My tenanted house has just started to have a problem with the upstairs lights, last night the circuit breaker tripped so I went round turned off all upstairs the lights (wasn't sure about the pull cord in bathroom) tried to reset trip but it sparked, so went upstairs thinking must be the bathroom, pulled the cord reset the trip lights back on and stayed on. Tried all light switches and pull cords but it didn't trip again, until an hour later! Tenant thinks it tripped when the landing light was turned on, so I went round again reset MCB turned landing light on and within a minute it tripped. House has had a full rewire 15 years ago, could it be the energy saving bulb on the landing causing the fault? I was just going to change the bulb before calling anyone out. Any advise would be much appreciated.
MCB random tripping
- Thread starter moose
- Start date
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Have you got The Pope's number? He might be able to work a miracle 
Maybe it's faulty?
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Thanks for all your replies, unfortunately the Pope cannot come out until next week. What are the main causes of a mcb tripping on a light circuit?
Just realised why I got the Pope jokes? My locations was set as the Vatican City, I've now changed it to UK.
Just realised why I got the Pope jokes? My locations was set as the Vatican City, I've now changed it to UK.
The cause of an MCB tripping is the current on the circuit is bigger than the MCB's value.
So an overload causes the MCB to trip.
On lighting circuits this is usually caused by a filament lamp blowing, or some other fault with a lamp or light switch. It can also be caused by too many lights being on the circuit.
More rarely, the MCB can trip due to a wiring fault.
So an overload causes the MCB to trip.
On lighting circuits this is usually caused by a filament lamp blowing, or some other fault with a lamp or light switch. It can also be caused by too many lights being on the circuit.
More rarely, the MCB can trip due to a wiring fault.
Due to a mix-up over the OP's location, this thread seems to have been inappropriately moved to 'Electrics outside of the UK'. Mods - can we perhaps have it back in 'Electrics UK'?
Kind Regards, John
Kind Regards, John
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I have had faulty CFL but when it went faulty it also stopped working. Main reason for lighting circuit MCB tripping is silly spot lights where to get enough light one has to fit a silly number. I have seen a kitchen with 20 x 50W lamps so 2A for kitchen alone where 2 x 60W florescent tubes would have given more light.
The florescent lamp if not HF type can take 1/3 more than it's rating if the voltage is slightly too high. So a 6A MCB is really only good for 1000W total most homes a 1000W is ample for some people do go daft with lighting.
Are you sure it's a MCB tripping not a RCBO or RCD as the latter two trip for very different reasons.
The florescent lamp if not HF type can take 1/3 more than it's rating if the voltage is slightly too high. So a 6A MCB is really only good for 1000W total most homes a 1000W is ample for some people do go daft with lighting.
Are you sure it's a MCB tripping not a RCBO or RCD as the latter two trip for very different reasons.
So TTC posted this:
And I posted a link to electricians in Rome and Vatican City:
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=elettricista+(vaticano+OR+roma)
OK - both were a bit of lighthearted fun, and not helpful to the OP (although mine might have been had his displayed location been true), so both were equally in contravention of Rule 1.
Also, let's face it, TTC's does have the capacity to cause genuine offence to Roman Catholics, whereas the only people who could be offended by mine would be people who are offended by the sight of the Italian language.
So does anybody have any ideas why mine had to be removed but TTC's was OK to be left?
Have you got The Pope's number? He might be able to work a miracle
And I posted a link to electricians in Rome and Vatican City:
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=elettricista+(vaticano+OR+roma)
OK - both were a bit of lighthearted fun, and not helpful to the OP (although mine might have been had his displayed location been true), so both were equally in contravention of Rule 1.
Also, let's face it, TTC's does have the capacity to cause genuine offence to Roman Catholics, whereas the only people who could be offended by mine would be people who are offended by the sight of the Italian language.
So does anybody have any ideas why mine had to be removed but TTC's was OK to be left?
When moose put up his OP, his location - at that time - showed he was located in The Vatican City.
Hence my wee unhelpful comment, which was only as you say, a bit of lighthearted fun.
I can only imagine that your post was removed by some sort of divine intervention
Hence my wee unhelpful comment, which was only as you say, a bit of lighthearted fun.
I can only imagine that your post was removed by some sort of divine intervention
I guess linking to a list of electricians in Rome could be seen as advertising which is banned on this forum.
That would not be the case.
5 out of many, just from your good self.
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