) Sharing the 6A MCB with the lights and tripping on overload,
or my most likely thought
2) The immersion has an earth fault and it and the lights are the only loads on (one of) the RCD.

Details of what trips, or a photo of the consumer unit/fuse box would be useful.

 

[EFLImpudence]

It is not clear that the immersion goes off as well?

 

[SUNRAY]

It is not clear that the immersion goes off as well?

Good point

 

[HERTS P&D]

Maybe the previous owners had the lights wired into the immersion MCB so that they new when the immersion wasn't working to let them know there was no hot water.

Andy