RCD spur trips whole house

[10monty]

I purchased an RCD spur recently, this one
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Ele...+Metalclad+1+Gang+13A+30mA/d190/sd2470/p11214

I have an outside socket that is used for the lawnmower/strimmer but it has always just been part of the ring main and my consumer unit is not rcd protected so figured it was about time I got some protection for the missus when she cuts the grass.

Anyway I fitted it today (I pulled the 2 ring main cables back through into the shed, fitted them into the spur, then ran a new 2.5mm t&e back through to the outdoor socket.

When I switched te electric back on I pressed the reset button on the spur and the indicator went red as stated. I then pressed the reset button to test it and it tripped the main switch on the consumer unit, killing the electric for the whole house.

Now I guess this is sort of doing it's job by killing the electric but it's not quite what I had expected to happen.
Is this likely a faulty spur, me doing something wrong or just one of them things. The socket works fine btw but I want to make sure it's doing it's job before I proceed, otherwise I will just take it out and carry on as before.

Any help would be appreciated

 

[Taylortwocities]

Monty. Somethings you say do not add up.

You state

my consumer unit is not rcd protected

and then

it tripped the main switch on the consumer unit, killing the electric for the whole house.

Has your "Main Switch" got a test button on it?

In that case it IS an RCD. Does it say 30mA? then it is a 30mA RCD and your system IS protected by an RCD alread and your whole exercise has been pointless.

 

[Taylortwocities]

More..........

If your main switch is an RCD then pressing the test button on the external socket WILL trip the main switch as it will see it as a fault condition.

 

[sparkticus]

You almost certainly have an RCD on your main consumer unit. What you are experiencing is typical if you have two similar spec (30mA) RCDs on the same circuit.

If you have an existing RCD on the main consumer unit then you really do not need the second one since it and the main RCD will both trip in fault conditions. There is a way around it but it is not a quick fix.

 

[Taylortwocities]

There is a way around it but it is not a quick fix.

Yes, change the RCD fused spur for standard one.

 

[fireman22]

does sparkticus mean run a radial to feed the outside socket via its own rcbo or surface on a mcb, so if there is a lawnmower fault it only takes out that circuit not the whole house

 

[sparkticus]

does sparkticus mean run a radial to feed the outside socket via its own rcbo or surface on a mcb, so if there is a lawnmower fault it only takes out that circuit not the whole house

Correct - though I take on board that I should have used a few more words

 

[10monty]

Thanks for all your input, it seems I have completely wasted my time in doing this.
I do indeed have a test button on my consumer unit, which I had never even noticed before, so I will swap the rcd spur for a standard one.

I had a sparky round a couple of months back to quote me for a new board and he said the existing one wasn't rcd protected. Guess he was just trying to coax me into getting it done sooner rather than later.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[10monty]

does sparkticus mean run a radial to feed the outside socket via its own rcbo or surface on a mcb, so if there is a lawnmower fault it only takes out that circuit not the whole house

That's what I was hoping to achieve but tripping the whole house, while annoying, is preferable to the missus being blown to pieces. Although some days I'm not so sure!

 

[sparkticus]

Thanks for all your input, it seems I have completely wasted my time in doing this.
I do indeed have a test button on my consumer unit, which I had never even noticed before, so I will swap the rcd spur for a standard one.

I had a sparky round a couple of months back to quote me for a new board and he said the existing one wasn't rcd protected. Guess he was just trying to coax me into getting it done sooner rather than later.

Thanks again for your help.

The advantage of a new consumer unit is that you will get at least two RCDs and more if you want. This will mean that any trip will be limited to only part of the house rather than the whole house.

Not sure what the sparky meant but you certainly could do with more than one RCD and you may have an older style form of earth leakage protection called an ELCB or ECLB.

Does your house have an earth rod?

 

[10monty]

No, or certainly not that I'm aware of.

My board could certainly do with updating and I will get round to it soon.
I have a metal Wylex consumer unit with push button fuses. 3 x 30 amp for sockets, 2 x 5 amp for lighting and a 20a for the boiler.
So working from this I guess the 3 x 30 amp circuits would get rcd and the lighting and boiler wouldn't?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I do indeed have a test button on my consumer unit, which I had never even noticed before.

You should test it regularly, or the RCD can get "sticky", and not work properly when you need it for real.

 

[sparkticus]

No, or certainly not that I'm aware of.

My board could certainly do with updating and I will get round to it soon.
I have a metal Wylex consumer unit with push button fuses. 3 x 30 amp for sockets, 2 x 5 amp for lighting and a 20a for the boiler.
So working from this I guess the 3 x 30 amp circuits would get rcd and the lighting and boiler wouldn't?

In most cases when replacing the consumer unit all circuits will be RCD protected. Usually across two RCDs or sometimes several RCBOs (RCBOs give good circuit discrimination but a bit pricey at the moment)

It is always wise to have a full periodic inspection before a new consumer unit is fitted. Most electricians will insist on an inspection first. A full inspection will uncover any likely problems or lack of compliances which would scupper the upgrade until they were addressed.

 

[xr4x4]

No, or certainly not that I'm aware of.

My board could certainly do with updating and I will get round to it soon.
I have a metal Wylex consumer unit with push button fuses. 3 x 30 amp for sockets, 2 x 5 amp for lighting and a 20a for the boiler.
So working from this I guess the 3 x 30 amp circuits would get rcd and the lighting and boiler wouldn't?

Rcd...are you sure...!

 

[sparkticus]

No, or certainly not that I'm aware of.

My board could certainly do with updating and I will get round to it soon.
I have a metal Wylex consumer unit with push button fuses. 3 x 30 amp for sockets, 2 x 5 amp for lighting and a 20a for the boiler.
So working from this I guess the 3 x 30 amp circuits would get rcd and the lighting and boiler wouldn't?

Rcd...are you sure...!

Yea, I was thinking same thing. Made me wonder if this is TT with an ELCB or RCD before the CU?