No power to any circuit

[Leejohnson222]

Please don't all kill me here but,

I replaced 3 lights tested those 3 and all working. Went to do a 4th a restored power and now the rcd trips.
Put everything back to how it was and no power to any outgoing circuits but all circuits have 240v.
No tripping at all unless I put in a plug top tester and the rcd goes
Split board 2 rcds, this is a job for a friend who won't be friends with me much longer.

I assumed if I remove lighting circuit (l, n, e)
that I worked on that would restore power to all other circuits but the problem remained
Any ideas?

 

[Avo Mk8]

If this tripping has only started since you worked on the lights, it sounds like you may have inadvertently put a neutral back in the wrong neutral bar of the split board. eg with the circuit you are putting the plug top tester into , possibly the current fed from that RCD is going to a different neutral bar, so not back through the RCD, so there's an imbalance in L and N current of the RCD and it trips.
Just a thought. ?

 

[Leejohnson222]

I didn't alter anything in the board, and if you remove the lighting circuit from the rcd set up why would every other circuit be off yet live at the breaker 240v

 

[timhoward]

Were all four lights on the same lighting circuit at the consumer unit?

 

[westward10]

What are you measuring this voltage with?

 

[Leejohnson222]

Were all four lights on the same lighting circuit at the consumer unit?

Yes the board shows all lights are on just the one circuit for upstairs and downstairs,

 

[timhoward]

I was about to ask the same question - how are you measuring this.
I'd say you have two different issues:
1 - why are you seeing 240v but nothing works ( if the measurement is reliable there is a Neutral issue somewhere, possibly something dislodged in consumer unit when you disconnected the lighting circuit)
2 - why is the RCD tripping.

 

[Leejohnson222]

What are you measuring this voltage with?

Fluke voltage indicator

 

[Leejohnson222]

I was about to ask the same question - how are you measuring this.
I'd say you have two different issues:
1 - why are you seeing 240v but nothing works ( if the measurement is reliable there is a Neutral issue somewhere, possibly something dislodged in consumer unit when you disconnected the lighting circuit)
2 - why is the RCD tripping.

Rcd doesn't trip anymore stays in but no power to any loads

 

[westward10]

Fluke voltage indicator

Not a volt stick?
If the rcd test buttons no longer function and you have no power you may need to look if an rcd has tripped elsewhere, before the board.

 

[Leejohnson222]

Not a volt stick?
If the rcd test buttons no longer function and you have no power you may need to look if an rcd has tripped elsewhere, before the board.

No not a volt stick, there is only 1 board next to the metering, both rcd test buttons don't work but I thought that was a mechanical test and rcd can still operate if that doesn't work. I also tested at each breaker with rcd off and get no reading then 240v when rcd is on.
I have never seen this before, its extremely frustrating.

 

[timhoward]

Turn all circuits MCBs off.
See if gently moving the main meter tails both ends causes the test button to work again on the RCDs
It might be a loose main N.

 

[westward10]

So you have no lights and no power at the sockets. Where are you measuring this voltage, line to neutral or line to earth.

 

[Leejohnson222]

Turn all circuits MCBs off.
See if gently moving the main meter tails both ends causes the test button to work again on the RCDs
It might be a loose main N.

Ok will try this tomorrow

 

[BiddeldyBwah]

Imo it would be quicker to go round and check everything physically, check all the wires are in the right places. Sounds like a neutral issue since you have 240v but nothing works.

 

[telectrix]

are youse sure there isn't an isolator before the CU that's turned off? if the CU RCDs won't trip with the test buttonm then there's no power to them. lost N ???

 

[Leejohnson222]

Really appreciate all the advice, I went back with a more logical approach and tested everything, tails all good but no neutral when the main switch was on.
Replaced main dist board switch and all back on, I think I lost a bit of common sense and it was late in the day.
Glad it's resolved just weird how a lighting fault came up then the main switch failed.

 

[timhoward]

Really appreciate all the advice, I went back with a more logical approach and tested everything, tails all good but no neutral when the main switch was on.
Replaced main dist board switch and all back on, I think I lost a bit of common sense and it was late in the day.
Glad it's resolved just weird how a lighting fault came up then the main switch failed.

Glad you got it sorted. Yes, that is a rather horrible coincidence!