Water causing RCD to trip?

[Jethro Tull]

Hi, can anyone help. I had a water leak from my copper tank last week. It has all dried out now, but the RDC keeps tripping. The lighting circuits are OK , It seems to be the main circuits both upstairs and downstairs. Some times they can be reset (mcbs don't trip) and after a few minutes or a few hours it switches off. Can it still be wet? I've run the CH to dry it but it's just the same. I can switch of all mcbs, switch on RCD and gently reset each MCB which usually works. Switching the RCD with all MCBS on cannot be done. Strange! Any advice welcome. Thanks in advance.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Best thing to do is, where the leak has been. Check inside all accessories. Isolate circuit first.
There could still be damp or moisture around the terminals, they need to wiped and dried.

 

[Jethro Tull]

Best thing to do is, where the leak has been. Check inside all accessories. Isolate circuit first.
There could still be damp or moisture around the terminals, they need to wiped and dried.

Thanks for your input. There aren't any accessories to get wet. The water came through the ceiling and directly onto the floor below. Nothing got wet except the floor. I have checked all around the tank and boxes and they are all dry. So I'm at a loss.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

any junction boxes in ceiling void?

 

[Jethro Tull]

any junction boxes in ceiling void?

That's a point. I'll lift the boards in the morning. It is a mishmash of a cottage so I suppose anything could be there. Thanks again.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Also try unplugging all the electrical equipment from the sockets, then plug in one by one.
Could be something else that is causing you the problem.
Are the socket circuits individually protected or on same RCD?

 

[Jethro Tull]

Also try unplugging all the electrical equipment from the sockets, then plug in one by one.
Could be something else that is causing you the problem.
Are the socket circuits individually protected or on same RCD?

All the circuits have MCBs fitted and one main RCD on the mainboard.

 

[Jethro Tull]

Also try unplugging all the electrical equipment from the sockets, then plug in one by one.
Could be something else that is causing you the problem.
Are the socket circuits individually protected or on same RCD?

All the circuits have MCBs fitted and one main RCD on the mainboard.

I've just lifted a board and there's nothing except cables, no boxes at all. Could it be a faulty RCD?

 

[matt1e]

I've just lifted a board and there's nothing except cables, no boxes at all. Could it be a faulty RCD?

Given your circumstances,
it's doubtful

Matt

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Could be faulty equipment that is plugged in to the circuit, try that first.
Unplug all equipment and reset the RCD with all MCBs closed. See what happens.
I would check and leads/flexes to the plugged in equipment too, for damage.
The process of elimination, would be then to start plugging equipment back in to see if one if any is causing a problem.
If that seems to be fine, then you can start looking deeper in to the testing of the RCD.
Could be purely coincidental that the problem occurred whilst you had his leak.