Hi,
I'm not an electrician, but a competent DIYer.
The obvious answer to my situation is to get an electrician in, and believe me I have tried. But everyone seems to be unavailable to help until the New Year, even for emergencies, so it looks like DIY is going to happen, or no Christmas. We have kids, and the outlaws are supposed to be coming for Xmas day lunch.
An RCD has tripped, which has 3 circuits on it: Kitchen extension sockets and lights; all other lighting; cooker. Turning off all 3 MCBs still doesn't allow resetting the RCD. Turning off the main switch does allow reset, but it trips immediately the supply is turned back on.
I have a newish CU but old wiring. Nothing at all was happening in the house (around midnight last night) when the RCD tripped.
My plan of attack is:
If a circuit has a CPC to neutral fault, we'll just have to live without that one, and get a professional to fault-find in the new year. Can probably live without one of the circuits, and if it's the cooker, it will just have to be curry for dinner cooked on the gas hob.
Any professional advice would be gratefully received.
I'm not an electrician, but a competent DIYer.
The obvious answer to my situation is to get an electrician in, and believe me I have tried. But everyone seems to be unavailable to help until the New Year, even for emergencies, so it looks like DIY is going to happen, or no Christmas. We have kids, and the outlaws are supposed to be coming for Xmas day lunch.
An RCD has tripped, which has 3 circuits on it: Kitchen extension sockets and lights; all other lighting; cooker. Turning off all 3 MCBs still doesn't allow resetting the RCD. Turning off the main switch does allow reset, but it trips immediately the supply is turned back on.
I have a newish CU but old wiring. Nothing at all was happening in the house (around midnight last night) when the RCD tripped.
My plan of attack is:
- try to get hold of a replacement RCD (Hager 63A type AC) before everything shuts. Keep it on hand.
- isolate the cooker in case that is causing a neutral to CPC fault
- get into the CU and isolate the neutrals of the other circuits in turn (obviously keeping the MCBs at OFF), to see if any circuit has a CPC to neutral fault.
- replace the RCD
- sit and cry in the corner if none of that helps
If a circuit has a CPC to neutral fault, we'll just have to live without that one, and get a professional to fault-find in the new year. Can probably live without one of the circuits, and if it's the cooker, it will just have to be curry for dinner cooked on the gas hob.
Any professional advice would be gratefully received.