Rcd Test Switch and circuit not working

[JohnW2]

@JohnW2 oops, my bad- after wading through a load of watch adverts i stopped at the headline listing.

Don't worry - I also initially missed that it was 'discontinued'

@WSB your consumer unit has been tested & found to comply with regulations, legislation etc. when the innards are of the specification set out by the manufacturer. Use of alternates would void that approval & possibly land you in bother if you suffered an electrical fire (would give the insurer a very easy out)....

Whilst that is all technically/theoretically true, I would say that far more important is ...

Talk to MK. And/or take a ruler and the old rcd to Screwfix, make sure critical dimensions of your temporary replacement are within a mm or 2 of the MK.

That is what matters, electrically, rather than bureaucratically.

The problem with 'talking to MK' is, of course, that MK no longer manufacture MK-branded CU's and components thereof, whilst the people who now do manufacture them were not involved when the now-discontinued ones were being manufactured (by MK).

As above, electrically speaking the important thing is that replacement devices should be dimensionally compatible with those which they are replacing.

Kind Regards, John

 

[WSB]

Thanks both.
Bit annoying that mk discontinue it.
Only had that fitted and signed off 9 years ago.
So theoretically if they discontinue an item in the CU, I could end up replacing everything, so that it all matches?

 

[JohnW2]

Thanks both. Bit annoying that mk discontinue it. Only had that fitted and signed off 9 years ago.

It's not just that MK have discontinued it - MK themselves have stopped making CUs and everything which goes in them - but another company has acquired a licence to continue manufacturing MK-branded items.

So theoretically if they discontinue an item in the CU, I could end up replacing everything, so that it all matches?

I suppose that depends upon what you mean by 'theoretically'. I've told you what I personally feel is what matters electrically - and I could observe that it's certainly the case that there are countless (quite probably millions) of CUs out there which contain devices of mixed brands.

Kind Regards, John

 

[WSB]

All is well.
It just so happens that I have had the plastic cu in my rental property updated to metal to give me an advisory free EICR report.
When the electrician popped round today he gave me the old plastic cu which happened to contain the exact same mk rcd and mcb that I need to replace in my home cu.
Bingo!!!!
I'll get that sorted after work today in time for my wife to get her oven back. Heh Heh...
Thanks for all your help and advice. Very handy.
Much appreciated
Cheers

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Result! Have a good look at the busbar on your existing cu, make sure it hasn't got too hot & gone soft

 

[WSB]

Looks OK. Showed it to the electrician and he was happy with it too.

 

[JohnW2]

All is well. It just so happens that I have had the plastic cu in my rental property updated to metal to give me an advisory free EICR report. When the electrician popped round today he gave me the old plastic cu which happened to contain the exact same mk rcd and mcb that I need to replace in my home cu.

Great news - you're a lucky man!

Kind Regards, John

 

[WSB]

Just to let you know.
Swapped in the rcd from my spare cu last Friday. All went well and everything working fine again now.
Just had to prize the rcd away from the neighboring mcb as the heat had fused them together. Replaced that section of bus bar too as where the arcing was occurring it was quite charred.
So that plus my rental property now having a squeeky clean EICR with no C3s you could say that I'm a happy man.
Thanks all again chaps!!!!

 

[securespark]

Just to confirm, you should replace ALL heat damaged items with undamaged ones, including busbar, cabling, RCDs, RCBOs and MCBs.