Donate SIGN UP

Fuse Box Tripping Out

Avatar Image
Groupie | 09:57 Mon 15th Mar 2021 | Home & Garden
10 Answers
Hello. Our mains fuse box keeps tripping out on the points switch. It will be ok for a while but trip out at intervals of anytime between 1 and maybe 12 hours. Seemingly for no reason,I have unplugged most of multi use areas ie computer,tv and outside shed but still the same trips when nothing major is on. Could the main box be at fault?
PS one thing odd is when I put the trip switch back on the washing machine lights up.and the local fuses in all connected things don’t blow.
Any help please so I could give an electrician some information
Gravatar

Answers

1 to 10 of 10rss feed

Avatar Image
These things are an electrician's nightmare. Because it's an MCB, then the fault is either overcurrent (overload) or short-circuit. Intermittent faults are the worst to identify. It could be an appliance (kettle/washing machine etc). I imagine the first thing an electrician would do (after checking all the obvious things) would be to measure the...
13:12 Mon 15th Mar 2021
Just need to be clear, Groupie.
I guess you mean an MCB (miniature circuit breaker)?
So it's the one for the "sockets" circuit - marked 32 A (32 Amps)?
Question Author
Yes 32A
These things are an electrician's nightmare.
Because it's an MCB, then the fault is either overcurrent (overload) or short-circuit.

Intermittent faults are the worst to identify. It could be an appliance (kettle/washing machine etc).
I imagine the first thing an electrician would do (after checking all the obvious things) would be to measure the insulation resistance between Live and Neutral on that circuit.

That reading could tell him something.
A common fault is a loose connection somewhere. The resultant sparking can easily cause the MCB to operate.
Don't worry. He'll find it ;o)

Question Author
thanx for that info,watch this space for electrician results
Question Author
For 8 hours today all has been fine normal electrical usage then it tripped out and nothing was switched on at that time. Grrrr
Not even the central heating?
Question Author
CH been on and off a normal through day but nothing physically switched on at the time the switch tripped.
All on as normal at this time,CH ,fridge ,freezer side lights ,tv and a computer.
As The Builder says it could be anything – this happened twice to my mother, on the first occasion it was the kettle (easy to spot) on the second the immersion heater; a bit more difficult to diagnose as it was on a timer.
Question Author
Ok thanx all answers are helpful
Question for the experts, my oven caused the power circuit to 'blow' last week, the electrician who lives across the road kindly came over, fiddled with the consumer unit and reset it. He commented that according to a label on it it hadn't been serviced since 2009, is it usual to have them serviced? He wasn't touting for business, he was a very helpful neighbour who wouldn't take anything for his visit.

1 to 10 of 10rss feed

Do you know the answer?

Fuse Box Tripping Out

Answer Question >>