Fuse Constantly Tripping

[Beth Langstreth]

Please help!

A fuse keeps tripping over and over again. I have 100% narrowed it down to being on the "kitchen sockets" circuit and definitely not to do with overloading or any particular appliance being used.

Believe me, I have unplugged everything in the entire house and it still goes, had one thing plugged in at a time and it still goes, etc. It is not down to one particular socket or thing that's plugged in.

It started randomly in the middle of the night, we discovered it when we woke up. We have not done anything differently recently, nothing new plugged in, no new screws or nails put in walls.

What else could it be please and is it something I can fix myself / if not, will it be a quick/cheap job for an electrician to figure out and complete. I've already wasted £140 today on an electrician who did absolutely nothing.

 

[GBDamo]

I’d be embarrassed to charge if I couldn’t find it!

I'd be embarrassed but too, especially when banking the cheque.

 

[Toneyz]

Did the electrician have any test kit as this at least should have narrowed the fault down to a location?

 

[Baddegg]

Think the op had already narrowed it down to kitchen sockets Anthony...

 

[Beth Langstreth]

Can you still use the downstairs sockets and upstairs lights when the RCD is on and the way No.6 is in the off position as the photo? this would give an indication that there is an L- earth fault on that circuit.

Yes this is the way we have it at the moment, the kitchen sockets are off and everything else works.

If that's the case, is it an easy fix for an electrician?

 

[Blissof89]

If the RCD never trips with the kitchen sockets off then most probably a live-earth fault somewhere on that circuit.

Water could be the cause, do you have any external sockets, or perhaps lights fed via a fused connection unit? Leaky washing machine or dishwasher? Turn all isolators off for appliances in the kitchen, check cupboards for appliance sockets etc.

If none of that comes up trumps then I'm afraid you would need to get someone else in to test it. Were you at home when the other electrician came? What did he actually do and what did he tell you when he asked for payment?

 

[Blissof89]

Did the electrician have any test kit as this at least should have narrowed the fault down to a location?

Agreed, even if he could not have repaired the fault he could have narrowed it down to the faulty leg of cable and kept OP going with 2 radial circuits for time being.

 

[Beth Langstreth]

Obvious question not yet asked but you've not been, or paid someone, to drill any hole recently?

Also check that absolutely everything is off, you've unplugged all sockets but switching off FCUs will narrow it down further.

No holes drilled and no FCUs on this circuit.

 

[Toneyz]

Think the op had already narrowed it down to kitchen sockets Anthony...

I was referring to the electrician doing an insulation resistance test
and narrowing the fault down between one socket leg and another.not kitchen as in room location.

 

[spark 68]

At least they didn't do what one spark did to a friend of mine namely told the customer they had a "faulty Earth" and promptly disconnected it (CPCs) from a S/O , I got involved later when instead of the RCD (split load board) tripping the fault resulted in the MCB tripping as one of the legs of the RFC started burning up, they still charged my mate for half a day without even narrowing down the fault , some people shouldn't be let loose.

 

[Beth Langstreth]

If the RCD never trips with the kitchen sockets off then most probably a live-earth fault somewhere on that circuit.

Water could be the cause, do you have any external sockets, or perhaps lights fed via a fused connection unit? Leaky washing machine or dishwasher? Turn all isolators off for appliances in the kitchen, check cupboards for appliance sockets etc.

If none of that comes up trumps then I'm afraid you would need to get someone else in to test it. Were you at home when the other electrician came? What did he actually do and what did he tell you when he asked for payment?

Unfortunately it didn't happen while he was here so none if his tests showed anything up. He had a little beepy thing that he plugged in to various sockets which showed no faults and he mentioned testing something to do with the fuse box which also showed no faults.

He checked about outside lights but they are on other RCD, and disconnected some external plugs as he thought that could possibly be the problem.

Just unlucky that it tripped about 5 times before he arrived and 10 mins after he left but not while he was here.

It is v intermittent though. We woke up to it tripped on Saturday morning, turned it back on, it went again once, then was fine until waking up this morning. Sometimes it has been an hour or so in between, sometimes immediate.

 

[plugsandsparks]

Do you have a central htg boiler ? - Is it working when the kitchen sockets are off, as this could also be a culprit

 

[Strima]

Old fridge or freezer with a failing compressor?

 

[PEG]

Hi,just how long was the "electrician" there,if it tripped just before,and just after?

 

[Pete999]

Please help!

A fuse keeps tripping over and over again. I have 100% narrowed it down to being on the "kitchen sockets" circuit and definitely not to do with overloading or any particular appliance being used.

Believe me, I have unplugged everything in the entire house and it still goes, had one thing plugged in at a time and it still goes, etc. It is not down to one particular socket or thing that's plugged in.

It started randomly in the middle of the night, we discovered it when we woke up. We have not done anything differently recently, nothing new plugged in, no new screws or nails put in walls.

What else could it be please and is it something I can fix myself / if not, will it be a quick/cheap job for an electrician to figure out and complete. I've already wasted £140 today on an electrician who did absolutely nothing.

Firstly I concur with the others this person who ripped you off was certainly not an Electrician, or if he was he needs to give up charging people for his work, a disgraceful outcome from a so called professional.
Did he do any testing with meters etc, sorry to sound negative, but it pees me off no end when some Muppet turns up has a look around, charges the earth and does a runner, certainly hope a forum member close by will be able to help you out, please let us know how you get on, oh one more thing, was this person recommended to you, and can you recall if he was a member of one of the Competent Persons Schemes (NICEIC, NAPIT, STROMA, or any of the others) anyhow good luck. If so you may get some recourse if he is a member of a CPS, by complaining to them, Trading standards is another route for you yo try.

 

[Wilko]

Hi - can you confirm where your boiler is connected - is it off that MCB too?