Random socket tripping

[fuzdrum]

Hi,

Our breaker box is located in the cellar. We experience random socket trips throughout the year. Summertime seems to be the best when we can go months without an issue.

Autumn/winter time is awful. We have had 3 trips within the last 24 hours. No new appliance has been switched on when the trips occur.

Could it be a faulty RCD? Is it the location of the breaker box? Please help.

 

[buzzlightyear]

the only way of finding out to get a spark in and investigate.and do some testing .

 

[Octopus]

What has the weather been like over the last couple of days?

 

[fuzdrum]

What has the weather been like over the last couple of days?

General cold, damp autumn weather!

 

[Spoon]

Is there any signs of condensation on the consumer unit or in the cellar?

 

[fuzdrum]

Is there any signs of condensation on the consumer unit or in the cellar?

Hi, the cellar is damp and cold but there is no visible moisture on the walls

 

[Spoon]

If you have a dehumidifier you could try putting that near the consumer unit and see if that helps.

 

[Wilko]

Hi Fuz and welcome to the Forum .
Repeating trips don't happen for no reason and aside from the inconvenience to you it could be a fault that's getting worse and so may become dangerous at some point. If it's not related to an appliance then as Buzz has advised, I think you'll be best served by getting your local friendly Electrician around to have a look. Most do "attend and work for an hour" callouts. Someone here may be nearby (?).

 

[Octopus]

How many rcds do you have?

 

[KevinH]

If worse with bad weather, maybe water getting into outside light or socket?

 

[fuzdrum]

If worse with bad weather, maybe water getting into outside light or socket?

The lights are on a different rcd and the only outside socket has a built in rcd which is tripped when not on use. May have to bite the bullet and get the sparky in

 

[Silly Sausage]

The lights are on a different rcd and the only outside socket has a built in rcd which is tripped when not on use. May have to bite the bullet and get the sparky in

That socket is most probably the problem.
Moisture inside will still trip the circuit RCD even though the socket RCD is off.

 

[KevinH]

The RCD built into the outside socket only protects what is plugged into it....not the connections behind it which could be wet.

 

[Fitzy]

Fuz, what actually trips, is it the RCD for a set of mcb’s, or is it an individual mcb that keeps tripping?

If it’s the mcb, is there a label below it that says what circuit it’s protecting and what is plugged in to the sockets of this circuit?

 

[fuzdrum]

Yes it's the rcd that protects just the sockets. Everything else stays on.

 

[Spoon]

Yes it's the rcd that protects just the sockets. Everything else stays on.

haha.. wish you would have put this in your original post mate.
Does look like the outside socket is causing all the trips then... but can't be 100% sure, unless you get someone to look at it.

 

[fuzdrum]

haha.. wish you would have put this in your original post mate.
Does look like the outside socket is causing all the trips then... but can't be 100% sure, unless you get someone to look at it.

The outside socket has a built in rcd. When it is not in use we trip it on the outside socket itself.

 

[buzzlightyear]

It might be damp or water or a snail
It could be any thing .call a expert.

 

[Strima]

The outside socket has a built in rcd. When it is not in use we trip it on the outside socket itself.

But if water is getting into the outside socket it will still trip the RCD in your board.

The socket RCD will only protect what is plugged into it.

 

[fuzdrum]

But if water is getting into the outside socket it will still trip the RCD in your board.

The socket RCD will only protect what is plugged into it.

Thanks for that. It is fully waterproof but I'll take a look.