lighting circuit problems

[KAS1]

I was assuming there would only be half a dozen lights or so, I agree your method is the best way forward but I was trying to give him a sure fire way of eliminating light by light as he seems a bit stumped and your (the best method) just might confuse him if the lights are dotted all over the show lol

Whats with this test each bit individually malarky? Split the circuit in half find the faulty half, split the faulty half and find the faulty half of that etc etc until you isolate the fault.

 

[davethsparky]

Sorry but I just refuse to cater for people who can't grasp basic concepts and don't have the ability to problem solve without a comfort blanket!

 

[KAS1]

Yeah you're right, I should of stuck with the "get your tester out" as had already been said lol

 

[Guitarist]

Whats with this test each bit individually malarky? Split the circuit in half find the faulty half, split the faulty half and find the faulty half of that etc etc until you isolate the fault.

Half split technique is great, just so long as the circuit can be identified in that way.
I think the point that everyone is trying to make, is that "testing" of some kind is the way to go. Would still be interested to know what tests were carried out when the CU was installed...

 

[oldtimer]

Also would like to know what you found ie the actual fault

 

[KAS1]

Has he found the fault yet?

 

[iamelectric]

if theres one thing i have learned about changing consumer units on houses after that job the other week , its to test absolutely everything before touching it , and then test everthing again after connections to new board before switching on , its not worth the grief to just batter on and do it and hope its ok ,thats how you end up on here in a panic , haha

 

[i=p/u]

Functional tests worked for 4 hrs..

- - - Updated - - -

Fault could be in switch wires..

 

[glasgospark]

racking my brains went back today testing at various points opening the feed cables at each switch one at a time , couldnt narrow it down to a certain cable or area , disconnected all switch wires(including n&e) still trips stays on for 3-4 hours today then trips ,

could be sitting with all switch wires out still trips :S

 

[LED Lighting]

Well clearly the fault lays with the supply cable to the first point, disconnect the first point completely and IR the supply cables. I bet you will have a dead short there.
if nothing then IR after that point, you will find the issue.

something is telling me that your not a sparky as you have not even mentioned about your tester or test results, all its still tripping!

eitherway think about getting an electrician in before you kill yourself or a family member

 

[glasgospark]

Well clearly the fault lays with the supply cable to the first point, disconnect the first point completely and IR the supply cables. I bet you will have a dead short there.
if nothing then IR after that point, you will find the issue.

something is telling me that your not a sparky as you have not even mentioned about your tester or test results, all its still tripping!

eitherway think about getting an electrician in before you kill yourself or a family member

read back mate tester and results clearly mentioned , well n truly qualified 17th edition but thanks for the advice

 

[sledgehammer]

Keen to know what it turns out to be. You must post it when you get to the bottom of it.

 

[LED Lighting]

Ok a IR of 0.2Mohms is not a fault in the first run unless a mouse had lunch early, its a long distance short or even a fault through a lamp.

whats the LE and NE readings at CU, 1st point, 2nd point, 3rd point, etc, etc, etc

 

[decolad69]

Funny you should mention that , when it was just the McB tripping 2 times in a row at a squeaky floorboard when stood on it tripped straight away but after that nothing now it's rcd , which made me think its worked its way through the neutral cable now causing Imbalance on circuit and not a dead short ,

Did you lift the floorboard to investigate ?

 

[sledgehammer]

Update????

 

[Guitarist]

Update????

Maybe he got his finger trapped under the floorboard when investigating, and has been stuck there ever since...

 

[sledgehammer]

No punch line, hate that! C'mon glasgo.

 

[Dave 85]

Interesting thread
A lot of sound advice being given and plenty of fairly poor advice too.....
Its obviously not a dead short if its staying on for 4 hours.
Its Obviously not a L/N to earth fault because its the MCB tripping not the RCD (originally)
The first thought that sprang to my mind was a faulty transformer somewhere. I found this the other day when a client complained of an MCB tripping occasionally (it took me about 10 minutes)
Its hard to imagine its a damaged cable because I can't see how you could short L and N without shorting the cpc at the same time....unless of course that part of the cable has no cpc....
It'll be interesting to see the outcome

 

[glasgospark]

Sorry guys been M.i.a

been an on going job here customer only ever available now n then for around a hour ,
Found fault which was on the loop feed cable going between the 4th-5th switch , still haven't rewired it yet will be doing so next week , I'm thinking rodent or trapped along side heating pipe at boiler

 

[glasgospark]

Ps , method used was Breaking down circuit and I.r between every point