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Dave 85
Ive just been subjected to the most inexplicable chain of seemingly unrelated faults of my career and wondered if anyone might be able to shed any light.
So here goes...
About 18 months ago I did quite a bit of work in a house, new kitchen batroom, utility, consumer unit etc.
The board I used was admittedly a cheap one. The make was Tradeline, 16 way RCBO board, about £150. I naievly assumed anything being sold in a decent UK electrical wholesaler would be fit for purpose, and the boards had been recommended to me by more than one person.
The first thing I noticed after I installed it was that one RCBO was still on when switched off (bad omen) so I replaced this and no more probs. All circuits tested out fine, nothing less than 5M ohms IR. The client hadn't had any issues until a couple of weeks ago. I got a call saying 'our deep fat fryer has packed up, its been fixed but now the RCBO won't switch on. I went round tested the circuit and the fryer and replaced the RCBO (individual 16 amp circuit) All worked fine.
A week later I get a call saying that there was a burning smell coming from the C/U so I sais switch everything off and went straight round. Client was out when I got there, I checked every single screw was tight, found a couple slightly loose in a henley block, fired everything up and couldnt see any probs. A few days later more burning smell 2 different circuits trip out then the whole house has gone dead. Went straight back round at 9pm and the main switch is stuck on with neutral continuity completely gone, so that explains the burning smell. Put a new main switch in but now kitchen ring RCBO wont switch on. Tested circuit and it showed about 4 Meg ohms IR. Temporarily put the kitchen ring on with the upstairs ring. All worked for a few more days then the kitchen/upstairs ring starts tripping 1 or 2 times a day, sometimes at night so overload seems unlikely.
Ive put a new RCBO in for the kitchen ring tonight, contactum one this time because I refuse to use anymore of that tradeline crap.
Circuit still shows 4 m ohms IR checked behind every socket but this reading is coming off the leg from the CU to thge first socket (one of only two legs of said ring that I didn't install.
Working so far.
Another thing...in the last week the clients wine cooler and a radio both on the kitchen ring have packed up. They are very decent people and are not blaming me for this or seeking any compensation but it doesn't look good.
The house could potentially be drawing over 100 amps at times as they have a 7kw electric back up boiler which is only used during the winter and has not been used since well before all the trouble started.
To me it is hard to link any of these events together yet they have all happened in the space of a month after well over a year trouble free.
The only thing I can think of is that the dodgy main switch has put a lot of heat back down the neutral bars and cooked some of the cheapo breakers.
Needless to say it is the first and last time Ill ever be buying any Tradeline stuff.
Anyone got any ideas as to whats going on here? Any input would be much appreciated.
So here goes...
About 18 months ago I did quite a bit of work in a house, new kitchen batroom, utility, consumer unit etc.
The board I used was admittedly a cheap one. The make was Tradeline, 16 way RCBO board, about £150. I naievly assumed anything being sold in a decent UK electrical wholesaler would be fit for purpose, and the boards had been recommended to me by more than one person.
The first thing I noticed after I installed it was that one RCBO was still on when switched off (bad omen) so I replaced this and no more probs. All circuits tested out fine, nothing less than 5M ohms IR. The client hadn't had any issues until a couple of weeks ago. I got a call saying 'our deep fat fryer has packed up, its been fixed but now the RCBO won't switch on. I went round tested the circuit and the fryer and replaced the RCBO (individual 16 amp circuit) All worked fine.
A week later I get a call saying that there was a burning smell coming from the C/U so I sais switch everything off and went straight round. Client was out when I got there, I checked every single screw was tight, found a couple slightly loose in a henley block, fired everything up and couldnt see any probs. A few days later more burning smell 2 different circuits trip out then the whole house has gone dead. Went straight back round at 9pm and the main switch is stuck on with neutral continuity completely gone, so that explains the burning smell. Put a new main switch in but now kitchen ring RCBO wont switch on. Tested circuit and it showed about 4 Meg ohms IR. Temporarily put the kitchen ring on with the upstairs ring. All worked for a few more days then the kitchen/upstairs ring starts tripping 1 or 2 times a day, sometimes at night so overload seems unlikely.
Ive put a new RCBO in for the kitchen ring tonight, contactum one this time because I refuse to use anymore of that tradeline crap.
Circuit still shows 4 m ohms IR checked behind every socket but this reading is coming off the leg from the CU to thge first socket (one of only two legs of said ring that I didn't install.
Working so far.
Another thing...in the last week the clients wine cooler and a radio both on the kitchen ring have packed up. They are very decent people and are not blaming me for this or seeking any compensation but it doesn't look good.
The house could potentially be drawing over 100 amps at times as they have a 7kw electric back up boiler which is only used during the winter and has not been used since well before all the trouble started.
To me it is hard to link any of these events together yet they have all happened in the space of a month after well over a year trouble free.
The only thing I can think of is that the dodgy main switch has put a lot of heat back down the neutral bars and cooked some of the cheapo breakers.
Needless to say it is the first and last time Ill ever be buying any Tradeline stuff.
Anyone got any ideas as to whats going on here? Any input would be much appreciated.
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