Consumer Unit Query?

[Jon999]

The pic. is my friends consumer unit and what I can’t understand is:

the left RCD is in tripped/off position yet he tells me the circuits 6,7,and 8 in the house are alive?
I thought the mcb’s 6,7,8 were connected from the left RCD and hence although mcb’s are closed the circuits should be dead!

Help needed..what am I missing?

 

[happysteve]

It's a bit difficult to tell, but it looks like the little indicator window on the RCD is still showing red - they turn to green when the power is off. Is the switch "floppy", i.e. if you try to raise it, does it just flop back down?

I think in any case, regardless of the above, it's worth an electrician looking at it, seeing how it's wired internally, testing it, and (possibly/probably) replacing.

 

[westward10]

Either the RCD is duff and not isolating the circuits or it has been bypassed.

 

[baldelectrician]

The first mistake was buying a BG consumer unit

I have had several fail, although as previously said I think the RCD may have been bypassed

 

[Dustydazzler]

As above ,

1 I would say 95% chance someone at some stage has completely bypassed ( linked out ) the RCD so it is doing sweet FA

2 It is infact a faulty unit and welded itself switched On so that the switch is just flapping in the wind ( I have only ever come across this once in 25 years of doing domestic jobs )

 

[littlespark]

While you’re at it, get the electrician to distribute the loads better.

Ie, lights on separate RCDs… so if one rcd trips, you’re not in total darkness.

 

[Dustydazzler]

Whenever I see a BG ( screwfix Diy special) I would be curious to see if either RCD was actually connected or whether both do sweet FA and have been linked out completely

 

[Jon999]

It's a bit difficult to tell, but it looks like the little indicator window on the RCD is still showing red - they turn to green when the power is off. Is the switch "floppy", i.e. if you try to raise it, does it just flop back down?

I think in any case, regardless of the above, it's worth an electrician looking at it, seeing how it's wired internally, testing it, and (possibly/probably) replacing.

Thanks…yes it is floppy…suggesting a E fault somewhere!

If by passed/shorted out or even welded in it wouldn’t still try and trip when attempt to close,..would it?

 

[happysteve]

It needs looking at and replacing, whatever the cause. It may be correctly connected inside the DB, and maybe just the internal switch mechanism has failed. It might trip when you press the test button, but then you might not be able to reset it again if the switch is faulty. Or it may have failed badly and be internally welded in the closed position, this may have been caused by an external fault, or it may just be the RCD that's faulty. Without testing it, and testing the circuits it's (possibly/hopefully) protecting, we can only speculate.

 

[MJPD29]

Rcd has been bypassed or failed. Bg is hands down the worst brand I've ever had the pleasure of using and had multiple rcds fail when 'new'.

 

[Dave OCD]

I'd very much like to see what that's like inside, even the way the labelling is applied says quite a lot....