RCD in consumer unit keeps popping, replaced with new one, still same issue

Octopus · Jun 18, 2018

Cupa said:
Thanks for the suggestions and advice guys. I will trial and error test by taking sockets out / switching off appliance and report back. Will also fix the busbar.

Bad idea IMHO

Get it fixed by all means but fiddling around inside fuseboards is not a sensible idea.

I would suggest when you can't find the cause of the tripping, then ask the spark you get involved to sort it for you....

MJPD29 · Jun 18, 2018

Replacing the rcd will do nothing but waste your money if there is a fault which is most likely

static zap · Jun 18, 2018

Get another rcd socket / extension and put everyones phones/chargers in quarantine zone--on over night charge !
( -Electrician will have gear and experience-)
Any signs of rodents (they do night-shift)- could spell danger.

telectrix · Jun 18, 2018

westward10 · Jun 18, 2018

telectrix said:
????

Buzz's cousin.

static zap · Jun 18, 2018

westward10 said:
Buzz's cousin.

Buzzing noises at night , usually a problem !
--No simple explanations--

123 · Jun 19, 2018

Better to bring in a good spark. A huge false economy changing parts randomly just to find out all you needed was a new kettle.

Was at a job a few months ago, the so called Heating Engineer on a heating fault replaced the boiler, 3 channel programmer and a few other bits to the tune of 4 grand. It was the UFH pump that was faulty all along. Idiot. The customer engaged the same idiot to change the pump. I'd have been seeking legal advice for costing me wasted thousands.

Cupa · Jun 19, 2018

Morning folks. I have been a recommended a good electrician but he is only able to come and see me next Thursday.

Been quoted £150 for the chap to set aside half a day.

While I am waiting I would like to do more fault finding, because the issue is that as soon as the RCD trips, the house alarm goes ballistic because it thinks somebody is trying to bypass it. It went off once at 3am and today at 7am....I apologised to the neighbours by they were not happy (understandably).

Went to bed last night and before doing so, I switched off the 4 x MCBs to the right of the RCD:

1. Electric shower (we never use this, it does work, but we just don't use it)

2. Sockets first floor (on the image it is on, ignore, at the time of going to bed it was down / off)

3. Lights

4. Wall lights

So only the Ring Circuit 1st Floor and Ring Circuit Ground Floor was on. And at 7am, the RCD tripped.

My plan is to repeat the above experiment again, but this time, in addition to having the 4 x MCBs to the right of the RCD in the off position, I shall disconnect anything plugged into the mains ion the 1st floor.

I am wondering if a lose wire is touching the back box or earth? We had some screwless sockets installed about 7 months ago, perhaps that is the cause?

telectrix · Jun 19, 2018

the alarm shouldnot activate on loss of mains supply. think you'll find that it's back-up battery is U/S. as for your shots in the dark, you think you've eliminated the circuits that you have switched off, but you're wrong. a N-E fault would still be present.

Wilko · Jun 19, 2018

What does your hot water heating and central heating? Does anything come on at 7am? Is that a repeatable time for the trip? As @123 mentions, boiler pumps can cause this ...

Bobster · Jun 19, 2018

Did the tripping start after the sockets were worked on?

If so, you've missed giving us some important information.

Like having a mechanic look at a noise on a car then after time investigating, telling them that it started after you hit a pothole.

Bobster · Jun 19, 2018

Did the tripping start after the sockets were worked on?

If so, you've missed giving us some important information.

Like having a mechanic look at a noise on a car then after time investigating, telling them that it started after you hit a pothole.

Cupa · Jun 19, 2018

Thanks for the replies. In the summer months, the hot water is controlled manually. We have a big tank and there is only 2 of us, so we tend to warm it up once a day and then switch off completely. So there is nothing programmed to come on or off boiler wise.

The sockets were done some months back as I said. There were never any issues and no tripping. This issue only materialised in the last week. We have not bought or plugged in any new equipment during this time.

johnduffell · Jun 19, 2018

You might want to get the alarm put into its own rcbo to reduce the chance of issues. And also make sure the battery is good as mentioned above.

acvc · Jun 20, 2018

What are all those black neutrals doing on the right-hand neutral busbar?

streamer · Jun 20, 2018

acvc said:
What are all those black neutrals doing on the right-hand neutral busbar?

If you look closely you'll see that the RCD supplies the two MCBs to the left of it as well as those to the right.

Cupa · Jun 21, 2018

Update for you guys. Went to bed with the shower, first floor sockets, lights and wall lights MCBs all in the down position and all plugs taken out of their respective sockets - result? Still trips the RCD.

Next step was to try and see if perhaps it is one of the MCBs to the left of the RCD: ring circuit ground and first floor.

I noticed that when the ring circuit ground floor MCB was down and everything was unplugged, there were no issues and the RCD didn't trip. However, and not always, but sometimes when I would flick that particular MCB up (we keep our bins and recycling in the garage, which has an electric door and this operates on that circuit), the RCD would immediately trip....does that tell us anything new or useful?

Risteard · Jun 21, 2018

Cupa said:
Update for you guys. Went to bed with the shower, first floor sockets, lights and wall lights MCBs all in the down position and all plugs taken out of their respective sockets - result? Still trips the RCD.

Next step was to try and see if perhaps it is one of the MCBs to the left of the RCD: ring circuit ground and first floor.

I noticed that when the ring circuit ground floor MCB was down and everything was unplugged, there were no issues and the RCD didn't trip. However, and not always, but sometimes when I would flick that particular MCB up (we keep our bins and recycling in the garage, which has an electric door and this operates on that circuit), the RCD would immediately trip....does that tell us anything new or useful?

You (who has randomly replaced parts with ones of unknown origin from eBay!) are not competent to be diagnosing this issue. That is what this (and everything else you have written) tells us.

Contact an Electrician. That is the ONLY answer to this. Stop messing about with it - you clearly don't know anywhere near enough (if anything) about it.

davesparks · Jun 21, 2018

Cupa said:
I noticed that when the ring circuit ground floor MCB was down and everything was unplugged, there were no issues and the RCD didn't trip. However, and not always, but sometimes when I would flick that particular MCB up (we keep our bins and recycling in the garage, which has an electric door and this operates on that circuit), the RCD would immediately trip....does that tell us anything new or useful?

It suggests that something plugged in to that circuit might be the source of the issue, or it might not. As this is an intermittent issue it may just be coincidence that the RCD didn’t trip whilst that circuit was off.
It could also be the case that the RCD is now broken as a result of being reset and tripping so many times on a fault.

Cupa · Jun 21, 2018

Thanks Dave - do RCDs have a shelf life?

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