Randomly tripping RCD

[EFLImpudence]

Yes, time before being able to turn on again sounds like waiting for something to cool down or dry out.

 

[LozP]

I’m guessing it would be something needing to cool down then, I genuinely can’t see that it would be a water problem as no sockets are near a water source and we’ve certainly had no rain recently. Can a socket get hot if nothing is plugged into it? And if this is the case should I be concerned about a fire risk??

 

[EFLImpudence]

I’m guessing it would be something needing to cool down then, I genuinely can’t see that it would be a water problem as no sockets are near a water source and we’ve certainly had no rain recently.

There are often other things on socket circuits.
Outside lights - upstairs circuit often nearer.
Bathroom fans - sometimes.
Boiler and central heating.
Something forgotten plugged in under the bed.

Can a socket get hot if nothing is plugged into it?

Not really. What was meant is that appliances with faults get hot and expand or warp or leak.

I know you say you have unplugged everything, have you forgotten anything?
If you have unplugged everything then it must be the circuit.

And if this is the case should I be concerned about a fire risk??

Presumably the RCD will save you from that.

 

[Blueflash]

You cannot assume that the mcb you are switching off is in fact, just supplying the upstairs sockets. There could be a spur somewhere suppling a socket downstairs.

Dave

 

[securespark]

Outside lights?

 

[securespark]

Can a socket get hot if nothing is plugged into it?

Not really.

What if the ring final connections behind it were loose?

 

[EFLImpudence]

What if the ring final connections behind it were loose?

Yes, but not in the context of the question - getting hot, expanding/bending and causing an RCD to trip and then waiting for it to cool down to reset the RCD.

 

[LozP]

I haven’t had an electrician out yet, simply because I switched the sockets back on last Friday and they haven’t tripped since. I don’t want to call someone out whilst the fault isn’t showing.
There is an outside light which is wired from an upstairs plug socket, but it can be switched off independently and I did that the first time it tripped and haven’t switched it back on since, so it’s tripped with that off.
As soon as it trips again I’ll get someone out to solve the mystery

 

[ban-all-sheds]

There is an outside light which is wired from an upstairs plug socket, but it can be switched off independently

With a double pole switch?

 

[LozP]

I’m sorry I have no clue what a double pole switch is :-/

 

[ban-all-sheds]

What sort of switch is it?

 

[LozP]

 

[Taylortwocities]

That is a switched fused switch. It will be a double pole switch, meaning that it switches off both the live and the neutral wires from watever is connected to it.