poorpeet Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 (edited) Over the last few days the 32 amp breaker that shields the wall sockets has tripped a few times. The lighting one goes whenever a bulb blows but I can't find anything wrong with anything that's plugged in. I have taken all the plugs out and plugged things in one at a time without finding a problem and run the fridge and freezer off an extension lead from the oven circuit but that's not revealed a problem. It can go a day without a problem or can go twice in 20 min. Everything comes back on when you re set it. Could it be a faulty breaker? I was thinking of swapping over the one that keeps tripping for the 32 amp oven one to see if the fault moves with it. Any other things I can try or check? Edited January 6, 2014 by shaun4860 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munzy Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 Do you have a combi boiler? Might be worth isolating the feed for it and seeing if you find the issue. I went through the same issue last year unplugging every single appliance and found it was an intermittent short on the boiler pump. Condensation was forming and tripping it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houlsby Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 Unplug everything, and see if it trips. Usually, it's a faulty appliance like your missis's hair dryer or straighteners. Or kettle. If not, it's a wiring fault. Usually a broken wire in a socket. Call an electrician in :-) (I'm an electrician.. ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poorpeet Posted January 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 Not a combi just a standard boiler boiler. We have unplugged everything on a room by room basis, inc the boiler. The problem is it only happens now and again. We went 24 hours without a problem then it happened three times in a day but with different intervals. No rhyme or reason to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houlsby Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 id call a spark. could be as simple as a faulty breaker right through to a pressure fault where it only becomes a fault when you walk on a certain floorboard.. and it may take you years to find on your own! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markshaw2000 Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 Are you using a load of stuff when it trips? If not might be worth getting a spark to test the circuit and check the sockets for loose connections. Where abouts are you? Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poorpeet Posted January 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 Way down in Kent. I will ask my neighbour, who's an electrician, to have a look. just trying to narrow the cause down first if possible to save him some time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottoj18 Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 How old is your dis bored, and what make? Could be a faulty MCB. With what you has said there's no rcd protection. So the breaker is tripping because of a faulty breaker or going over 32amps (live-earth fault). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottoj18 Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 * live-earth-neutral fault.. Any outside sockets on the ring? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucas Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 Call in a sparks but even then there is no guarantee he/she will find it straight away. There are tests sparks can do, cct continuity: should find high resistance on a loop loose connections etc, earth continuity: should make sure the whole cct has an earth, insulation resistance: checks for any shorts between l+n n+e l+e (before any one says yes with n disconnected), load test: see how much current the cct is pulling. There are a few more flair etc. But even then there is no guarantee the fault will surface I'm afraid. Also you may find faults which don't nessecerely link to the problem. Even so get one in to run some checks as it might find it straight away. One thing I would probably check first is any external wiring. Outside sockets, lighting etc. These should ideally be on their own rcbo, but not everyone follows best practice. I've seen sockets spurred off lighting ccts, super long radial ccts etc etc. A favorite is usually to put a outside light off a fused spur on from the ring main. (before anyone says "the fuse will blow"well a mcb tends to operate just a little quicker). Hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poorpeet Posted January 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 The board is an MK Memera 21 from mid 80's AFIK. No out side lights or sockets, at least not on that circuit but there is an old fused spur that used to run a pond pump. That's linked to a socked but I think it's been stripped out. I'll check. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poorpeet Posted January 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 No its not been stripped out just turned off and the wire cut at the wall! Never bothered to check it & we've been here since 96! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucas Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 No its not been stripped out just turned off and the wire cut at the wall! Never bothered to check it & we've been here since 96! Exactly why a test could reveal more nastiness. I'm not surprised by any bodge I see nowadays. It seems every house has one or more somewhere. One of the latest ones I saw was the cpc used as a switched live Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poorpeet Posted January 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2014 Not tripped since I stripped the old pond pump wire and socket out. Thanks for the help and advice. Much appreciated. Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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