Lost power but NO RCBO tripped

[Kash]

Hey all,

First off, Merry Christmas to all

Right, so I have had a really weird thing happen earlier today. We lost power completely to the whole house, I assumed something tripped one of the RCBO's, so went downstairs to check the CU, and notice NOTHING was tripped off? However there was NO power to the house at all. At this point, I thought maybe external.

Just to make sure I switched off/on the main 100amp switch and everything came back on? No idea what happened.

Now I would have left it and not thought anything of it, however we have two CU. One in our outhouse and one in the main house.

What gave me a strange feeling was, as I went round to set the clock on the oven, microwave, I made my way to the outhouse, where I have some computer equipment running. I thought I would have to turn them on etc.. However I was surprised that these were still running - so I checked the "uptime" and they all said 32days (which was last time I rebooted those machines). So basically the Outhouse didn't lose power.

So it couldn't have been anything external which caused the power loss.

I have checked the tails to for the main house CU, nothing is loose. I am stumped as to what could have caused just one CU to lose power without tripping anything.

Everything is working find as it has been for the last year or so (since we refurbished the house). So I am curious as to what this could be ?

Any thoughts?

NOTE: I am not trying to solve the issue or "fix" anything since it is all working now. However curious what would cause this scenario.

 

[snowhead]

How old is the C.U that you turned Off/ On?

 

[Pete999]

Hey all,

First off, Merry Christmas to all

Right, so I have had a really weird thing happen earlier today. We lost power completely to the whole house, I assumed something tripped one of the RCBO's, so went downstairs to check the CU, and notice NOTHING was tripped off? However there was NO power to the house at all. At this point, I thought maybe external.

Just to make sure I switched off/on the main 100amp switch and everything came back on? No idea what happened.

Now I would have left it and not thought anything of it, however we have two CU. One in our outhouse and one in the main house.

What gave me a strange feeling was, as I went round to set the clock on the oven, microwave, I made my way to the outhouse, where I have some computer equipment running. I thought I would have to turn them on etc.. However I was surprised that these were still running - so I checked the "uptime" and they all said 32days (which was last time I rebooted those machines). So basically the Outhouse didn't lose power.

So it couldn't have been anything external which caused the power loss.

I have checked the tails to for the main house CU, nothing is loose. I am stumped as to what could have caused just one CU to lose power without tripping anything.

Everything is working find as it has been for the last year or so (since we refurbished the house). So I am curious as to what this could be ?

Any thoughts?

NOTE: I am not trying to solve the issue or "fix" anything since it is all working now. However curious what would cause this scenario.

Not nice to happen over the Hols Mate, difficult to diagnose from afar.

 

[telectrix]

child under age of 19 switched off main switch as a prank? perhaps his sister was in the shower??

 

[DPG]

Strange thing to happen. Something caused it - maybe even a faulty main switch. I would get it checked out by a qualified sparky. Faults like this can often result in things getting hot and melting if they aren't sorted.

 

[Wilko]

Hi - if I have understood correctly, you’ve eliminated the possibility of a supply outage, main fuse failure or a final circuit fault. That seems to leave the isolator or the adjacent cables in that Consumer Unit as prime suspects in this whodunit. I would check the cables are all nicely torqued as per @DPG post.

 

[Kash]

How old is the C.U that you turned Off/ On?

Consumer unit is less then a year old. Everything is brand new as part of refurbishment. All certified etc..
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Strange thing to happen. Something caused it - maybe even a faulty main switch. I would get it checked out by a qualified sparky. Faults like this can often result in things getting hot and melting if they aren't sorted.

that is my concern, but I’m more afraid this is intermittent and that nothing will go wrong for weeks and so sparky may not see the fault - or could a sparky test the switch to confirm it’sactually faulty? Ideally would like to know why it happened

Hi - if I have understood correctly, you’ve eliminated the possibility of a supply outage, main fuse failure or a final circuit fault. That seems to leave the isolator or the adjacent cables in that Consumer Unit as prime suspects in this whodunit. I would check the cables are all nicely torqued as per @DPG post.

Will just call in a sparky and pay the call out charge, seems to be the best option, as it’s not something obvious. Because I don’t believe anything is loose as it’s been running fine for month and now running fine again after switch off/on again.

 

[Pretty Mouth]

Can you post a photo or 2 of your consumer unit, showing the main switch that you switched off/on?

 

[Strima]

Is it a switch or an RCD?

 

[Kash]

Can you post a photo or 2 of your consumer unit, showing the main switch that you switched off/on?

I’ve attached one, I’ll take another one once I am home.
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Is it a switch or an RCD?

100amp isolator switch

the rest are all RCBO’s

 

[ipf]

Looks like that second (OK) supply isn't via the isolator...….tell you something?

 

[Kash]

Yep Roy Rogers has been about, if RR don't ring a bell think COWBOY

Why does the second supply “have” to be through the first supply.

when this was being installed the guy asked me if I wanted it separate so that neither affected each other etc... as you can see it’s split from the meter properly with two extra isolators. It was all installed by a certified installer and approved by building control.

my question wasn’t why the second didn’t turn off - that makes sense if it wasn’t an external issue, my question is why did the primary go off with nothing tripping.

 

[Vortigern]

Some switches switch off and don't appear to be in the off position. In order to re-energised the circuit you would have to switch right off then on which would reset the switch. That seems the most likely explanation. Which switch did you switch off. I hardly need to ask as if you had switched off the main isolator then your computers would have gone off so it must have been the wylex switch. So when certain switches go off they only look as if they are not fully up rather than fully down and as said you would have to pull them right down to reset. Did you feel the switch was a bit loosed when you switched it off?
EDIT: just seen you lates post above so maybe then....

 

[Pete999]

Hey all,

First off, Merry Christmas to all

Right, so I have had a really weird thing happen earlier today. We lost power completely to the whole house, I assumed something tripped one of the RCBO's, so went downstairs to check the CU, and notice NOTHING was tripped off? However there was NO power to the house at all. At this point, I thought maybe external.

Just to make sure I switched off/on the main 100amp switch and everything came back on? No idea what happened.

Now I would have left it and not thought anything of it, however we have two CU. One in our outhouse and one in the main house.

What gave me a strange feeling was, as I went round to set the clock on the oven, microwave, I made my way to the outhouse, where I have some computer equipment running. I thought I would have to turn them on etc.. However I was surprised that these were still running - so I checked the "uptime" and they all said 32days (which was last time I rebooted those machines). So basically the Outhouse didn't lose power.

So it couldn't have been anything external which caused the power loss.

I have checked the tails to for the main house CU, nothing is loose. I am stumped as to what could have caused just one CU to lose power without tripping anything.

Everything is working find as it has been for the last year or so (since we refurbished the house). So I am curious as to what this could be ?

Any thoughts?

NOTE: I am not trying to solve the issue or "fix" anything since it is all working now. However curious what would cause this scenario.

KASH where are you situated? could visit if not far from N/ton, Oh London to far

 

[Kash]

Some switches switch off and don't appear to be in the off position. In order to re-energised the circuit you would have to switch right off then on which would reset the switch. That seems the most likely explanation. Which switch did you switch off. I hardly need to ask as if you had switched off the main isolator then your computers would have gone off so it must have been the wylex switch. So when certain switches go off they only look as if they are not fully up rather than fully down and as said you would have to pull them right down to reset. Did you feel the switch was a bit loosed when you switched it off?
EDIT: just seen you lates post above so maybe then....

I switch off/on the main isolator inside the consumer unit, not the ones you can see in the picture. I’ll send a better picture

but what your saying does make it the most likely thing that happen, I didn’t know that main switches could trip
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KASH where are you situated? could visit if not far from N/ton, Oh London to far

Im in Ilford - east London

 

[ipf]

Why does the second supply “have” to be through the first supply.
It doesn't.
my question wasn’t why the second didn’t turn off - that makes sense if it wasn’t an external issue, my question is why did the primary go off with nothing tripping.

There's a supply fault....The switch you're messing with or something else prior to the CBs.... OR at that separate isolator. Heat does strange things, especially to copper it seems.....check for any....or signs of.

 

[Pete999]

I switch off/on the main isolator inside the consumer unit, not the ones you can see in the picture. I’ll send a better picture

but what your saying does make it the most likely thing that happen, I didn’t know that main switches could trip
[automerge]1577375470[/automerge]

Im in Ilford - east London

PM me post code I'll see how far it is, will be just travel costs if it's close enough

 

[Kash]

There's a supply fault....The switch you're messing with or something else prior to the CBs.... OR at that separate isolator. Heat does strange things, especially to copper it seems.....check for any....or signs of.

when it happened I did check to see if cables were loose, nothing seemed loose and as I said it’s been working fine for a while.

If the main isolator in the CU did trip what would cause it to trip? And why didn’t the isolator before it trip.

from the main supply I have an isolator, then the tails go from there to the main CU, but even though nothing tripped I only flicked the isolator in the CU. So my question now is, what causes an isolator to trip, and why didn’t the isolator prior not trip also?
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PM me post code I'll see how far it is, will be just travel costs if it's close enough

Northampton is a long drive mate, I’m always going up to Leicester, don’t think it’s worth the journey but appreciate the offer.

 

[ipf]

They're isolators, just switches,...…... they don't auto trip.
Faulty switch or bad connection causing the break in supply.

 

[Pete999]

when it happened I did check to see if cables were loose, nothing seemed loose and as I said it’s been working fine for a while.

If the main isolator in the CU did trip what would cause it to trip? And why didn’t the isolator before it trip.

from the main supply I have an isolator, then the tails go from there to the main CU, but even though nothing tripped I only flicked the isolator in the CU. So my question now is, what causes an isolator to trip, and why didn’t the isolator prior not trip also?
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Northampton is a long drive mate, I’m always going up to Leicester, don’t think it’s worth the journey but appreciate the offer.

send your post code and I'll discuss with my Son, I'm all for helping out when I can s\despite what others may think, travel costs only my tome is free, or maybe a Maccy Dees on the way home