New Consumer unit problems

[johnnymacc]

Hi guys i've just fitted a split board on an oldish cottage no loft solid down floor so everythings in the ceiling under the upstairs floorboards,problem is i've got the kitchen sockets,upstairs lights, and outside lights on one rcd no probs and the downstairs lights,the ring main sockets which is the rest of the house sockets not a massive house mind you,and the cooker radial on the other rcd, well the lights are ok but the ring and cooker keep tripping,ok switched on but call for power and they trip the rcd.Continuity test on the ring gave me a few 0.1 ohm differences across a few double sockets ie.one side to the other, changed them but still tripping the rcd.Insulation test was ok for ring and cooker radial i'm a bit stumped anyone got any ideas.

Cheers in advance,
John.

 

[Izzy's Dad]

Hi have you connected the neutral for the circuits into the correct neutral bar?

 

[Spudnik]

^^^^what he said,

also do an ir test between the neutral bars.

 

[Deleted member 19807]

neutrals in wrong bar.

 

[malcolmsanford]

As the guys above said check the neutrals are on the correct bare, though I would be amazed if you had the cooker circuit mixed up but it can happen.

When you say the IR on the ring was good, what were you getting, on L-E / L-N / N-E ?

 

[nickblake]

Double check you IR readings as this sound like a neutral to earth fault , and as the other guys have said check the connections on the neutral bars make sure they are in the right ones , if its a dual RCD board then you may find both RCD's trip if its a crossed neutral

 

[johnnymacc]

Hi Guys,
thanks for the replies just started back after a few days off with a horrible cold/flu.I've just redone my IR tests on the ring main,i'm using a new meter and think i messed up last time, this time round i have 0.00Mohms on the N-E does anyone know how i can isolate where the problem is to save taking all the boards up.

Cheers in advance, John.

 

[Deleted member 19807]

split the ring about half way round and test each leg, that will tell you which leg the fault is on, then split that in half and test again, repeat until fault is found.

 

[not clever]

[FONT=&quot]Divide & conquer[/FONT]

 

[nickblake]

this could be a neutral to earth short ,stick the meter on continuity and test to see if you have a reading,if you do and if you have a plug in lead on your test kit, plug top type, plug the red lead into the neutral terminal on your tester and green into earth as normal switch onto ohms/ continuity and take a reading , then go round each socket and test till you find the lowest reading as the closer you are to the fault the lower the reading , then check that socket , if the faults is there repair as you would and then retest , once the fault has cleared re test using the IR ,

 

[johnnymacc]

Hi guys got it sorted at last,it was stripped insulation on the neutral in one of the sockets,did the divide and conquer but if it works your way would have been much easier and quicker nick i'll remember that for the future.
Cheers, John.