is it the boiler or electrics?

[eno1eno1]

Hi All

I am wondering before i call in the electrics guy if anyone has some ideas, maybe save me calling him out as i can least afford it at the moment.
Just xmas eve our boiler stopped working, we were lucky and got the guy to come out . He eventually identified it was a fuse box in the boiler cupboard that had fused(had a power cut the night before couldnt figure out why everything had went off as all seemed working when we checked everything out) .

Anyway, he found this confusing as he said if it was fusing it should blow at the little switch thing that turns on /off and sets the timer etc downstairs, which still has power to it .

Also in this cupboard is the wired carbon detector which also had also lost its power to it.

He fixed the fuse and everything went back to normal, including the carbon detector.

Today it has just fused again, same fuse.

heating goes off and so does the carbon detector.

Now im assuming it is the detector that is causing the problem rather than my boiler, any ideas where i start to see if it is this and do they only have a limited lifespan, it must be about 7-10 years old now

boiler is ideal mexico 2, carbon alarm is dicon.

 

[JohnD]

Is the thing in the fusebox a fuse, with a piece or replaceable fusewire in it? Or is it an MCB, like a switch that automatically turns off (thsi is called an MCB - Miniature Circuit Breaker)

MCBs react very fast to faults, and unless the overload is very small, will usually trip before a fuse melts.

You can try disconnecrting the detector if you want, though I doubt this is the cause. Do that before you splash out on a new one, as it is probbaly not the problem.

My guess is that the problem is more likely (1) a boiler-related problem, such as a water leak at the pump or inside the case causing a short circuit, or (2) a damaged cable, probably from a nail or screw in a wall, or a mouse or dog gnawing the insulation, or a flex that has had something heavy put on it

These are just guesses so may be right or wrong.

 

[eno1eno1]

hi
Thanks for the reply.

The main fuse box is downstairs and it is the one where im guessing is the mcb(lots of small switches and 1 large switch.)
The one in the boiler cupboard is an actual fuse that we can change when blown.
When its blown the main fuse(mcb) goes off, (but the little ones that say lights/cooker etc dont flick down)
When we flick the mcb back up everythning goes back to normal except this little fuse in the boiler room.
For the boiler also we have a fuse on the box that sets your timer etc which has not blown and is still working, just the boiler wont do what it telling it.

We had the guy out the last time and he had a look, would he not spot a leak

Thanks for your time and help

 

[JohnD]

I am not clear what is happening

Does your Consumer Unit have one large device (twice the size of the others)? And does this trip, causing several circuits to go off? If so, does it say "RCD" or have a "Test" button on it?

Does one or more MCBs (the small ones, marked "B32" "B16" "B6" or similar) trip?

Does any replaceable cartridge fuse blow?

Does the boiler programmer now appear to be working?

Does the boiler appear to be working?

 

[eno1eno1]

hi

Sorry for any confussion,

The consumer unit has one large device,with a test button , this trips. .

On this device is also a row of the small mcb's but these do not trip.

The replacable fuse in the boiler cupboard blows.

The boiler proggrammer(which is in the kitchen) is working and did not blow/stop when the inital fuse blew.

The boiler and detector are still not working as when i went to change the replacable fuse it instantly blew again.

The pilot light on the boiler is still on.

Hope i've made myself clearer and thanks for the help.

 

[JohnD]

the large device with be an RCD, which trips not from overcurrent, but from earth leakage. This is most often caused by water leakage or cable damage.

One of the most common causes is water leakage from a central heating pump. have a look at yours.