Fuse box question

[Rob247]

Can someone tell me what the middle white fuse would be used for?

We have an issue where we lose power to everything to the left of it (downstairs lights, upstairs sockets, heating, downstairs sockets) and we think everything to the right works, I know oven and upstairs lights do. Nothing trips and to get it working we have to turn the middle fuse off, press the black button and turn it on again.

Any ideas why and what could be causing the issue, happened twice now. Is it likely to be dangerous as it doesn’t trip?

Plan to get electrician in at the end of month when paid but would like to have an idea of what it might be also.

Thanks

 

[westward10]

It is a residual current device (rcd) which provides additional protection to the four circuits left of it. Either one of these circuits or something plugged or connected to one of these circuits has a fault.

 

[Dustydazzler]

Very odd to have the lighting on the rcd side as per the 16th Ed board set up . I would usually only Expect to see sockets on the left side with the rcd.
I fitted hundreds of split boards and never put the lights in the rcd side.

Might be worth getting it reconfigured

 

[telectrix]

Very odd to have the lighting on the rcd side as per the 16th Ed board set up . I would usually only Expect to see sockets on the left side with the rcd.
I fitted hundreds of split boards and never put the lights in the rcd side.

Might be worth getting it reconfigured

i'd say it's been modded at some time. downstairs lights shifted over to RCD side, probably due to work being done and 522.6.101 then being relevant. either way, a spark should be able to find the fault, and maybe do some re labelling, hopefully so it doesn't look like it's been done by a 7 year old.

 

[Andy78]

@Rob247 See if you can narrow the pattern of tripping down. Time of day, weather, how often the tripping occurs, other things being switched on that cause the tripping, could all have a bearing. See if you can identify any outside mounted equipment that could be the cause, out side sockets and lights etc. This info could speed up the time your electrician has to spend trying to pinpoint the likely cause of the fault.

 

[The Ghost]

So you say nothing switches off but you lose power? When you switch off the RCD in the middle do you find the switch is a bit loose? I say that as some of the older and some new RCD don't quite fully switch of in the sense that they go to half mast and you have to positively switch them downward to fully switch them off then on. Although they may appear to be on they are electrically isolating the circuit and may appear to be in the up postion. You would not lose power and regain it by using that switch if this were not the case I think...maybe???

 

[Rob247]

Thanks for all your answers.

Why would this trip and not the individual circuits that come before it?

 

[Andy78]

Thanks for all your answers.

Why would this trip and not the individual circuits that come before it?

The devices that protect the circuits operate under overload and short circuit conditions. the RCD operates under an imbalance between live conductors, most often because of a leakage of current to earth.

An electrician will be able to pinpoint the cause. could be an appliance problem or a circuit problem, but impossible to say without more information and being on site testing.

 

[FatAlan]

RCDs trip for a different reason than MCBs. When you re set it, how long does it take to trip?

 

[Rob247]

Thanks, it’s been about 3 weeks since the last time.

 

[westward10]

This is a new member so helpful posts only please. George we welcome helpful posts so pleases refrain from your usual tedium.

 

[FatAlan]

Any items of equipment on the four circuits to the left of the RCD not been used for last three weeks? What sort of heating do you have?

 

[Rob247]

yes possibly will have to check.

It’s a combi boiler

 

[GeorgeCooke]

This is a new member so helpful posts only please. George we welcome helpful posts so pleases refrain from your usual tedium.

So you don't want a new member to learn from his mistakes then?

 

[Andy78]

tedium.

That's the word I was searching for...