Rcd tripping

Highfield30 · Mar 28, 2021

Hello
IM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY ELECTRIC MY SOCKETS AND SHOWER ARE NOT WORKING IVE UNPLUGGED EVERY THING BUT I STILL HAVE THE PROBLEM
TOP RCD SEEMS TO BE TRIPPING THE BOTTOM RCD IVE TRIED RE SETTING

littlespark · Mar 28, 2021

You talk about top and bottom rcd’s? Could you post a photograph of your consumer unit to help us visualise it.

is this a sudden problem or have you had recent work done (any work. Other trades may have damaged a cable)

is there any outside power that maybe isn’t isolated? Lighting, sockets or something in a shed? Water can get into these and cause problems.

Bob Geldoff1234 · Mar 28, 2021

Try turning all the breakers that the rcd feeds to the off position.Then try putting the rcd back on.If it stays on then, one by one, turn the individual breakers back on.If the rcd trips when you put a certain breaker on then leave that one off.This is the circuit with the fault on it.Then call an electrician to fault find that circuit. If you switch all the mcbs off and the rcd still won't reset then its a neutral to earth fault and you'll have to call an electrician out.

Highfield30 · Mar 28, 2021

littlespark said:
You talk about top and bottom rcd’s? Could you post a photograph of your consumer unit to help us visualise it.

is this a sudden problem or have you had recent work done (any work. Other trades may have damaged a cable)

is there any outside power that maybe isn’t isolated? Lighting, sockets or something in a shed? Water can get into these and cause problems.

pc1966 · Mar 28, 2021

It looks like the MCB labelled "RCD" on the top board is feeding the bottom board.

Start but switching off all of the MCB on the bottom board. Then try resetting the MCB on the top board and see if it stays on at this point.

Then see if you can reset and trip-test the RCD on the bottom board (the RCD is right-most and double the width of the MCBs). The RCD should have a small 'test' button to verify it goes OK.

If you can reset the top MCB, and the RCD tests OK and stays on, then try switching on each of the bottom MCB in turn, waiting a minute or so between them in case the fault is not "instant".

Hopefully you will find which circuit is faulty that way. Once you find it, leave that MCB off and reset to the top MCB and RCD to get the rest of the power on.

You will need to get someone in to fix it unless you can identify a faulty appliance that is causing it, even then you are probably best to get some help. If you can post your town/post code (but no personal details) then someone on this forum might be able to come out and can send you a personal message.