ring main keeps tripping

[smthdeedog]

What kit would that be ? and where do you charge £50 hour? I'm in Manchester.

 

[Adam_151]

I'd be pretty embarrassed if I went to a job and was unable to find the fault.

Even the intermitant RCD tripping ones?, where it goes maybe once a week/every 2 weeks, everything meggers out fine, rcd checks out fine, and you know its got to be an appliance of some kind..

 

[sparkybird]

How can you be an electrician and not have a tester? This would help you find the fault. That's why we can charge £50/hour because it works out cheaper in the long run for the client!

6 hours @ £15 per hour = £90 and fault still not fixed!
1 hour @ £50 per hour = £50 and fault found and probably fixed

 

[ajrobb]

Does the electricity meter show significant usage? At 32A, it should be spinning/flashing like mad.

 

[martinxxxxxx]

I'd be pretty embarrassed if I went to a job and was unable to find the fault.

Even the intermitant RCD tripping ones?, where it goes maybe once a week/every 2 weeks, everything meggers out fine, rcd checks out fine, and you know its got to be an appliance of some kind..

I happen to make it my business to ensure that there are no appliances connected whenever I megger(sic) an installation.

But I do accept your point to a degree. I would go on to PAT test likely appliances that may giving trouble.

But really this situation you describe is a bit off topic as it is not the situation that the OP has. My comments were directed towards the fact that has has dismantled a circuit and not been able to ascertain which leg the fault is on. Are you really saying your would have a problem locating the fault in this situation. He has not made mention of doing any IR testing, instead he referred to applying power and waiting half an hour. Are you really defending this type of testing over a methodical approach.

Martin

 

[martinxxxxxx]

What kit would that be ? and where do you charge £50 hour? I'm in Manchester.

I have a machine that goes beep (MontyPython referance)

It is a mains tone tracer and it has two parts a tone gen and a signal finder. You sort of can trace where all of the current is going, even a little bit. Cost a couple of hundred quid new, got mine from ebay for £50 ish. Has now made back the investment despite warnings from some that it never would give me a payback. Useful but seldom used bit of kit. But if I were you get a IR tester and a MF meter first if you are going to accept money as an electrician.

Martin